BCDog Listener Dog Training

03/21/2025

How lucky I am to have this handsome boy Dodge from as my neighbor. Couldn't resist doing some training with him. He is a sweet, happy boy who is amazingly intelligent. He is looking for a forever home.

03/08/2025

A common excuse for certain tools and human-to-dog punishment techniques is 'it's mimicking what the mother dog would do' but is that actually a good thing? 🤔

Two of the common techniques/tools that get explained as a variation on 'what another dog would do' are the alpha rollover and the pinch/prong collar, and there are fundamental issues that come with both of these.

The alpha rollover comes from the idea of physically putting a dog in a position of submission. This has shown to not actually happen in the wild with wolves which, although they are not dogs, a lot of these myths do stem from. In fact, any time a wolf rolls over onto its back in this way it is done voluntarily and isn't forced by another wolf putting it in its place. Furthermore, true alphas are actually parental figures in natural wolf packs and part of being successful in this is shown by the fact they do not need to rule over others with some kind of iron fist. Aggression and squabbling in wolves tend to be seen in insecure packs in captivity, not well-established functioning packs in the wild.

The pinch/prong collar is often attributed to mimicking the idea of the mother physically grabbing a puppy with their mouth 'correcting' them with the pressure of the teeth on the dog's neck. However, yet again this is not accurate to reality. Normally there are many steps a mother dog will take before an inhibited bite is used on her pups, and being able to defuse the situation and teach her pups how to do so without resorting to aggression is part of what is seen as being a successful mother. It has also been shown that mothers who use more of these aggressive behaviours to wean their pups end up with pups who are less social with people, which is not an outcome we are usually looking for!

At the end of the day, we are not dogs or wolves and our dogs know that, but even if they didn't these techniques do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. It is so important that we look into these claims rather than taking them for a fact. So NEVER just do something because someone told you 'it's what another dog would do'. 👍

You can find out more about the study mentioned in the graphic here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/016815918490056X?fbclid=IwY2xjawIyshBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHfFIvgSkiGQcKrZ3TAr3clSXsjbVNCTcVBTjHxdcX5MLNKwrFRXiYjhClA_aem_hTxcGbvZ_DuwEoxEHPQe3w

01/05/2025

About Karen Pryor Karen Pryor, publicity photo for Oceanic Institute, about 1968. Karen Pryor had many interests. She was an observer of the smallest detail (as a child she studied butterfly anatomy) but what made her life’s work exceptional was that she also saw the big picture. It would have bee...

01/01/2025

12/22/2024

Quote of the Week

12/20/2024

I mean, are we even on the same planet?! 😵‍💫

Cesar Millan is a well-known figure in dog behavior, but his methods often rely on outdated dominance theories and aversive techniques, such as corrections and aversive tools.

He's not a single entity, unfortunately, there are many people who go on to work with dogs learning directly from him in his mentoring programs or indirectly from the amount of publicity he has been given.

Not to mention the repercussions of the misinformation that he has communicated to the public.

And although he has had many opportunities to correct his path, he has yet to pivot.

The mark of any decent kind person is to try to correct the wrongs that they have made, especially when they are as catastrophic as the ones that he has contributed to the dog human relationship.

While his methods may yield immediate compliance, they can suppress behavior, often leading to fear or stress in the dog - until they submit to what he wants them to do.

In a twist of incredibly sad irony, HIS methods dominate dogs who are, in fact, not dominant - they are just animals trying to figure out the way the world works.

Kindness in working with dogs is about fostering trust, addressing their emotional well-being, and teaching through positive, evidence-based methods.

Modern research shows that fear-based approaches can cause more harm than good, while positive interactions strengthens the dog-human bond and promotes confidence building, among many, many other benefits.

Kindness isn’t about control.

Kindness is about creating a safe, collaborative environment for our dogs to thrive in.

It's about having an understanding of dogs.

It's about cultivating empathy.

There is absolutely no identifiable way that anything his methods bring are related to kindness.

I can't see it.

What are your thoughts?

12/17/2024

Wouldn't you love to wake up and rollover and see this face!!! Rosie is seeking her forever home. If you are interested in hearing more about this complete sweetness of a dog reach out to

08/26/2024