Providing your Dog with Agency!

We will talk about why providing your dog with Agency is important and how to do it. First things first:

What does it mean to provide your Dog with Agency?

Providing a dog with agency means giving them the ability to make choices and have control over their environment.

Why is it so important to provide your dog with agency?

Providing dogs with agency, or the ability to make choices and control their own environment, is important for their overall well-being and can have a positive impact on their behaviour and relationship with their owners.

Dogs are intelligent animals with a strong natural drive to explore and interact with their environment. When they are provided with opportunities to make choices and exercise their natural curiosity, they are able to engage in more natural and fulfilling behaviours. This can lead to a decrease in stress and anxiety, as well as an increase in confidence and overall happiness.

In contrast, when dogs are deprived of agency and are constantly controlled and directed by their owners, they may become frustrated, anxious, or even depressed. This can lead to behaviour problems such as destructive chewing, excessive barking, or aggression, as well as a strained relationship with their owners.

By providing dogs with agency through activities such as enrichment, interactive play, and training that allows them to make choices and have control over their environment, owners can help their dogs lead more fulfilling and balanced lives. This can lead to a stronger bond between the dog and owner, as well as a happier, healthier, and better-behaved dog.

providIng your Dog with Agency – How?

This can be achieved through a variety of ways, including:

1. Giving the dog choices: Providing a dog with choices in their daily life, such as allowing them to choose which toy to play with or where to go on a walk, can help them feel more in control and confident.
2. Enrichment activities: Enrichment activities, such as puzzle toys, scent work, and agility courses, give dogs the opportunity to use their natural problem-solving and exploration skills, which can boost their confidence and sense of control. I put together a whole Online Course about Canine Enrichment, which you can find here. But for starters, this blog post will give you a good overview of Enrichment for Dogs: CANINE ENRICHMENT: The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Enrich Your Dog’s Life
3. Training: Positive reinforcement training can help dogs learn new skills and behaviors, which can give them a sense of control over their environment and strengthen their bond with their owner.
4. Free play: Allowing dogs to engage in unstructured, free play with other dogs or with their owners can give them a sense of control over their interactions and build their social skills.

Overall, providing a dog with agency means acknowledging their intelligence, curiosity, and natural instincts, and giving them opportunities to exercise these traits in a safe and fulfilling way. I also filmed a whole video about it, which you can access here.