Dogs, Agency & Choice

We make decisions on behalf of our dogs every single day.  Our dogs have little control over their environment, social encounters, food choices, relationships, who they live with, who their friends are and all elements of survival.  They don’t even get to decide when it is time to go to the toilet.

Agency is the ability to make choices and exert control over life.  Our dogs experience loss of agency in all aspects of their life due to domestication.  Humans spend a lot of time attempting to suppress their natural expressions of barking and attention seeking. Research shows that human and non-human animals need to have a sense of control in order to experience positive feelings and mental health. We all need to be able to make decisions about our environment and what we perceive as aversive; things we do not like and wish to move away from. When we are able to make choices based upon our own preferences we are able attain a sense of psychological well-being. Our dogs are the same.  Frequently, our dogs make better decisions for themselves than we do. I often see dogs attempting to avoid another dog and their guardians trying to force the interaction.  This forces the dog into an unwanted encounter that can and regularly results in an altercation. 

So what can we do to give our dogs a sense of agency?  The answer lies in empowerment. Empowered dogs are happier dogs. A dog that gets to choose and make decisions for themselves learns and develops confidence and resilience. 

First, we have to change our own mind-set; learn to respect our dog’s decision making process and acknowledge its worth. When we do, we relinquish some of the power we have over our dogs and replace it with a mutual understanding and trusting relationship.  We change our thoughts from forcing our dogs to do what we want, simply because it is what we want to co-operation and appreciation. 

We need to be mindful of our dog’s canine needs and recognise where these are not being fully met.  We can then begin to create opportunities for them to make choices for themselves.  We can learn to collaborate with our dogs and become inspired to give them their best life.  This all sounds a bit complicated doesn’t it?  But it really isn’t. It just requires us to think about how we can create agency.  All we need to do is be respectful and attentive to our dog’s communication – they do tell us a lot if we listen.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Let Your Dog Sniff What and When They Want to
2. Let Your Dog Decide Not to Interact with Another Dog or Person
3. Make Sure Your Dog Gives Their Consent to Be Touched
4. Respect Your Dog’s No!!! Unless Their Safety is At Risk
5. Provide Your Dog Space In Your Home

​​If you need help setting training objectives please give me a call - 07870 989933
I offer individually tailored 1-2-1 Canine Coaching Sessions which may also be helpful.
Each session is 1-2 hours long and includes a follow-up email report and telephone support. Sessions start at £45, packages are available for multiple sessions.