Your Dog Is a Value-Based Creature: Why Love Isn't Enough

Oct 15, 2026 · @Ruben Montes

Every Wednesday after my fingerboarding hangout, I grab a burger at the same bar. Last night the bartender asked what I do. When I told her I'm a dog trainer, she asked for a quick tip on recall. She has a husky.

There's a common belief that huskies can't be trusted off leash. I don't buy it. Every dog can learn to be off leash. My quick answer to her was simple: get a long line, get some treats, and practice everywhere. Inside the house, in the backyard, at the park. Thousands of reps where your dog always gets paid for coming to you, with the long line there to make sure the recall actually happens. And block access to whatever they're trying to get to, because every time they reach it, the cycle repeats.

That conversation got me thinking about something I tell my clients all the time.

Your dog is a value-based creature

Everything your dog does is valuable to them. That includes every behavior you don't like.

When your dog blows you off to chase a squirrel, it isn't because they're stubborn or spiteful. It's because chasing that squirrel pays off more than coming back to you does. Pulling on the leash gets them to the smell faster. Jumping on guests gets them attention. Ignoring you at the park keeps the fun going.

Dogs do what works for them. Once you accept that, the question changes. It stops being "How do I make my dog listen?" and becomes "How do I become someone worth listening to?"

Why love isn't enough

If love were enough, your dog would come off that squirrel because they wanted to please you so badly. If love were enough, there wouldn't be dog trainers.

I go into homes every week where people do everything right on paper. Their dogs have a nice bed, good food, toys, a warm house, and owners who adore them. And those dogs still give their people a hard time.

That's because providing for your dog doesn't automatically make you valuable to your dog. You might look at your dog and think, "I buy you everything, so you should listen to me." Your dog doesn't make that connection. Dogs aren't robots. They're animals making choices, and they're out to please themselves first.

The good news is that this can shift. When your dog learns that taking direction from you consistently leads to good things, pleasing you starts to please them. That's when you get a dog who actually wants to work with you.

Making deposits in the value bank account

Building value isn't only about handing out treats. It happens in the ordinary moments you already share with your dog every day. Each one is a chance to make a deposit.

Here's what that looks like:

• Coming out of the crate. Before you open the door, wait for a pause and a moment of eye contact. Then let them out. Your dog learns: when I look at you, I get my freedom.

• Going into the backyard. At the back door, wait for them to look up at you, then say "Okay, go." When I look at you, I get to run around outside.

• Mealtime. Set the bowl down and wait for eye contact before you release them to eat.

• Sniffing on walks. When your dog wants to check out a patch of grass, stop. Maybe ask for a sit, maybe not. Get a glance, then send them to go sniff or go potty.

• Water after a walk. Instead of dropping the leash and letting them run to the bowl, walk them over, wait for a look, then let them drink.

Now count how often these happen. The backyard might be four or five times a day. The crate might be three. Meals are twice. A single walk can have six sniff stops. That's fifteen or more deposits a day without a single formal training session.

Add hand-feeding, play, and training and the account grows even faster. Every sit, down, recall, and check-in gets paid directly by you. Your dog starts to notice a pattern: every time I pay attention to this person, good things happen. Maybe I should do that more often.

Early on with Lucy, my dog, I even poured water into my hand so she would drink from it. I wanted to be the source of the good stuff in her life.

This isn't about control

Some people get uncomfortable with this idea. Making a dog wait for water sounds harsh to them.

But you're not denying your dog anything. Lucy always gets her water. You're just asking for one second where you’re part of the conversation before the good thing happens. That one second is another deposit.

This isn't about controlling resources for the sake of control, and it isn't a dictatorship. It's about showing your dog, over and over, that checking in with you is worth it. Over time it stops being something you ask for. It becomes your dog's default, the expectation rather than the exception.

Why your recall depends on everything else

A great recall isn't built by practicing recall alone. If the only time you ask your dog for anything is when you call them off a squirrel, and the rest of the day they do whatever they want, that recall will be shaky. Mostly good, but.

That "but" can be life-altering. A dog can run into the street in a "but" moment because something out there was more valuable than you.

Dogs aren't dumb. From their side it looks like this: "You never ask anything of me anywhere else. Why should I listen now?" You can't expect it in one place if you never ask for it anywhere else.

When you're stacking value all day long, the squirrel loses some of its pull. You've become the best thing in your dog's world, and they want to stay near you. That's what earns your dog the freedom they deserve.

Lucy is proof. She's a blue heeler, almost 13 now, and when I first got her she had serious problems. She bit someone in the face. She hasn't bitten anyone since, and today she can be off leash at the park. Formal training played a part, but it was everything combined: the obedience work and all those small daily moments where she learned I was worth paying attention to.

Where to start this week

Pick two routines from the list above and commit to them for seven days. The crate and the back door are easy wins because they happen so often. Wait for that one second of eye contact, then release. That's it.

Pay attention to how quickly your dog starts offering the look without being asked. That's the value bank account filling up.

If you're in the Portland area and want help finding these moments in your own home, this is exactly what I do in private lessons. I come to you, work with you and your dog directly, and we build the relationship alongside the foundations like loose leash walking and a solid recall. Reach out at kindreddogpdx.com and we'll set up a call to talk about you and your dog.

You can also follow along on Instagram and TikTok at @kindreddogpdx for more training content.