"He doesn't like that"
My dog doesn't like going up stairs. Doesn't like riding in the car. Doesn't like waiting. Doesn't like having his harness put on, and so on and so forth.
Such situations always arise. Not every dog enjoys dealing with something new. Perhaps something was once stupid, so it is rejected from then on. Everyone knows that. But there are two ways to deal with such situations – I would even go further and say: there are two types of dog owners.
Some say to themselves: Well, if he doesn't like it, then let's just leave it. And others say: Oh, there's something we need to practice!
You can probably guess which strategy I prefer. Introducing the dog gently and in small steps to unfamiliar and sometimes slightly uncomfortable things, teaching him that there are things he just has to endure, and that there's nothing wrong with that—that's training .
Not just because of the thing the dog doesn't like or finds stupid. More importantly, if your dog has learned that he can handle such things with your help, he will continue to trust you even when he finds something really difficult and frightening. Because he has accepted your leadership in the little things. This makes it much easier for him to follow you when it really matters.
However, if the whole thing develops in the other direction because you allow the dog to avoid everything that doesn't quite suit him, this can quickly lead to mistrust and fear of everything strange and new.
Requiring your dog to engage with new or unpleasant experiences teaches him trust, but also impulse control and self-control. It's not just about getting him used to something, but about allowing his personality to mature.
And something else very important: It gives the dog a sense of achievement. You've probably experienced this yourself. Every time you have to push yourself a little, you feel better afterwards. Your dog also grows a little bit each time he has a new experience, mastered a new challenge. With you by his side.
