This one has been banging around the inside of my noggin for a while. Impulse Control is just not something I think about with my own dogs. And yet it seems to be a real issue for many people.
Hmmmm. You and I have chatted about this from time to time. I see it as a catch-all phrase for a wide variety of behaviours. Yes, I think it often is about behaviour about which we aren't keen, but I could probably argue that all behaviour is impulse driven.....it's the control piece that I think trips us up.
I don't struggle with its use that much....or rather, I struggle more with the owner/handler's response to it. I think that a dog described as "lacking impulse control" can result in unfortunate consequences.....punitive ones, potentially, or consequences that don't actually give the dog an alternative behaviour. And it can result in folks ignoring an anxiety or fearfulness issue that can be erroneously seen as an "impulse control" thing.
And I know a few dogs, not many thankfully, to have been trained to within an inch of their life....and I see no spontaneity there. No spark. No willingness to just try shit to see what happens.
Hmmmm. You and I have chatted about this from time to time. I see it as a catch-all phrase for a wide variety of behaviours. Yes, I think it often is about behaviour about which we aren't keen, but I could probably argue that all behaviour is impulse driven.....it's the control piece that I think trips us up.
I don't struggle with its use that much....or rather, I struggle more with the owner/handler's response to it. I think that a dog described as "lacking impulse control" can result in unfortunate consequences.....punitive ones, potentially, or consequences that don't actually give the dog an alternative behaviour. And it can result in folks ignoring an anxiety or fearfulness issue that can be erroneously seen as an "impulse control" thing.
And I know a few dogs, not many thankfully, to have been trained to within an inch of their life....and I see no spontaneity there. No spark. No willingness to just try shit to see what happens.