from Sean O'Shea

Dogs, like us, need to learn how to cope with a world that isn't always easy, perfect, or comfortable. If they (or us) aren't exposed to stress and given opportunities to learn how to deal with it successfully, they will be unprepared to successfully cope when stress inevitably rears its head.

Children who are coddled and always protected from the realities of the world tend to fall apart at the first real experience of trouble, challenge, unpleasantness.

The same goes for dogs.

By judiciously and incrementally exposing our dogs to stressful situations and experiences, and by giving direction and clear instructions about how they are to proceed through it, we give them the opportunity to develop a resiliency and strength that will serve them as they move through what is often a challenging world.