What my dog taught me about democracy – one kibble at a time

Turns out training a skittish dog is great prep for surviving an election. Who knew trust, calm and patience were transferable skills?

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As Canadians prepare to head to the polls on Monday for the federal election, conversations about leadership, trust and responsibility are ramping up. Whether it’s heated political debates or polarizing social media threads, the emotional temperature of the electorate feels higher than ever. And oddly enough, I’ve been gaining insight into all of it, not through political commentary but through my dog.

Our English Setter, Archie, is undergoing weekly visits with a professional dog behaviourist—a specialist who helps dogs with emotional and behavioural challenges. He’s a beautiful, intelligent, high-energy dog who also happens to carry trauma, manifesting in outbursts, hypervigilance and a startle reflex that can derail an entire day.

It turns out, big feelings are not just a human problem.

In recent weeks, we’ve been instructed to start over with Archie. No walks. No unsupervised freedom. No food bowls. Every piece of kibble must be earned through a calm moment, a deliberate exercise, a trust-building interaction. It’s not punishment—it’s reconditioning. And while the process has been humbling and exhausting, it has also offered a powerful metaphor for human communication, especially in emotionally charged times like an election.

Like Archie, many of us are navigating a world that feels unpredictable and overstimulating. It’s easy to fall into reactivity—snapping at a family member, lashing out on social media, dismissing differing viewpoints as ignorant or malicious. But just like dogs, humans function best when there’s structure, emotional safety and time to build trust.

We don’t get there through volume or dominance. We get there through quiet consistency.

As I hand-feed Archie each bite of kibble, I’m reminded that leadership—whether in politics, business or the home—starts with patience, presence and a willingness to do the unglamorous work of listening and responding, not just reacting.

It might seem like a stretch, but the way we build trust with a reactive animal has striking parallels to how we should approach leadership and civic engagement.

As the federal election nears its end, many Canadians are wrestling with distrust. We question motives, integrity and whether our leaders truly understand the complexity of real human needs. After years of political scandals, inconsistent messaging and policy reversals, it’s no surprise that many Canadians feel disillusioned.

And fair enough—many of us have been burned before.

But if we want better leadership, we need to be better followers too. That means valuing emotional maturity over theatrics. It means resisting the urge to vote from fear or frustration alone. And sometimes, like Archie, it means stepping back and relearning how to engage, calmly and without aggression.

After all, the health of a democracy depends not just on the leaders we elect, but on the emotional intelligence of the electorate.

Archie’s journey is far from over. Some days we make progress; others feel like we’re starting from scratch. But each time I meet his gaze and offer one kibble for one moment of calm, I see hope.

Perhaps that’s what Canada needs more of right now: not grand gestures, but quiet acts of trust-building—one citizen, one conversation, one vote at a time.

Faith Wood is a professional speaker, author, and certified professional behaviour analyst. Before her career in speaking and writing, she served in law enforcement, which gave her a unique perspective on human behaviour and motivations. Faith is also known for her work as a novelist, with a focus on thrillers and suspense. Her background in law enforcement and understanding of human behaviour often play a significant role in her writing.