Like many of you, I enjoy Animal Planet. This Discovery Channel Network has done some amazing work to help educate us all on animals.
Even though have been training dogs for over 20 years, I still love watching dog training shows. Any good trainer will tell you there are a ba-zillion ways to train a dog and we are all (hopefully) open to new ideas and enjoy trying new techniques. Like other dog trainers, I like to tivo the dog training shows so when first understanding the behavioral problem I can pause it to announce (to my dogs, watching with me) what I would do if I was training that dog... In shows like Its Me or The Dog, I love how similar we are, in our thoughts and methods.
I stumbled upon a new dog show called In the Dog House... just few minutes of this show and I was appalled! The trainer (I never caught his name) set dog training back about 40 years! Using all old school methods of intimidation and fear. Choke chains, pinch collars, alpha rolls... you name it, this punk was gonna show these dogs who was boss! Just like Cesar Millan... he had it all wrong.
I have said it before... if dog training was like pizza these guys are missing about 5 slices. Just not seeing the whole picture.
YES you must be a leader to your dog. YES you need to be calm and structured for your dog.
YES you need show you dog what behaviors are not acceptable... however you don't get there by using fear and intimidation!
I can MAKE a dog do anything I want... but what does that do for my relationship with that dog? I want the dog to do what I want him to do out of respect for the pack and trust in me! You cannot trust what you fear.
These old school trainers think being a leader or alpha to the dogs means they must dominate them, be assertive and hold a level of fear to the dog. If they truly understood pack behavior they would understand that the "in your face" running around and push everyone around dog is the middle of the road adolescent dog, NOT the alpha... she is sitting off to the side, overseeing. She is the keeper of the stuff, the maker of the rules. She uses her body to block and prevent rather than react to a situation. She rewards for the right behavior and redirects the wrong behavior. Old school training methods simply teach dogs that people are something to be feared and not something to be trusted. But don't get me wrong, no one every said these methods don't work, they do... but we now know AT WHAT COST!
These old school dog trainers are still using what was taught years and years ago. This is how any one who has been training dogs for over 10 years was taught. Yes, when I went to school to train dogs I too learned all the pop and jerk methods. I thought that was the way it was. Over 15 years ago, I opened my eyes to how it should be. To this day...I have NEVER met a trainer who used to teach with old school corrective training that now teaches with reward based dog training that has ever gone back. We see how much more relaxed the dogs are, how more open they are to learning. It improves the relationship with our dogs and makes us more reliable and predictable for our dogs. It teaches them in this crazy world, with lots of scary things we are the one they can trust above all others. It creates a bond that can't be broken.
So join me, in writing an email to Animal Planet, tell them to pull the show In the Dog House. Our dog deserve better.
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Before I got my first very own dog, I admit I watched a LOT of Ceasar Milan "Dog Whisperer." While there isn't a lot of positive reinforcement (you see him sneak it in sometimes, i.e. massages instead of petting) I did bring away two helpful tips from the show: Notice your own energy when working with your dog, and dogs need exercise. I knew I would be committed to walking my dogs consistently each day for an hour because I saw how easy it was to transform (some) out of control dogs with exercise. But beyond those tips, I don't think Ceasar employs anything useful that owners can put into practice. In fact, if you read a book written by Ceasar's own production company- half or more of the dogs on his show end up being rehomed or never change their behavior. Shocking right? I would be interested in hearing follow up stories to Victoria Stillwell's show, and compare those results to Ceasars. I remember being 10 years old and taking an obedience class with my newfoundland. She barked alot while we were away, so we thought she was disobedient. This class employed choke chains and healing in circles. And you know what? The dog didn't stop barking. I think positive reward based training helps us to 'think dog.' Now that I 'think dog' a little better I want to slap my forehead. Of course the dog barked-she was bored! And there was no connection between the choke chain and stopping her boredom.
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