Would You Let Your Dog Be an Air Traffic Controller?

Would You Let Your Dog Be an Air Traffic Controller? (And Other Important Jobs Dogs Shouldn’t Have)

Let’s play a little game.

Would you trust your dog to manage air traffic at LAX?
How about to referee a professional wrestling match?
Or maybe… head security at your kid’s chaotic birthday party?

Chances are, your answers ranged somewhere between "absolutely not" and "that’s adorable but please no." And yet, as dog owners, we often put our pups in situations where we accidentally expect them to make decisions well above their pay grade.

Dogs Are Amazing—But Not Always Qualified

We love our dogs. They’re loyal, intuitive, and sometimes seem to know exactly what we need. But here’s the truth: even the best dog in the world isn’t professionally trained for most real-world jobs—especially the ones that involve high-stakes decisions about safety.

Take this common example:
Your kids are playing in the yard, maybe getting rowdy or even arguing. Your dog—seeing “his” humans in what looks like distress—starts pacing, barking, or posturing protectively. Some folks might shrug and say, “Oh, he’s just doing his job.”

But is that really his job? And more importantly, is it safe for him—or anyone else—for him to take that role?

Whose Job Is It Anyway?

While some dogs have great instincts and might handle a situation like that well, instinct is not the same as training, and predictability is the key to safety—for dogs, kids, and everyone around them.

A good rule of thumb is this:
Can you recall your dog easily in the moment? Can you give them direction—and will they follow it?

Let’s say I see my dog getting a little too focused on my son and his friends while they’re wrestling around in the yard. I call her—does she come right away? Can I ask her to lie down and relax, and will she listen? If so, I’ve got some measure of control, and I can keep the situation safe.

But if I call her and she ignores me?
Well, she’s just promoted herself to Chief of Security, and I have no idea what her policy manual looks like. That’s not fair to her—or anyone else involved.

Dogs Need Guidance—Not Job Offers

Letting our dogs “take the reins” when they’re not trained for the role can lead to unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous, outcomes. If something were to happen—say, your dog bites someone in a misguided attempt to “protect”—that responsibility doesn’t fall on your dog. It falls on us as the humans in charge.

That’s why it’s so important to set clear boundaries for our pups and help them understand when we need them to step up—and when we don’t.

Knowing When to Clock In (and Out)

For example, if someone tries to break into my house at 3 a.m., and my dog loses her mind barking at the door? That’s fine by me. She can absolutely be on duty. I trust her instincts, and I’m not going to try to recall her out of that situation.

But if the cable guy’s coming over to fix the internet? That’s not a security breach, and I don’t need my dog to treat it like one. In that case, I gate her in another room and make it clear: you’re off the clock, pal.

Bottom Line: Your Dog Doesn’t Need a Résumé

Dogs thrive when they know their role and can trust us to lead. They don’t need to referee wrestling matches, manage air traffic, or run security detail at family gatherings. What they do need is for us to guide them, protect them, and help them succeed in the jobs they’re actually trained to do—like snuggling, fetching, and occasionally being the world's most adorable doorbell.

So next time your dog looks like they’re about to take on more responsibility than they can handle, just ask yourself:
Would I let them do this if it were an actual job?
If the answer’s no… it’s time to step in.