Do dogs actually need rules?

Good cop, bad cop

In our home, Viktor is the “bad cop”.
He’s the one with rules, boundaries and discipline.

When I’m alone with the two “potato frogs”, they behave as if they’ve eaten magic mushrooms.
Honestly – like kids after three kilos of chocolate: sugar rush, bouncing around like goats 😂
You can tell them to stop all you want – it’s completely pointless.

I don’t have kids yet, but I have three younger brothers.
And according to my mom, I wasn’t exactly an angel either… so yes: rules and boundaries are necessary 😄

Rules aren’t cruelty

Before you think I’m saying this just because it’s easier for us humans when dogs are well-behaved – that’s not the case.
We play with them, train them, and yes, sometimes they’re allowed to go wild and rearrange the living room.

Since we moved into a bigger apartment, the bedroom, walk-in closet and guest room are off-limits.
At first, we weren’t very consistent – sometimes they were allowed in, sometimes not.
But we realised that everyone sleeps better when we’re separated.

Bosco has never been a cuddly sleeper anyway.
And Tódi is perfectly happy sleeping with Bosco.
We spend the whole day together – so they need some “me time” too. And so do we.

Daily rules that make life easier

Another rule Viktor introduced:
When we’re preparing their food, they have to wait in the dining area or hallway.
We used to trip over them all the time and were afraid of accidentally kicking them.

When Viktor prepares the food, they don’t enter the kitchen at all.
When I do it… well, let’s say it works about halfway 😄

Dogs want tasks

I once read that dogs are wired to constantly watch how they can please their human – their pack leader.
They look for tasks and want to complete them.
That’s what keeps them happy and motivated.

Of course, how much they need this depends on the breed and lifestyle.

Bosco & Tódi – two very different personalities

Bosco isn’t really motivated by physical activity.
He’ll do it briefly, but he’s more of a “watcher”.
He waits for instructions and loves to follow them.

He knows sit, paw, spin, stay, down, high five – even without verbal commands, just hand signals.
He loves search games:
“Where’s your toy? Go find it!”

The only physical activity he truly loves is swimming.
He could do that for days without stopping 🏊‍♂️

Tódi, on the other hand, is pure energy.
He would run all day long.

As soon as the weather cools down a bit, I plan to go trail running with him – away from city noise and distractions.
Even in the city, running with a harness works quite well.

Someone once said:
“How does this little dog run so fast when he can barely see?!”
I honestly don’t know – but he could run to the end of the world 😄

What we’ve learned

I’m not saying our way is the only right way.
But we see it clearly with our dogs:

When work takes over and we don’t spend enough time with them, they become more restless and harder to manage.
When we engage with them and stick to our own rules, they enjoy it more – and love having tasks.

And one thing is always essential:
Positive reinforcement.