Dogs Are Not Idols: The Dangers of Worshipping Our Pets - My Perspective as a Christian that Trains Dogs

I love dogs. I love training them, living with them, and helping people create well-balanced relationships with them. But I also recognize an uncomfortable truth—in today’s world, dogs have become idols.

There’s a difference between loving and caring for a dog and placing them above everything else—above reason, responsibility, family, and faith. I see it every day:

🐕 Dogs bite children, and instead of taking necessary action, people make excuses for the dog’s behavior.

🐕 Dogs charge at family and friends, yet their owners laugh it off as “just being protective.”

🐕 Dogs rule the household, dictating where their owners sleep, what they do, and where they go.

This is not how it was meant to be.

What Does the Bible Say?

From the very beginning, we were given dominion over animals—not the other way around.

"Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” — Genesis 1:26

But dominion does not mean mistreatment. God calls us to be good stewards of all His creations—to care for animals, other people, and ourselves. Caring, however, does not mean idolizing. It does not mean putting animals above all else, allowing dangerous behaviors, or prioritizing a dog’s comfort over the safety of others.

The Danger of False Worship

Idolization leads to false worship, and false worship leads to disorder and destruction. Often, I see severely aggressive dogs treated like little kings and queens within their household. Put first, above the children, above a spouse. With their primary caretaker making excuses for their dangerous behavior because they are cute and deserve everything despite inflicting serious damage on other people, animals, and property. When we put anything—even our beloved pets—on a pedestal like this, we lose sight of what is truly important.

👉 A dog is not a child.

👉 A dog’s safety should not come before your own or your family’s.

👉 A dog that shows aggression should not be coddled—it should be controlled.

It is not cruel to train a dog, to set boundaries, or to hold them accountable for dangerous behavior. In fact, it’s the most loving thing we can do—because an out-of-control dog is not just a danger to others, but also to itself.

Dogs should be valued, respected, and cared for—but never worshipped.

The Influence of Today’s Culture

The wisdom found in the Word of God can help us even with the seemingly small, everyday decisions we make—including how we raise and train our dogs.

Social media is filled with opinions that can appear to be factual at the surface, but the facade doesn't hold up when you're a truth seeker. A popular dog trainer who thrives on creating division within the online dog training community regularly suggests that balanced training (the use of various training tools and leveraging discomfort to stop unwanted behavior) is cruel, ineffective, and damaging. And instead, we should put the needs and feelings of our dogs first. Such a dangerous concept...

But what these influencers fail to recognize is that balanced trainers do not use anger to fight aggression or to teach obedience. Instead, we aim to resolve behavioral issues with clear, effective communication and create clarity through positive and negative reinforcement. We often use a gentle tone but a firm hand to ensure appropriate consequences for problematic behaviors. That "firm hand" could mean implementing the use of a squirt bottle to make barking at the mailman uncomfortable. Or it could mean applying incredible discomfort when a dog attempts to bite someone that has not provoked them.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." — Proverbs 15:1

So often I remind dog owners not to yell or reprimand a dog that's done something wrong, but instead, allow them to learn by appropriately marking the undesired behavior and delivering a consequence that matches the offense. This doesn't mean shocking a dog who is barking for you to throw the ball. This doesn't mean yelling at a dog who's just peed by the door. When we are loud, we are intimidating. Being intimidating isn't being a good steward to God's creatures. Yelling is unnecessary. I don't know a single balanced trainer that tells dog owners to yell at their dogs. Yet those popular social media force free experts make the claim that all balanced dog trainers do exactly that.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." — Ephesians 4:31

Another reminder I give daily to new clients is that if you are angry or upset with your dog, you shouldn't correct them while you're emotionally charged. Interacting with creatures, dogs and humans alike, while angry or upset often does not allow you to move forward with clarity. Communication, whether positive or negative should come from a neutral state of mind, with clear purpose. When was the last time you made a snap decision to react instead of responding to your dog, child, spouse, or coworker when they did something undesirable? Did it actually go well? Reactions out of bitterness and anger don't often result in the recipient learning anything other than being afraid or intimidated by you. Before hiring us, many owners admit to reacting in these ways, but then immediately attempt to make it up to their dog by coddling, offering high value treats, and being apologetic. That's one of the most abusive and manipulative things any person could do—and we remind our clients that if you're doing this, not only is it not going to work, but it's incredibly damaging and confusing in every relationship.

But because so many dog owners are afraid that corrections equal abuse, they avoid any conflict and just allow their dog to steam roll them, living miserably, with their dogs dictating their every move.

Yet, this current softness in society has led to dangerous behaviors—not just in dogs, but in people as well.

🚫 Liars are not held accountable.

🚫 Violence is ignored.

🚫 Speaking against deception is punished.

Anyone who challenges false narratives is quickly silenced. In the dog training world, balanced trainers who dare to oppose the force-free ideology are often attacked, slandered, and flooded with negative reviews—not by clients, but by online mobs who have never even spoken to them.

My late dog, Leo, was lovingly known as the King of the Couch and the Pumpkin King. Due to his past, he often wore a muzzle when meeting new people—I never took risks with my family, friends, or clients' safety. This photo captures him during a confidence-building game, navigating a set of log climbs we set up.

Dogs have been placed on a pedestal by certain professionals and dog owners. And if you don’t do the same, you’re made to feel inferior, irresponsible, cruel, and chastised.

But here’s the truth:

Loving a dog does not mean idolizing it. Training a dog does not mean abusing it. Holding a dog accountable does not mean being cruel.

I share this not to stir controversy, but to encourage thought. If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. I love Jesus, I love to write, and I train dogs because it puts food on my table. But above all, I strive to put God’s wisdom first. I have hope that in sharing these perspectives, those who blatantly attack ideologies that differ from their own will soften and see that most of us dog trainers just want to help people who are struggling. We care deeply about the dynamic relationship that families share with their dogs and aim to be fair and just in all we do.