Risk, Trust, and Dogs

When training just happens

This short story is ultimately a promo for my latest YouTube video which I’m desperately trying to get people to watch because I worked so hard on it and it seems the harder I work on things the less interest there is what the heck is going on. I dare you to leave some feedback!

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The dogs bolted out of the van after a long drive. They needed to run. Usually, I catch their attention with a ball before they jump out. This particular day, I let them jump out before I had their attention. In the field waiting for them was something exciting: a couple of rabbits.

When the dogs jumped out, the rabbits scattered. One left, one right. Boo chased left, and Yaya chased right, towards a distant road. Yaya was only 1, which promised a less predictable outcome, so I awkwardly chased after him in my sandals. I watched as Yaya disappeared through the trees, beyond the bushes, and directly into a busy road. I shouted “Yaya!” as loud as I could as the pavement tried to rip the sandals off my feet.

I often get messages praising how well trained my dogs are. In the grand scheme of dogs, they are very good dogs. But this doesn’t mean we don’t get into trouble sometimes. Shit does happen. I’ve had disagreements on trails and heart-pounding animal pursuits alike. This rabbit episode was one of the more memorable ones.

I picked Yaya up after his unsuccessful rabbit chase and his fateful run through two busy intersections. I carried him back to the car, both of our tails between our legs. Did we learn something here? I sure did. To make sure I have their attention (with a ball or something that motivates them as much or more than a rabbit) before letting them out into an unknown field.

There are much better ways to train a dog. Controlled environments are key. But sometimes, life just lifes. And if we never experience close calls, can we really be sure our skills are valuable in real world experiences? When people ask me how to train their dog (remember: I’m no professional dog trainer), I offer them something like this: spend lots of time with them, learn what drives them, and most importantly, trust them.

The same series of events unfolded recently in Regina. I let the dogs out, a rabbit appeared, and of course, they chased it. This time, however, fifty feet before a busy road, they stopped. Immediately, they turned back. Had they given up? Had they learned a lesson from last time? I’ll never be sure, but maybe we need to chase a few rabbits to learn we can’t catch them.

I learned something different: that trust and risk often go hand in hand. Maybe letting the dogs jump out without having their attention looks more like ignorance than trust, but there is a foundation of trust that allows me to be free from constant worry. Sometimes we need to trust our dogs to let them learn, and ultimately to show us that they have. I’m not saying to go look for rabbits and set your dogs loose after them. But life is unpredictable, and we’ll be tested at the most inopportune times. If we live life on a leash, we’ll never have the freedom to make mistakes, and the freedom to learn from them.

With love,

Andrew, Yaya & Boo

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If you’re looking for a really beautiful write up on risk and trust, look no further than this article by the Marginalian: The Psychology of Trust in Work and Love

If you’re looking to support a project of mine, go check out my merch at Be More Like Your Dog.