Never allow your dog to sleep on your bed.
Your dog should never walk ahead of you.
Always go through a door before your dog.
Feed your dog after you eat.
Only feed kibble, never feed "people food" (I shudder at that term).
Vaccinate your dog every year.
Tails are amputated to protect them from damage.
So many wrongs. What a mess humans have made over the years. Honestly, many ideas are simply passed onto the next generation without anyone ever thinking about them. People hear how something that has been done over the years and just do it. We should consider first, perhaps even rebel against that very famous NIKE saying "Just do it." How about thinking first and not just doing it blindly?
Read, read, read and read some more. I am not saying that you will find the perfect truth by reading but you will most definitely learn. I am a researcher. When I hear about something that I am not clear on or educated on, I research. I am a want to know type of person. That said, I am also pretty strong in what I believe in; but, I am VERY open minded and love to hear more on just about every subject.
Like I said in yesterday's blog; life is a story, an evolution of yourself. So who I was years ago is not who I am today. Things that I considered to be correct years ago may have been replaced with new ideas. I grew up thinking that if you gave your dog raw meat they would become aggressive. "Don't give them a taste for blood," the dog folks told me. HA!
"Never be afraid to change your opinion."
Allowing your dog to go through a door before you meant that they would be dominant over you. Wrong. If they barge past you, then they have no manners and need training. But the act of walking ahead of you simply means that they are ahead of you. Of course there are dogs who like to think the are the leader; typically the ones who have not been offered an education. The same goes for walking ahead during a stroll in the park. It is ridiculous to think that our dogs are dominating us by walking out in front. Now if they are dragging you down the street, then you need to address that.
Sometimes a step in a different direction will bring you down a different path; setting you on a whole new journey. Don't be satisfied by what has been done for so many years, just because it is how it has always been done. Push, read, question and get the facts. Life is a never ending evolution; you have the right to change your mind when you learn new and better ways.
"I wish I'd known," is something that many people have said to me after learning how to train their dog. You cannot go back in time and relive the moments that we regret. Life is about going forward.