Steamboat Pilot & Today

Laura Tyler

Laura Tyler is a certified professional dog trainer with 25 years of experience and has earned associate certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She owns Total Teamwork Training LLC in Northwest Colorado.

We are living in an on-demand world these days. Movies on demand, a popcorn button on the microwave, instant messaging and online shopping. It seems instant gratification is taking over, and we’re forgetting to work on long-lasting relationships and long-term commitments. We’re trying to survive and get ahead in a screaming, fast-paced world.

I had a discussion with a very successful man one day. He said he was ready to add a dog to his life. He had one growing up, and that dog was his best friend. He followed him everywhere. They had the whole world to explore, and when evening came, they settled into bed each night with a big sigh. Life was good. The dog waited for him to get home from school each day so they could resume catching frogs, fishing, running alongside his bicycle and sharing ice cream cones.  

He missed that and hoped a new dog would fill the void of coming home to an empty apartment each day. Jim missed that companionship. He lived alone, worked long hours and often had to go out of town on job-related trips. When I questioned his time commitment and the need to make this dog a priority in his life, he assured me he could make that happen. We always have the best of intentions.

Jim chose a beautiful German shorthair pointer. He thought about maybe taking up hunting with this young dog. He had wonderful expectations of hiking through fields filled with pheasants or quail with his trusty dog, Max. Jim picked up his new puppy and brought him home for a long weekend before going on a business trip. They had a great weekend together, and Jim was feeling that old feeling of companionship that he experienced as a kid. We treasure the soft fur and sweet disposition a new puppy offers. Little Max spent the weekend following Jim everywhere, nuzzling his neck and happily playing games.  

The following week, Jim left for a two-week business trip. A friend took care of Max while Jim was gone. His friend worked full time, too, and left the pup in the backyard with his adult dog. They were fed and put back out every day that Jim was gone. When he returned from his trip, he couldn’t believe how much his pup had grown. But something had changed. The pup was a bit more distant and a lot more troublesome. His house manners were lacking. He was not getting the consistent potty training he needed. Within the next couple of months, Jim worked out of town more frequently and decided the best thing to do would be to board Max in a kennel. This routine continued until Max was becoming less and less social. Jim couldn’t understand it. He really missed his evenings with Max settling in next to him. He enjoyed that special time in the evening with his dog. He thought they should just pick up where they left off. Max had become an “on-demand” dog.   

Jim’s life as a young kid gave him ample time and opportunity to spend developing a special relationship with his dog. As an adult, his work and social obligations took precedence over his time with his dog. And ultimately, he decided Max had to go. He was becoming increasingly destructive and antisocial. He’d grown into a powerful, athletic and energetic dog with very little training and very little socialization.

The moral of this story reads like this: Dogs are not a part-time, on-demand relationship. Shelters are filled with dogs like Max. If you work long hours and travel for days at a time, please consider how to make this work if you plan to get a dog.

Laura Tyler is a certified professional dog trainer with 25 years of experience and has earned associate certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She owns Total Teamwork Training LLC in Northwest Colorado.