Why is my neighbor's dog so good on a leash... he's half the age of my dog?! This is a trap!
And you should avoid getting caught in it as much as you can!
Falling into the comparison trap with our dogs usually just brings about negative feelings and no real help for our dogs. In this episode, I break down a few reasons why you should NOT compare your dog to other dogs.
Whenever you look at a dog and how they behave, you might be making some assumptions that are completely untrue.
You typically don't know if that dog is a Hollywood-dog-star with years of dedicated training experience, for example.
You also likely don't know how that dog behaves in all situations. While you might see a dog that's good on a leash out on a walk, you don't know if that dog tears up couches when left alone.
Making snap judgments about a dog in comparison to your own isn't fair because you don't truly know that other dog's background. You don't know the experiences the dog and human counterparts have had!
Any comparison is truthfully an apples-to-oranges type comparison because every dog is SO different and every situation is unique.
REASON #2- YOU'RE ONLY SEEING A MOMENT IN TIME
If you make a comparison about your dog to another, you're likely only doing that based on a few snap moments or situations.
This is even more so true in the world of social media...
I can almost guarantee you that the pup with 50k followers on Instagram has just as many problem behaviors as you're dealing with for your dog.
Instagram dog accounts are polished and perfected moments that don't reflect reality. If you let that become your benchmark to what your dog should be aspiring to... you're bound for disappointment.
Again, you might see a dog that sits well for pictures on their Instagram posts but is an absolute maniac while on a leash.
So don't be fooled by Instagram dogs! The reality likely isn't what they're willing to actually show you ;)
REASON #3- YOU SHOULD COMPARE YOUR DOG TO THEIR "PAST SELF"
In my opinion, the only comparison you should make about your dog's behavior is to their previous "self".
Instead of looking at how good your neighbor's dog is at not jumping, look at how much your dog has progressed instead!
If you were to make a record of your dog's skill level with a specific behavior every day, you would likely see HUGE levels of growth over time.
It's so much more important to focus on your dog's progress over time than their "skill level" in comparison to other dogs!
By the way, you can track your dog's behavior progress in the Pupford App! Get it here.
RECAP
No dog or dog's situation is the same. Comparing your dog to the dog next door is a sticky trap that can lead you to forget the good things your dog is doing!
So instead of comparing your dog to other dogs, compare your dog to their "past self" and see how much improvement has happened over time!
I love this. 💜 I’ve been guilty of this before but just had a reality check yesterday.
We have a friend who was always talking about how great another friends’ dogs are and would show me photos of her cuddled up with a big pile of dogs. It looked great! I love our dog but of course feel embarrassed by his bad behaviors when people are over. He gets really excited and he (and I) have to work very hard to keep him from barking at them. Sometimes he needs to take some time in the bathroom to calm down before he can come out again.
Well.
Last night I was at an engagement party hosted at this other friend’s house (where I’ve never been before). Their dogs are hooligans! Very sweet but barking like crazy, jumping all over people, stealing food off plates, whimpering if someone held their plate out of reach. 😂
Meanwhile if my dog wants something from someone, he sits VERY nicely and shows them that he is a VERY good dog and deserves just a little bit of the cucumber PLEASE. He’ll sit like that for ten minutes before we take our plates to the kitchen and let him have a piece of cucumber or something. We can sit with a plate right in front of him and he won’t touch a thing on it. Of course that’s because I trained him but I just took it for granted.
Every dog is different and has their own problems and strengths.
N
Nancy01/26/2025
Thank you for this. We’re getting a new puppy soon and we’re both worried that she won’t be as marvelous as the pup we lost last summer. We both keep saying, “No dog can be as good as she was.” That’s wrong thinking. I want to enjoy our new pup’s personality for who she is!
T
Team Pupford01/26/2025
Yes, it’s so important!
D
Diane01/26/2025
Thank you! I just this article to my husband with a big “seeee” look on my face!
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11 comments
Leave a CommentHi, Nancy, I’m glad the article was helpful!
I love this. 💜 I’ve been guilty of this before but just had a reality check yesterday.
We have a friend who was always talking about how great another friends’ dogs are and would show me photos of her cuddled up with a big pile of dogs. It looked great! I love our dog but of course feel embarrassed by his bad behaviors when people are over. He gets really excited and he (and I) have to work very hard to keep him from barking at them. Sometimes he needs to take some time in the bathroom to calm down before he can come out again.
Well.
Last night I was at an engagement party hosted at this other friend’s house (where I’ve never been before). Their dogs are hooligans! Very sweet but barking like crazy, jumping all over people, stealing food off plates, whimpering if someone held their plate out of reach. 😂
Meanwhile if my dog wants something from someone, he sits VERY nicely and shows them that he is a VERY good dog and deserves just a little bit of the cucumber PLEASE. He’ll sit like that for ten minutes before we take our plates to the kitchen and let him have a piece of cucumber or something. We can sit with a plate right in front of him and he won’t touch a thing on it. Of course that’s because I trained him but I just took it for granted.
Every dog is different and has their own problems and strengths.
Thank you for this. We’re getting a new puppy soon and we’re both worried that she won’t be as marvelous as the pup we lost last summer. We both keep saying, “No dog can be as good as she was.” That’s wrong thinking. I want to enjoy our new pup’s personality for who she is!
Yes, it’s so important!
Thank you! I just this article to my husband with a big “seeee” look on my face!