We try to give the dogs a lot of leeway in choosing how they’ll spend their days and what works for them. (Sometimes, I think we do this too much!) Felix and Kol have set their own preferred mealtimes and since they fit rather easily into our schedule, I’m happy to oblige. One of my favourite things to do is go for a walk and allow them to follow their own nose. The walks are for them, after all, why shouldn’t they get to choose the route?

With my dogs, I think the Nose Work has been a creative way to allow them to take the lead and make decisions on their own. It allows them to use their minds and burn off some energy too. 🙂

I like to give my dogs autonomy in the house and outside, but I also think that balance and routine make them happy and not so crazy. When I used to board dogs in my home, I would see the occasional crazy and unbalanced ones. Most of their craziness would dissipate by they went home. I would ignore the need to be held all of the time, provide attention all of the time and I was good with crating , if needed. I sometimes think that too many choices and being overly attentive can make dogs crazy.

That said, she gets to do her own thing pretty much. If I want/need her to do something, we work it out. (If I NEED her to do something, she can hear it in my tone of voice.) And yes, I believe there are times when, as the grown-up and the human, enforcing our will on those of lesser knowledge or skill or understanding than us is the right thing to do. (“Drop it” for a stolen chicken bone, for example.) However, we should consider carefully what is a need and what is a want is and choose our battles in a way that allows the dog some dignity.

The whole mental illness discussion reminds me of one of my mom’s dogs a lot. For years, I’ve said that’s she mentally ill! She was taken to a shelter because she bit the mom and daughter in the first family she lived with and she’s bitten my mom severely enough that she had to get medical attention several times. She also shredded the inside of their SUV one day in five minutes while they dropped off a package to UPS. Now she has to be in a crate when they take her in a vehicle and she sounds like the Tasmanian Devil in there. Hubby and I even gave her Valium one time when we had to transport her and it didn’t even phase her. When you look at her, you can see it, though. Her eyes have a funny look that always puts me ill at ease with her, and she’s not a big dog. I pray often that she does not outlive my mom and stepdad because I really do not want to inherit her!

Really, I think that’s one reason that clicker training and positive reinforcement can be so important. The dog chooses the correct behavior, and gets rewarded for that choice.

My dogs have autonomy within the household structure, meaning they can roam around naked and choose their own place to lay down (we have several mats out for them to choose from), but they are never permitted to jump or play inside.

They are allowed outside frequently (I work from home, lucky me!) to romp in the half acre fenced-in area. Autonomy within structure seems like an oxymoron, but works for us! It helps prevent the “bossiness” someone described earlier. 🙂

My dog exercised her autonomy on the agility course last weekend when she decided to run into the crating area instead of take the jump in front of her. Sometimes I wonder if she has too much freedom.

I’m only joking. Mostly. I try to give her the chance to make her own choices as much as possible as I know it can’t be easy for a dog trying to live in the human world. There are so many rules and so many things that must not make any sense. But I think by seeking out places where she can run around off-leash on a regular basis, I can at least give her the chance to decide when and where to sniff and when to walk and when to zoom. It’s not much, but it’s something, right?