Training a Child...or Dog

We live on a beginner farm with a couple cows, mini goats, cats, and one dog. Our herds are growing and I always hoped my husband could have a dog by his side as he works the cows alone. Our dog, Sergeant, has been an “only child” for eight years so we’ve been hesitant to rock the boat and bring another dog into the equation. He’s pretty spoiled and a little territorial of me and his toys. Even though he’s never displayed aggressive behavior to any person, he has shown signs of fear in the presence of other dogs.

My parents’ Australian shepherds had puppies and we fell in love with one of the male, red tri-color puppies but we really didn’t want to make a rash decision based on cute factor. So what did we do? What we always do…we prayed. We went before the Lord together and asked if we should get this dog. To which he replied……silence. We didn’t feel a push in either direction so we rephrased the question and asked again. We said, “we want this puppy so the question is: what do you want us to learn from having another dog?” We both felt like God was saying getting this dog would be a great opportunity to learn leadership. Australian shepherds are smart dogs that take commands from their master with great joy; learning how to be a leader on this dog would be a rewarding and enlightening experience. We also felt like God was saying it will be hard on Sergeant but it is important to move him out of the “baby” role and into his rightful role as a dearly loved dog in our home. He had slowly worked his way into dominion in our home and we gradually became very lenient on him. He had begun to get away with things that we would have never tolerated before but in the midst of stress, not enough time, and becoming pushovers, we allowed him to become somewhat of an “alpha” in our home.

We feel like it is our duty as responsible dog owners to take leadership in our home and train these dogs in the way we think God wants us to. By bringing Troop, the new puppy, in we’ve upset the fruit basket and changed our furfamily dynamics but we are learning, failing, and starting over again to be active leaders instead of passive pushovers. We know the lessons we learn on these dogs are valuable lessons that can carry over into our ministry. We want to lead well and be more proactive about the welfare of the people in our care. It’s not an easy lesson and challenges us in ways we never imagined but with the knowledge that God is equipping us for our next test, we can power through the challenges by prayer, patience, and perseverance.

If you have kids or dogs or cats and are experiencing some similar issues, I want to encourage to you to get re calibrated and start over. Take leadership in your home and raise up your charges in the way they should go (Proverbs22:6) – in the way of the Lord. Get fueled by God’s power and love so that you have the strength after a long day to train your children/dogs/cats in a healthy way. Your child/animal has way more energy than you can summon up at the end of the day but with a little prayer, you can become more strategic and efficient in the way you approach disciplining them. You’ll be surprised with what God tells you to do and the effects it has on your family. Try it! You’ll like it.