Learned helplessness!

Imagine you're a dog. You try to do something right, but no matter what you do, you get yelled at, ignored, or pressured. Eventually, you think to yourself, "It's pointless anyway. I'll just stop doing anything." And that's exactly what learned helplessness is. That's not a calm, well-behaved dog. That's a dog that has given up inside. Because it has learned: "My behavior doesn't change anything. I have no control."

This happens, for example, when dogs are in training.

to be constantly punished or frightened

have no way to escape

and are given no chance to learn effectively on their own.

Many people then think, "Wow, he's suddenly so calm!" But that's not calmness, that's resignation. And that's dangerous. In that state, the dog doesn't learn. He's just functioning on autopilot, internally switched off.

What does he need instead?

Understanding , security, structure, and training based on relationship, trust, and genuine communication.

Because: Calm doesn't automatically mean relaxed. And giving up is not a training success .

C. Kaul