Dog Sense Training and Behaviour

26/12/2024

This can get pretty technical so I’ve tried to put it in simple terms, but let me know if you want a more technical explanation!

When considering if a behavior will be reinforced we need to know - the function/reason, whats already reinforcing it, if its involuntary or voluntary, the emotion driving it, if its instinctual, & how motivating the reinforcers are.

23/12/2024

While I’ve been away I’ve been doing some training with my friend’s dog Kelly, who has some reactivity to dogs & motorbikes.

One of the tips I’ve given my friend is to switch the mindset from ‘going for a walk’, to ‘doing a training walk’.

Instead of focussing on duration of walk, distance covered & exercise - prioritize finding optimal opportunities to practice training exercises, build engagement & have a good time together. This really helps to set your dog up for success & progress their training.

Sometimes the best way to do this is to shorten the time a little, stay in an area where you can control the environment & trigger, & keep your dog focussed.

Many owners worry their dog might not get enough exercise this way, but TRUST ME when I say - with a good training plan in place your dog will likely be MORE tired after your training walk. Because, although you may have reduced time & distance, you’ve INCREASED mental exercise.

The pic of Kelly after her training walk shows just that 🖤🖤

19/12/2024

Last night we lost our beautiful Asha.

Suddenly, almost exactly like our boy Zoly four years ago.

I’m on the other side of the country and couldn’t be with her. It doesn’t seem real.

Asha was 10 years old but was always an old soul. She was my helper dog - her calm, neutral nature helping many reactive dogs in their training journey.

Not being home means I can’t feel her lack of presence. It feels like she’ll be there waiting for us to get home. I’m not ready to process that she won’t be.

18/12/2024

Shocker 🤷🏼‍♀️

Do harnesses ‘teach’ dogs to pull?
No, that’s a myth, but they ‘do’ make pulling more comfortable.

Can you teach a dog to walk on a loose leash on a harness? Yes, but it is harder in many cases.

Are harnesses more humane? No, not necessarily. a) how do you define humane? If a dog can more easily pull & give an owner less control over a strong dog, I’d argue that’s not more humane.
Dogs can still have pressure on the neck with some harnesses & there is some evidence they can lead to physiological issues. b) if the argument is they’re ‘less’ aversive then why do trainers deal with so many dogs who ‘hate’ their harnesses 🤷🏼‍♀️

At the end of the day all tools have their place (from harnesses to flexi-leads to prong collars).
Lots of people (and trainers) argue that if their dog can walk on a harness, any dog can. But, what’s important to understand is the nuance in dog training; every dog, owner & situation is different.
Arguments that start with ‘well my dog’ never account for that nuance.

Dogs generally pull about 60 per cent harder on a leash when wearing a padded harness compared with a collar, even when the equipment is marketed as “anti pull” – putting the people walking them at risk of injury.

Some dogs – especially smaller breeds – pull with a force more than twice their body weight on the collar, potentially damaging their throats, says Erin Perry at Southern Illinois University.

“It’s really very shocking,” she says. “The dogs are almost choking themselves on that collar repeatedly. But the harnesses in our study just didn’t inhibit pulling in any way, and that’s definitely a wake-up call – especially because of the risk to owners.”

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459747-dogs-pull-harder-on-the-leash-when-they-wear-a-harness-than-a-collar/

Image: CBCK-Christine/Alamy

17/12/2024

Enjoying the Queensland heat and hanging with dogs.

Will be checking emails & messages intermittently.

Have a happy Christmas & New Year! 🖤

11/12/2024

Had the pleasure of catching up for coffee with Dr Clive Wynne yesterday morning!

Dr Wynne is a behavioral scientist who specializes in the study of dogs & their wild relatives. He is founder of The Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University & author of the book Dog Is Love.

He is also one of the authors of the recent e-collar study that’s garnered LOTS of attention in the dog training industry recently.

To say I geeked out during our chat would be the understatement of the year!

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)

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.

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

11/11/2024

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