30/01/2024
🐶 J&L Training Info - Force Free Vs Aversive 🐶
The argument between dog trainers that will stand the test of time! 🙈🙈
I have experienced multiple occasions when a dog has experienced aversive training methods and I have been asked to provide further help or even just looked after a dog following aversive training and kept quiet so not to join the debate. 🫢🫢
But one recently has urged me to write the post 😤😤
A social media ‘famous’ trainer that shall remain nameless worked with this dog around a year ago. The beautiful dog in question has EXTREME fear aggression when it comes to strangers, mainly due to suspected abuse in the previous home and a stint of surviving on the street before landing on his paws with his current family. A video was made and posted by this person, insulting previous trainers to start the internet warriors on the rampage about the ‘failure’ of force free methods. This trainer was bragging about the dog in question going from being muzzled and lunging to wandering around the house without the muzzle in 2 hours, with the use of aversives (in the video it says a vibration collar and talks about the use of it but the owners were actually advised to use a prong collar which remained on him to manage his behaviour- something not mentioned in the video) 🧐🧐
All sounds very impressive, almost too good to be true!! 🤨🤨
Well it was!
This dog is still terrified of strangers. So if it only took 2 hours to ‘fix him’, why isn’t he fixed? 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
I was lucky enough to meet this dog outside of a training capacity and was able to have freedom to spend time with him without the pressure of needing ‘results’. 🐾🐾
Over a 24 hour period, I am being generous if I say I spent 2 hours with this dog- some time with the owners, some time without- but let’s say for arguments sake I spent the same 2 hours. ⏰⏰
This dog has not lunged at me. He has given clear eye contact without reaction or fixation. He has brought me his toys to play. He has given me paw, which is behaviour he does to his owners for comfort. He has taken food from me, which the owners advised he won’t do when over threshold. He has positioned himself for bum tickles and tactile contact for comfort. He has slept, although briefly, next to me. He has been given space and he has chosen to develop a level of trust within me, rather than being forced into it. 🥰🥰
So how did I do it? Patience and positive reinforcement (toys and verbal) when good choices were made. That’s it! 🤓🤓
There is absolutely no difference to him when a new person comes along and he will still have the same reaction to bark, lunge and enlist the fight response to what he deems a threat! He has not been able to make the connection that not every stranger is a threat. He hasn’t been given the tools to change his fear when it comes to strangers and only for his wonderful family to manage his behaviour. 😭😭
If a trainer brags about how quickly they can ‘fix’ a behavioural issue that has been years in the making, that IS NOT A FLEX!!!
Obedience maybe. Fear Aggression, very questionable - let me know if you want me to explain why in a different post! 🤯🤯
This dog will take time to undo the many triggers he has developed over the years and that’s ok! He has a wonderful team on his side now with the desire to make sure he has a happy life and the commitment to him to enable him to show his beautiful nature to the world! 😍😍
So please, carefully consider the trainer you enlist to help you and really assess the methods they use for your dog! Ask questions, find out why they are doing what they are doing based on your dog, rather than trying to do it in the quickest time possible! 🐕🦺🐕🦺
TIA 💙🩷💜❤️🧡
