Horses and dogs both require balance, but I don’t hear of many “bad horses” from horse owners. In my experience, I find that “horse people” respect their horses as horses. They love them, but give rewards after work and exercise. But, when it comes to their dog, they do everything backwards. They say that they don’t want a wild 1,000-pound animal coming after them, but an untamed 80-pound dog can harm you, too.

In this case, the owner didn’t have the time to exercise her dog, so the dog never got any challenge. She just wanted something to do. The dog was able to follow direction well, but it only gets better with adequate exercise. The trick is to do what a horse owner does with a horse: project calm-assertive energy; follow exercise, discipline, and then affection. It’s the same. If you fulfill your dogs’ needs, they give you what you want: a calm, submissive state of mind.