Reasoning With Fido: A Fun Exercise in Futility

Every week, without fail, I stand in a hall with a collection of Labradors, cockapoos, spaniels… and one very confused sausage dog. Alongside them is a group of some of the cleverest humans I have ever met.

Lawyers. Doctors. Engineers. Business owners. People who run entire companies.

And yet, every single one of them is losing an argument with their dog.

It’s one of life’s great equalisers.

I imagine the high-powered solicitor negotiating multimillion-pound deals with calm precision… and then completely unravelling because their Labrador has stolen another dog’s toy and legged it across the hall.

“I don’t understand,” they say.

“I’ve told him.”

Yes. You have.

He is a dog.

Highly intelligent people often arrive at dog class with the quiet confidence of someone who is usually very good at things. They’ve read the books. Watched the videos. Made colour-coded notes. Bought the clicker. They are ready.

…And then your dog simply looks at you like, “Really? That’s your plan?”

…before deciding the only treat worth having is the one the other dog’s owner is holding.

Here’s the truth that hits in week one:

You cannot out-think an animal that isn’t thinking in the same way you are.

Dogs don’t care about reasoning. They care about:

• Timing

• Tone

• Consistency

• And whether you’ve got cheese

You can explain your reasoning beautifully, and your spaniel will still chase the leaf… roll in the mud… and completely ignore you with astonishing commitment.

This is usually the moment when something wonderful happens.

Laughing replaces frustration.

People stop trying to control and start trying to be clear.

And suddenly, it all starts to make sense (well, it kind of does).

Over the years, I’ve seen dogs teach people:

• Patience they never knew they had

• Humility they didn’t expect

• And joy they had absolutely forgotten about

I say the same thing to owners all the time: “Your dog is not broken — they’re definitely not being deliberately naughty. They’re just speaking a different language… one that involves fur, tail wags, zoomies, and ‘race you to the slipper’ joy.”

That’s why I focus on connection, celebrating small wins, and enjoying the chaos — often just as important as teaching the dog to sit (if you want to keep your sanity).

And that’s what makes my experience especially valuable:

✅ 20 years of professional dog experience

✅ Teaching beginners daily — clever ones included

✅ Spotting human behaviour patterns faster than most dogs spot chicken

✅ Understanding exactly how it feels to be outwitted by your own dog

If you’re a high-functioning human trying to reason with a creature who licks their own feet — welcome. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

Come along to one of our classes at pawsforthoughtdogtraining.co.uk Expect laughs, learning, and the occasional doggy hijack. 

And don’t worry.

Fido still thinks you are pretty clever.