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People tell me all the time that it’s harder to train people than dogs, and they’re absolutely right. Training humans requires just as much skill and appropriate anticipation as any dog, if not more so.

The first challenge is identifying the person’s personality type. I’ve seen them all. The confident, the entitled, the nonchalant, the desperate, the unstable, the angry, the aloof, the impatient, the witty, the distant, the bitter, etc. All of them receive and process information in a different way, just like dogs, and it’s a trainer’s job to mold the client on an emotional, physical, and academic level, to help them identify personal flaws (in a productive way), and give them the tools to build a better version of themselves. In many ways a quality dog trainer is a teacher, a life coach, and a therapist.

That being said, there is one personality type in particular who struggles, and will likely always struggle, with his or her dog. The proud. When we work with our dogs, we won’t find success if we’re not willing to grow. We can’t expect our dogs to be malleable if we can’t manage to do so ourselves, and being malleable means learning to find comfort in exposing our shortcomings.

When we work with our dogs, especially dogs with behavioral issues, we constantly ask them to break down mental barriers and reinvent themselves. In these delicate endeavors, dogs can sense our mental states, and when our mental state is stuck in a circle of pride, our dogs perceive us as disingenuous.

I tell my clients on a daily basis, you can’t fake your way through training. Your dog will always expose your weaknesses, and your ego will take the blow.

Why is this a problem? Because you’re the only one who can truly make a difference in your dog’s life. They will not follow and certainly won’t trust you if you can’t embrace your insecurities. You’ll both end up frustrated, distant, and lost.

The best advice I can give to any client is that your dog is the most accurate mirror you’ll find. If you’re struggling with your dog, don’t deny the issues and don’t point fingers. Take ownership of the situation and make changes in yourself, regardless of how daunting that may seem. If you want your dog to be better, be better for your dog. Only then can you become the personality type you need to be, the leader.

Dogs are similar to children; they are in need of leadership. There is a reason we don’t let our 5-year-olds pay the bills or our 10-year-olds drive on the freeway. They simply aren’t ready. Too often we put our dogs in situations they aren’t ready for, and because we haven’t shown the dogs that we have leadership value, they handle it on their own, and they handle it like dogs.

If you are struggling with your dogs, whether it’s reactivity, aggression, anxiety, fear, or hyperactivity, take the time to establish a leadership routine with your dog. Show them how you want them to walk, to enter doorways, to greet guests, to interact with other dogs, etc. They may not be ready for the freeway right now, but with enough driving lessons, they will be star pupils.

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Stephanie Vichinsky is the owner/head trainer of United K9, LLC in Post Falls. 208-964-4806.