What you will tolerate, you will get..

At Pippsway I have learned many valuable lessons. The one I am perhaps most surprised by is the realisation that very often what we are ‘getting’ from our horses, dogs (or even children) is simply what we have shown we will tolerate, rather than what they are actually capable of!

A perfect example of this is my dog Brando. Only a few weeks ago he wore a halti or otherwise he would pull us about. He used a ramp to get into the car and he ran up ahead on walks. Now none of those things is true. I had tried and failed many times to change these behaviours and what has been a revelation is that Pip has been able to teach me how to achieve all these changes and in a very short time. What I love is that I am able to get Brando to jump into the back of my van without any physical or verbal aggression! Pippsway is about being decided and determined, not aggressive!

Having mastered the art of getting the dog into the van unaided my Husband then tried to put him in. Despite having happily jumped in for Pip, and then later me, he stood there looking at my Husband as if to say ‘go on then…..lift me in like you always do!’. Thankfully he didn’t lift him in and once Brando realised he wasn’t going to get away with it he jumped in, no problem. But this was proof that just because Brando can do something doesn’t mean that he will and certainly not if we are prepared to tolerate anything less.

My dog and I are now a walking advert for Pippsway. On our walk today alone I was asked for Pips details twice. People are so amazed that Brando is staying behind me, they ask how I’ve managed to get him to do it!

As is often the way of it ,most people know what they should be doing with their dogs, and of course what they shouldn’t. But I know myself that knowing what we should be doing, and knowing how to get our dogs and horses to do it, can be a rather different affair indeed! Thank goodness for Pip!