Dogs Benefit from Having Choices

The importance of allowing dogs the freedom to decide, even in small ways.
give dog choices

Someone once asked me, “What does it mean to allow dogs to choose? Why should they decide where to sleep, walk and play?” I’m often reminded that the idea of giving dogs a choice is dangerously close to anthropomorphism. But I argue otherwise. All animals—those who live in the wild and those who spend their days with humans—make choices every day. Some of those choices cost them their lives, and some help them survive. In either event, the outcomes are at least partially determined by the animal.

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dog behavior


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