But as a dog trainer, I face an additional challenge: switching off can be extremely difficult.
My entire team and I live our profession with passion, empathy, and dedication. We don’t work a typical 9-to-5 job—we often work late into the evening and are available on Saturdays as well.
What weighs on us even more, however, are the complex and often difficult cases we encounter in behavioral counseling. When we support a human-dog team, the dog’s history can deeply move us, sometimes even making us incredibly sad. But it’s not just about the dogs—the people who come to us are just as important. In the end, we work with both. And often, we see that the owners themselves are struggling. Some feel overwhelmed or even powerless in the face of their dog’s unexpected behavior. Both carry their own burdens, and their stories touch us deeply. Of course, professionalism helps us maintain the necessary emotional distance.
However, it becomes especially challenging when we see the potential for change in a dog, but their owner is visibly overwhelmed—or when the owner’s expectations simply don’t align with reality. At first, they may be willing to put in the effort, but real change takes time, patience, and commitment—things not everyone can or wants to invest.
When an owner decides to give up on their dog, and we know deep down that this “difficult” dog will likely be passed from one home to another—until, eventually, they end up in a shelter—it weighs on us tremendously. In such cases, we do everything in our power to prevent an unfortunate outcome. These situations lead to sleepless nights, countless calls within our network to find a better solution, and make it impossible to switch off. No matter how much we try to see this as just a job, our passion and dedication always take over.
In the end, it is not our place to judge people for rehoming their dog, even when we struggle to understand their decision. But one thing is certain: it is always worth carefully considering whether to get a dog in the first place. Only then can we truly provide our furry companions with the home they deserve.
