Bells and Whistles

04/04/2025

Just a reminder that there are no classes tomorrow.
See you next weekend.

25/03/2025

Very true. All the reward based, force free trainers I know are really willing to learn and have a variety of options to help the vast variety of dogs, without having to resort to creating fear or pain.

BALANCED DOG TRAINING ~ GOOD THING OR NOT?

Balanced training sounds like a good thing, right? I mean, when you hear the word, "balanced," things like a balanced diet, work-life balanced, balanced tires come to mind, right?

Well, balanced training is not a good thing. Balanced training is a disguise for training that uses force and aversive tools and methods as well as some form of positive reinforcement.

"Balanced" dog training is a type of training that has been well established to cause stress, anxiety, and even aggression. Let me be clear, there is no such thing as "purely positive" (training), a term coined by opponents of force-free positive reinforcement training to describe the way those of us who are opposed to compulsion and aversives train.

Trainers who ascribe to fear-free, force-free training methods DO use "punishment," but it is a form of punishment that most people do not understand as punishment. In behavioral terms, a consequence that stops behavior from reoccurring is called punishment in behavior science.

For example, if a dog jumps on me or a puppy bites me and I withdraw my attention, my withdrawal of attention is called negative punishment. In behavioral terms, negative punishment refers to removing something the dog wants, e.g., attention, to stop a behavior.

We rarely, if ever, use what is called positive punishment, the application of something aversive to stop a behavior. That's because it's rarely, if ever, needed or appropriate. This kind of punishment is often ineffective with negative consequences, and most, if not all of the time, there are better ways to train and modify behavior.

Force-free, or positive reinforcement trainers understand the Humane Hierarchy, LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive), LIFE (least inhibitive, functionally effective) and as of March 19, the new FREE (functional, reinforcing, enriching, and effective) models of training and behavior modification.

They understand the scientific principles of applied behavior analysis, and what to use when. They don't have a one size fits all mentality. They have a large tool bag, are generally eager learners, willing to try something new, and care as much about the process of training as they do the end result.

Beware and be wise!

Cindy Ludwig, M.A., B.S., R.N., KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Voted Best Springfield, Missouri Dog Trainer

19/03/2025

Looking for a puppy training class? We have spaces available at our next Bledlow class.

19/03/2025

Congratulations to Janet and Teddy (and Verite who couldn’t make the last class), on graduating from Puppy School. See you all at Dog Club soon.

We’re looking forward to welcoming a new group of pups on Saturday 29th March.

06/03/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BvNW1syN2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Charlie. Never been hit. Never choked. Never shocked. Never been intimidated. Never felt a heavy hand. Never been ‘disciplined’. Is allowed on the sofa. Sleeps on the bed.

Also….

Has good manners. Has good recall. Is polite with dogs & people. Is calm & settled. Moves well on lead. Doesn’t need micromanaged. Is a joy to live with.

You don’t need to be forceful or coercive to have a well behaved dog. Treating your dog with kindness & gentleness isn’t a recipe for an out of control dog with no boundaries.

Treating dogs harshly in training is an active choice; not a necessity. What choice do you make?

01/02/2025

Congratulations to last weeks Puppy School graduates at Bledlow; Figgsy, Martha, Snoopy, Elton and Dot.
Well done all, hopefully see you at Dog Club soon.

I’m looking forward to welcoming a new group of puppies on Saturday February 8th. There a two spaces available if anyone wants to grab a spot (puppies under 20 weeks old). https://client.puppyschool.co.uk/booking/PS/FE890E54-7C3D-4D38-9AD8-7E6DF0FDF04B

07/12/2024

Outdoor classes cancelled today. Bit breezy!!

26/10/2024

Dog Club and agility classes are now live to book for November and December. www.bellsandwhistlesbehaviour.co.uk

16/10/2024

We unexpectedly have two spaces available on our next reactive Dogs course, starting on Saturday October 26th near Chinnor.

If your dog does not get on well with other dogs and you’d like to help them feel more confident or less frustrated (and therefore show less barking/lunging/cowering/bolting), please get in touch.

A vet referral is required to join this course.

16/10/2024

Slightly belated congratulations to Cece, Phoenix, Brodie and Bea for graduating Puppy School on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing you all at Dog Club soon.

Our next Puppy School class starts this Saturday (19th) at Bledlow. There is currently one space left.

04/10/2024

Tomorrow's classes; please be aware I won't have a working phone.
At Henton, if the gate is shut, please honk!

16/09/2024

Over the last few days, it feels like a firestorm has been unleashed. It’s clear that outdated dog training practices will no longer go unchallenged.

The release of a study using shock collars (cited below) has sparked unprecedented backlash and even made national headlines, and triggered a major reckoning within the dog training community. The study, seen by many as politically motivated, appears to have put dogs in harm's way to prove a point.

Professionals across the field agree that it should never have been approved by the ethics committee - and their fears were substantiated, given that every single dog in the shock collar group is documented to have yelped in pain while receiving shock collar “corrections”.

The outcry continues to build as more people in our field demand accountability and transparency. Reputations are being hit hard, institutions are facing scrutiny, and balanced trainers like Ivan Balabanov have been fully unmasked, revealing the harmful and outdated methods still being promoted under the guise of expertise.

This glaring evidence underlines what we’ve known all along: pain and fear have no place in professional dog training.

Let this serve as a stark reminder to those in our field who continue to promote outdated methods and deny the overwhelming scientific consensus. The community will no longer remain silent. The evidence is clear and we are moving beyond these harmful practices. Trainers who continue to use pain, fear, and intimidation in their methods do not deserve legitimacy in this field.

Ivan Balabanov, once considered a leader among "balanced" trainers, now faces intense scrutiny following his involvement in this study. It is now scientifically verified that 25% of the dogs he and his mentee worked with in the shock collar group could not be trained effectively, and 100% of those dogs yelped in pain.

This once again undermines the narrative propagated by many trainers who use shock collars and falsely claim that their methods "don’t hurt."

The reality is, the tools they promote rely on pain as a teaching mechanism, and better alternatives exist that teach dogs to comply enthusiastically without the need for fear or discomfort, and without the risks associated with using pain and fear to change an individual’s behavior.

For too long, the welfare of dog trainers has been placed above the welfare of dogs and the public. This has got to stop.

The campaign to expose outdated training methods, like those Ivan Balabanov will likely promote in his upcoming UK workshop, is gaining momentum. Even members of his own community are stunned by the facts that have come to light in this study.

This is not an effort to embarrass an individual but to stand up for the public and make it clear that the propaganda surrounding shock collars is just that — propaganda.

Below is a newly published article from Psychology Today that lays out the facts on the recent shock collar study. For those who think this is about social media “clout” or personal opinions, this article should clarify that our advocacy is rooted in concern for public and canine welfare.

I’ve always said, don’t take my word for it—look at the evidence. This article does just that: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-emotions/202409/is-balanced-training-fair-to-dogs-or-is-it-a-cop-out

And here is a link to the study in question: Johnson, A.C., & Wynne, C.D.L. (2024). “Comparison of the Efficacy and Welfare of Different Training Methods in Stopping Chasing Behavior in Dogs.” Animals, 14(18), 2632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182632

Based on the reaction to this study, another major domino has fallen in support of aversive dog training methods. This so-called "landmark study" will likely be remembered not for the efficacy of shock collars, but for exposing the unnecessary use of pain in dog training as a legitimate strategy.

We are prepared to provide support and education to those willing to update their methods in the interest of public health and safety. But make no mistake—those who refuse to be unequivocal in rejecting pain-based methods will face increasing scrutiny.

The livelihood of trainers promoting harmful practices is not our concern when it comes at the expense of dog welfare and public trust.

The time to end the misrepresentation of science-based training and to uphold welfare and ethics in dog training is long overdue. We are standing together for a better future for our industry, our dogs, and their guardians.

24/07/2024

Sorry for the swears, but …
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1rUsdMQSQ7hzqvcw/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The News Today

We’re a satirical newspaper, right? So we’re trying very hard to find a comical spin on the latest news about yet another high level horse person treating a horse like s**t.

But oh my god, it’s never ending. We have run out of new takes because it is just all the bloody time. How many different ways can you comedically say that yet another famous equestrian unexpectedly made an error of judgement? These jokes just write themselves, you don’t need us.

And why is everyone still feigning surprise? It’s what happens throughout the industry. By definition. We learn how to hit horses from the moment we start learning to ride. We are taught that upping the pressure is always the answer. Except when someone gets caught, then we are supposed to be kind and consider that maybe it was a unique situation. Another one.

So yeah, write your own jokes. We are off to lie down….

19/07/2024

A very belated congratulations to the last group of Bledlow Puppy Schoolers; Gino, Evie, Petra and Bertie. They all came on so well throughout the course.

The next Puppy School course starts tomorrow at 9am in Bledlow. Suitable for all vaccinated puppies under 20 weeks old.

13/07/2024

Thank you to everyone who entered today! Good turn out, especially for the ‘dog the judge would most like to take home’ class.

Thanks so much to Suzie Davies of Hands on Hounds for judging.

13/07/2024

The view from the dog show ring. Come and join in!

13/07/2024

Come and join us at Holmer Green today!
Dog show entry from 12.30, classes start at 2.15pm.

1. Best Trick
2. Dog that looks most like their owner
3. Best rescue dog
4. Dog the judge would most like to take home
5. Best child handler

Entry just £1 per class.

23/06/2024

Looking forward to another day of the Puppy School conference!

It’s so important to be able to keep up with the latest thinking in dog training and behaviour (love a good bit of CPD). Plus meeting other trainers from all over the country. Great to see some old faces and meet new ones.

I’ll be coming home raring to go (Dog Clubers in particular will find a few new things added!).