Unpacking labels and ability to learn
Labels can be very useful in day-to-day life to communicate with each other faster. It might get tricky once the label becomes a force that we tend to blame for certain behaviours. I would like to encourage you to start unpacking the labels to find solutions. We and our animals are not doomed to our current circumstances. We can make progress, we can learn and we can change our current behaviours.
Impulse control vs. trial and success learning
Instead of trying to develop an impulse control inside the animal, I much rather prefer to focus on teaching the essential skills that my dog needs. When you teach all of the skills step by step, you teach by adding successes not by eliminating errors.
Many times we don’t even bother trying to learn a new skill. We convince ourselves that it’s not for us. When what we could do is to find the first successive approximation and start learning through a fun and successful process.