05/10/2021
Should all dogs attend training classes?
Would it surprise you that, as a dog trainer, I don’t actually believe that all dogs should attend training classes? While I also spend time teaching humans about dog behaviour in general, much of my work centers around running dog training classes and teaching dog owners how to train their dogs. My dogs are 7 and 11 years old and I still attend a training class once a week and spend quite a bit of time training them at home. So given all this, one would probably think that I encourage everyone who has a dog to “go to training”.
The funny thing is, I actually don’t – and this is despite regularly meeting dog owners on walks or in social settings who seem to feel obligated to sign up for classes when they find out what I do, as though I will disapprove of them as dog owners if they don’t! I don’t think I have actually ever met anyone with an adult dog that I have advised to take their dog to classes.
So, am I a dog trainer who doesn’t believe in dog training? No, not at all. I am passionate about training dogs and find it absolutely fascinating and incredibly rewarding to see dogs learn and have fun with their owners. Working with my own dogs is a source of joy and I can see how our working bond and the enrichment that training provides contributes to my own dogs’ emotional and physical wellbeing. I have absolutely no doubts that force-free, positive reinforcement-based training is absolutely fantastic and should be promoted far and wide – that is after all what I spend much of my time doing.
But the question here is not “can training your dog have fantastic benefits”, but rather “should all dogs attend TRAINING CLASSES”. There is a huge difference here and the reason for this post is that so often people view training classes as the answer to all dog behaviour problems:
Dog barks at other dogs – just take him to classes
Dog snaps at strangers – just take him to classes
Dog guards food or other items – just take him to classes
Dog is marking in the house – just take him to classes
Dog doesn’t come back when called or pulls on the lead – just take him to classes
Dog is afraid of loud noises – just take him to classes
You get the idea….
We really need to reconsider the purpose of training classes, what their aims should be and where their limitations lie. First let’s have a look at why they are not suitable for all dogs:
Group training classes consist of multiple dogs and owners coming into a controlled environment to learn training skills and specific exercises from an instructor. For a dog and owner to be able to learn anything in this environment, they both have to be reasonably relaxed, comfortable and able to concentrate. If the dog is anxious or frustrated being on-lead around other dogs or people, the dog will not be comfortable and will not be in a good space to learn anything. If the dog cannot ever be allowed off lead due to a history of inflicting harm to other dogs or people, the opportunity for learning is also reduced. If the owner is worried or stressed by the dog’s behaviour or the potential harm the dog could do to another dog or person, the owner is not in a good space to learn anything. The odds in this case of dog and owner working happily together in a group class and achieving much are not good. The likelihood of them increasing the stress levels of other dogs and owners in the class and making the environment less conducive to learning for others, is unfortunately rather high. Immediately, it can be seen from this that in general, group training classes are NOT the right environment for dogs with serious social problems.
What about problems the owner may be experiencing with their dog at home? Issues like resource guarding, urine marking, house training, destructive chewing, dogs fighting in the home, separation-related distress etc? Can training classes help with these issues? Probably not all that much. Teaching a dog to perform certain behaviours on cue in a different environment is unlikely to have much influence over struggles the dog is having at home. Unfortunately, many people still tend to view problems like these as matters of “disobedience” and I suppose that training classes are often sadly viewed as the way to instill “obedience”, so it is believed that if the dog is taken to class, he will become “obedient” and won’t perform “bad” behaviours anymore.
Today we know that behaviour problems like those listed above are not the result of a lack of “discipline” or “obedience” and are in fact evidence of a dog trying to maintain emotional homeostasis and avoid negative feelings. Dogs, just like us, do things to avoid feelings of fear, anxiety, frustration and loneliness. Dogs adopt coping mechanisms from natural behaviours like digging, chewing, marking and guarding as a way of feeling better when a need is not being met or something unpleasant has happened. Teaching a dog to respond to any number of cues on a training field is not going to address the root of the problem in situations like this. I do hope that this is clear.
So, what are training classes for? If they aren’t the best way to address social or behaviour problems, why do we even have them? This is where we need a fresh outlook and should lay to rest once and for all the old “obedience” mindset which has destroyed so many dog-owner relationships.
The following scenarios explain what I believe dog training classes should be about and why I am still passionate about offering them to the RIGHT dogs and owners for the RIGHT reasons:
You have a puppy and would like to provide an opportunity for controlled and healthy socialisation – please DO attend puppy training classes
You would like to learn how to communicate effectively with your puppy and learn how to protect and interact with her out in public – please DO attend puppy training classes
You have an adolescent or adult dog who is COMFORTABLE around other dogs and people and would like to build a stronger bond with him – please DO attend training classes
You have a dog who is used to being in a group class and would like to continue with training to have fun with your dog and spend quality time together – please DO attend training classes
You have a well-socialised dog bred for specific work and recognise that they need a lot of mental stimulation – please DO attend training classes
I think you see the pattern here. The main aim of training classes should not be to “fix” dogs, but to enrich the lives of dogs and owners. An owner who develops a strong bond with their dog through working together and having fun in class, will be less likely to have a dog that is unresponsive or insecure. They will be more likely to have a dog that is content and fulfilled. A puppy owner who invests time in developing their pup’s social skills and building their confidence in the outside world through puppy class attendance will be less likely to have a dog that has social problems. BUT classes should be used as the prevention and not the cure. If a dog is not used to a group class environment, adding this to try to resolve problems will likely only add stress to both dog and owner and won’t address the actual issue.
I also want to throw something else in here: Just because a dog does not attend dog training classes or participate in a dog sport does not mean the dog cannot be completely content, fulfilled and living a happy life. I think many people involved in the dog world believe that dogs that don’t attend classes are missing out and this really need not be the case. Firstly, many people I know work with their dogs at home. They do on-line courses and have plenty of training fun in their own time. Sometimes this may be because their dogs are not comfortable in a group class and they know better than to try and force their dogs into a stressful situation and sometimes it may simply be that they don’t have access to a good trainer in their area. I don’t believe for one second that their dogs are less fulfilled for not attending group classes. The fun and joy both dog and owner get from working together at home and on outings is more than satisfying for many dogs and owners.
Furthermore, there are dog owners who don’t do much training of any sort with their dogs, yet their dogs are also perfectly happy. There are people whose dogs go for long hikes every day, whose dogs get included in family activities and whose dogs have plenty of companionship and fun playing with their owners who I am pretty sure are not devastated because they don’t attend training classes!
Yes, I LOVE training and much of my work is about helping dog owners to be the best trainers that their dogs ever had, but I recognise that group classes are not right for all dogs. Yes, I thrive on training my own dogs and I do believe that this is a big contributing factor to the strong bond that we have and to their emotional and physical wellbeing, but I realise that happiness and contentment are found in other ways too.
