During a one on one session the owner mentioned to me that she was astonished on how much it takes to socialise and train a dog. Just like another child. And yes she is right!
Our dogs are so heavily regulated that the only chance of getting out of the house and meeting people or other dogs are either on the leash or in a specifically designated area, like the dog park.
I do not say the ‘good old times’ when the dogs roamed the street were better.
What I am saying is that these days dogs are probably much more work than they used to be.
When we got our first dog in Switzerland and Ueli still worked on building sites, he would take the dog to work, let it out of the car in the morning, the dog would go up and down the street, often coming back with a sandwich he got from somewhere and then spend the rest of the time sleeping under the car.
Again, I do not say that was the better way but it certainly was less work.
So if you are thinking of getting a puppy or a rescue dog, think twice and make sure you have time!