Dog training, people training: Teach the child and teach the dog.
Mr. Wong King Kwok, Training Department Head, Working Dog Club of America (Far East)
Editor's Note: "Uncle 100 Points has extensive experience in dog ownership. Puppies are adorable and empathetic, but they can also be mischievous and act like spoiled children. We truly need to invest a lot of effort in building a relationship with them. Uncle 100 Points was fortunate enough to meet a very experienced dog training veteran, Master Wong King Kwok. Uncle 100 Points hoped he could share his perspective as a dog trainer on how children and pets can interact harmoniously. Master Wong readily agreed and proactively offered to write this piece himself. I must say thank you once again!"
In the beginning, human nature is good. When humans maintain balance with nature, life becomes happier and more harmonious. Most children love small animals. When children play with puppies, it's not hard to see the children's joyful innocence and the puppies' lively charm, creating a natural and harmonious scene. Nowadays, most families live in high-density housing environments and have busy, stressful jobs. This often comes with mental strain and pressure. When it comes to raising children from infancy to adolescence, in addition to providing material support as much as possible, emotional and mental development is often limited to television, books, and guidance from elders and teachers. This can lead to a very one-sided approach, neglecting the supportive role that small animals can play.
Things are constantly changing. Under current societal conditions in Hong Kong, dogs are barely surviving. There are countless negative criticisms and unfair regulations against dogs. Both legislators and critics ignore the contributions dogs have made throughout human history and overlook their power in alleviating and balancing mental stress and tension in today's society. Stress, aggressive behavior, and imbalanced mental states are reflections of whether socioeconomic development is moving in a positive or negative direction. Many families and schools today encounter various manifestations of imbalanced mental states. Please observe and understand deeply. In families, children often engage in intense arguments and back-and-forth with their parents. Educators also encounter impolite and unreasonable responses, which can sometimes escalate into unimaginable tragedies.
Let's consider, the root cause might be that young people are constantly being lectured, making them feel incompetent and ignorant. Encouragement turns into nagging, teaching turns into criticism, learning turns into punishment. Their mindset clearly misinterprets freedom. Why don't we seek opportunities to let them experience playing the role of persuader, teacher, and learner, to try out the taste and experience of being an educator? Dog training makes it clear and easy for them to immerse themselves in this role, allowing them to fully engage physically and mentally, and hysterically understand what is right and wrong, good and evil, and what life is truly about. Dog training, which effectively trains people, can more easily shift their previous imbalanced mindsets towards equilibrium, helping them integrate into society and family, and build a healthy future for themselves.