Yes, this is our dog: a psychotic black lab named Koda Bear, who enjoys sticking her head out of my sunroof as I drive. My wife Susanna and I were walking her the other day and realized that she is such a good dog! As we walked along the South Bend riverside, we removed her leash and she bounded ahead of us, sniffing and jumping at every new discovery.
If someone approached her or if she wandered too far ahead, we called her name and she quickly returned to our side. I have never seen a dog so obedient and loyal to her master's voice.
We pondered why Koda was so obedient compared to other dogs we've had in the past, who would have been yanking at the leash throughout the entire "walk". We concluded that it was because Koda was raised on an open farm, where she never had to wear a leash. She learned at a young age to follow the voice of her master, without being forced to do so by a harsh object.
We related this analogy to our future job as parents. We don't want our children to obey us because we wield power over them, rather, we want them to experience freedom to make their own decisions and willingly choose to listen to a loving voice steer them in the right direction.
