Dog Sense Training and Behaviour

10/12/2024

Here’s why I don’t want the focus of your training to be the thing that triggers your dog.

Triggers can be many things - your dog reacts (loses it) when they see another dog they want to meet, or they’re nervous/angry when a person/dog/car/child etc is too close.

It’s common to focus on wanting your dog to behave differently in those contexts so that’s when you do your training - trying to stop the unwanted behavior &/or distract your dog when triggers are present.

But this approach will often end up being frustrating for both you & your dog & limited in effectiveness. Why? Because it’s backwards.

If we want our dogs to do ‘something else’ instead of react to triggers, then a) we’ve got to make those alternative behaviors so clear & easy to do that they’re reflexive, & b) we’ve got to base them on enthusiasm to listen to/engage with YOU.

That means more time needs to be spent on foundations of motivation, clear communication & relationship than anything else.

I ask clients to spend approximately five minutes, twice a day (yep, that’s it - short & sweet, always ending on a high), training specific training patterns, making it fun, making their dog LOVE training, fine-tuning timing & communication - waaaay before they practice with triggers present.

Train your dog so they feel like it’s the highlight of their day. Take time teaching play so it’s a special time you & your dog are fully present in the game. Show your dog that engaging with you always feels good & that you are clear & fair in communication.

Eventually practice around triggers, always with the foundation that it’s about training with YOU, & the triggers are just something in the environment.

When you approach behaviour modification training this way, the reactivity often diminishes before you even start to practice around triggers.

This is how I approach behaviour problems. It not only effectively reduces reactivity, but it makes training a pleasure, not a chore 🖤

04/12/2024

There’s a tendency on both sides of dog training debates to cherry pick & twist information to boost an argument.

Misinformation & disinformation doesn’t help your cause, it reduces your legitimacy as a subject matter expert & competent trainer, subsequently damaging the credibility of educated trainers in your own camp by association. And that helps the other side.

**(If you’re against e-collars & can’t comment with a level of maturity & critical thought, then please take a deep breath, exhale, & scroll)

02/12/2024

Imagine being a trainer, whose posts are completely plagiarised ‘word for word’ from other training articles or generated from ChatGBT, & fails to credit trainers when sharing their words.

Who twists what trainers have said without linking the post they’re critiquing to hide their obvious misrepresentations. All while presenting themselves as being far more knowledgeable than they are.

How do I know this? A)Because investigating is a bit of a hobby 🤗.
B)I called them out when they came for me previously (**they didn’t copy ‘me’, they plagiarised others as they had a go at me). I’ve searched their words & generated the key terms in AI & I can tell you, it’s pretty much every single post they make.

I’m not going to expose them by naming them, they’re not a well known trainer & my intention isn’t to publicly humiliate them. But I will send this post to them, and I’ll also send it to the people they attack in their posts.

27/11/2024

Thank you for inviting me Ivan Balabanov !

Welcome to another episode of my TWC podcast, where we dive deep into the real world of dog training and behavior. Today, I’m thrilled to have Jacqui Z***r join me. Jacqui is a professional dog trainer based in Perth, Australia, and the founder of Dog Sense Training and Behavior. She’s not just a trainer—she’s an investigator, spending countless hours combing through past and current canine research papers to expose the flaws and misleading narratives that are flooding the industry worldwide.

Jacqui and I have had extensive private conversations on these topics, which led us to record this podcast. If you’re a dog trainer feeling confused or frustrated by the current propaganda being pushed by ideologists, this episode is for you. Together, we’ll cut through the noise and bring you clarity, context, and practical insights.

Make sure to like, share, and subscribe to stay connected and help us spread the word. Let’s get into it!

You'll find a link to the podcast in the comments 💪🏻

27/11/2024

There are some great Force Free trainers out there, but they aren’t usually the ones posting things like this.

This is a snippet of a post suggesting any trainer who uses any kind of aversive method is suffering ‘The Dunning Kruger Effect’ (a cognitive bias where someone overestimates their knowledge/competence in a topic or skill).

The irony here is the extreme side of Force Free training loves using terms like ‘science/evidence based training’. But these are marketing terms with no merit.

When it comes to addressing ‘behavior issues’, especially with regards to serious aggression or predatory behavior, there is no (and I’ll repeat that in shouty capitals)..
THERE IS NO evidence in the literature for any positive reinforcement method that effectively reduces/stops specific, serious behavior issues more effectively than any other method.

In fact, there’s actually MORE evidence on the balanced side of training.

This isn’t to suggest that positive reinforcement methods alone ‘can’t’ be effective in some cases. But the main point here is the ‘evidence based trainer’ claim is BS.

If you want to argue for positive reinforcement being more evidence based in teaching ‘NEW behaviours’ like puppy training or general level one obedience training etc.. then yes, it could be argued it’s evidence based. But any GOOD trainer knows that, regardless of ideological base.

But, again, not when it comes to advanced training or behavior issues.
And this means - while it’s great training has become more positive reinforcement based, in recent years it’s started to go too far. Suggesting it’s ALL you ever need and science ‘proves’ it. No, it absolutely does not.

If you disagree with the above, then I’ll put the same question to you as I did the trainer in the attached post..

‘Can you recommend an ‘evidence-based’ positive reinforcement method that effectively stops predatory behaviour or serious aggression’…

25/11/2024

The euthanises more dogs for behavioural issues than any other org in the country.

23/11/2024

Well this was very cool 🖤
A baptism of fire for a first workshop. Eight hours of theory! And all these amazing people were engaged & so kind & supportive.
Thank you & the whole team for asking me & making me feel so welcome.
I had a blast! 🖤💛

19/11/2024

If you have an opinion, and it’s ‘clearly’ not a professional one - are given a polite response, only to reply that you refuse to even observe the dogs on the page that you’re trolling, or learn anything about the other side of your emotive argument - then you dear, are willfully ignorant and lose your argument by default.

🖕🏻

17/11/2024

Have you ever been this comfortable? No, me either 🖤

14/11/2024

NINE DAYS MELBOURNE!

BEYOND MYTHS: Navigating Truths in Dog Training
Jacqui Z***r
Sat, Nov 23rd (1pm-9pm) 🍕 Dinner

The dog training industry is currently riddled with myths, misconceptions, and polarising debates that ultimately hinder our progress, and impact the well-being of the dogs we strive to help.

This is a unique opportunity for canine professionals, dog enthusiasts, and industry newcomers. A workshop designed to restore objectivity and foster a deeper understanding of how best to train and improve the lives of dogs.

BOOK NOW: 👇👇👇👇
https://www.prodogtraining.com.au/events-calendar/beyond-myths-jacqui-zakar/

11/11/2024

Don’t look at your computer, look at meeee 🖤

06/11/2024

Sweet Asha 🖤

02/11/2024

Adopt ‘OR’ shop responsibly

Many think breeders steal homes from dogs waiting to be adopted - “How could you buy from a breeder when so many shelter dogs need homes!” they scream.

Yes, there are thousands of worthy dogs that need good homes, and there is NOTHING wrong with adopting a dog. BUT, that doesn’t mean breeding dogs is a bad thing.

The ‘Adopt Don’t Shop’ hashtag pulls at the heart strings & suggests:

Breeding = Bad
Adopting = Good

But, did you know the Adopt Don’t Shop movement was originally created to reduce puppies being bought from puppy mills? (Which come through pet shops).

It was never targeted at breeding as a whole.

Back yard breeding, oops litters & puppy farms all contribute to the shelter population, but ETHICAL BREEDING does not.

Ethical Breeding is essential for the betterment of the species. For health & good genetics.

There are no guarantees of course but if someone wants a specific breed then I’d highly recommend learning more about Ethical Breeding.

The attached Infograph explains the differences.

**

To add, as a behavior modification trainer I see so many families as first time dog owners meaning well but with dogs that just aren’t the right fit, with poor genetics that make them far more prone to behavioral issues.
Going to an ethical breeder means potential owners are screened heavily so dogs are going to suitable homes that can fulfil their specific needs.
A good example is a lot of genetically hectic German shepherds or Border Collies not having their needs met in homes with very small children.
I don’t judge the owners at all. They love their dog and are doing their best with the knowledge they have, but with dogs that just aren’t a suitable match. These dogs can, & often do end up being surrendered and owners left heart broken.

30/10/2024

Rest in peace

I knew nothing about business and marketing when I started Dog Sense back in early 2016 and invested about as much into learning about it as I did dog training.

80% of that learning was through Kerwin, who I have so much to thank for.

These pics were taken at the end of a three day business seminar he led in Sydney. I told him I was a dog trainer and this was his reaction as he told me he trained security dogs before he became a business coach & motivational speaker. It was an amazing three days I’ll never forget and I hold this memory of first meeting him close to my heart. Later on I had the privilege to work at one of his seminars.

He was a gifted human who inspired so many.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends and staff for their profound loss 💔

29/10/2024

Them:
They’re just not needed when there are alternatives available.

Me:
Yes, but those alternatives can mean far less freedom & the ability to take your dog to places you just couldn’t otherwise.

Them:
It may take longer and require more effort but people can still get there.

Me:
I disagree. That won’t be possible for many, and living a heavily restricted life because the alternative options are out of reach can mean a lower long-term quality of life.

Them:
The risks are too great and too many people are causing harm. They should be banned.

Me:
That’s why education is important. It’s about cost/benefit. There will always be people who do the wrong thing but technology is advanced these days, use it responsibly and with competence checks. Bans may stop some ignorant people doing the wrong thing but the people who can benefit lose out too.

Them:
People still got by when there were no cars. They can still get far if they just put in the effort.

CONFUSED? WELL WHAT DID YOU THINK WE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT?

TECHNOLOGY ENABLES US OPPORTUNITIES WE WOULDN’T HAVE OTHERWISE. ‘NEVER NEEDED’ IS A SUBJECTIVE STATEMENT. IF YOU DON’T NEED SOMETHING, GREAT. BUT FOR OTHERS 🤷🏼‍♀️

28/10/2024

I had a phone conversation with a very high profile & highly published scientist recently.

I asked why they thought position statements like AVSAB state:
“theres no evidence aversive methods are more effective than reward based methods in any context”
while omitting studies that do show efficacy where reward based does not in their ref lists.. they answered.. “Which studies are you talking about”.

When I named 4 or 5… they replied that THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THEM.

Think about that. PhD’s writing scientific papers on the subjects of training methods, advising on efficacy, welfare & future directions of research, who state ‘there is no evidence’, AREN’T AWARE OF THE EVIDENCE.

The confirmation bias runs through welfare, training & behavioural science orgs at such a level, that scientific evidence that doesn’t fit the story is erased.