The Way of Life Method is a method, an integrated set of mindsets and practices. These ways of thinking and doing change over time, across three stages of canine rearing and relationship development. It is a philosophy and a methodology that needs all parts working together, at the right time, for the Method to yield its aim of nurturing sound, strong, and spirited dogs.
Therefore, the Way of Life Method is not a set of hacks, tips, techniques, or tools. It is not a cafeteria where we get to pick and choose what we like and what we don’t, what works for us and what doesn’t. This is a misunderstanding of the Method that ends up harming the person who believes that they’re entitled to the magic of the Way of Life Method without applying it in full.
Don’t get me wrong. If the many insights, tips, and recommendations offered by the Method have helped you out, that’s great. Even small and incremental changes are worth celebrating. But if you’re ultimately picking and choosing, you’re actually not applying the Method and you won’t be reaping its benefits and, over time, you will even sabotage any gains you might have made.
The dogs know the Method and resonate with it to their core. They know when we’re asking them to do things that we’re not capable of, while at the same time cutting corners. This doesn’t exactly inspire credibility, does it? If nothing else, the Way of Life Method is about us becoming credible in the eyes of our dogs as they see us take our own growth as seriously as we take theirs.