10/02/2021
So well put! Thank you Rebecca Hanlon for sharing this post! Especially the part about distinguishing between training and emergencies.
There will always be something that is aversive in our dogs lives, but that doesn't have to be how training works. Rather than thinking that force, or aversion, is non-existent, we need to do our best to create a positive learning environment and continue to learn more ways to make our interactions and training with dogs more free of force!
In one of my groups I ask if you use force free training before you are accepted to the page. I ask this because I want to create a safe space for both human and dog. I want to establish a culture that puts our dogs at the centre of their care.
One lady replied, that yes, mostly, but if her dog was in a dangerous situation she would use any force necessary in that moment, to keep her dog safe.
It's a good answer. Force free for me is something I aspire to be but life is never that simple is it!
But there are things we can always keep clear in our minds.
Training is not the same as dealing with emergency situations. I may give a sharp shout or throw a bucket of water to get two dogs to stop fighting. It is an emergency situation and I need to prevent trauma or injury. But I would NEVER use either in a training situation.
I do not expect either dog to learn in this situation.
I would grab a dog if they were running into a road but I would not see this as a moment of teaching. In that situation the most important part of the learning would be my own. I would learn that I need to teach that dog to stop at the curb. To teach them better recall and most importantly to manage that situation better by having them on a lead and using a safety strap between harness and coller if the accident was due to slipping a harness.
We often punish when things go wrong. When we feel frustrated, angry, scared. It's a normal human reaction when these emotions are present. When we feel out of control. These emotions are never good in a teaching environment. If we feel the need to punish its usually because we have not managed the situation properly and not done enough teaching beforehand. I dont see the dogs as failing in these situations, I see them as a learning opportunity for myself. If my dog keeps getting in the bin, I need to move the bin. If my dog keeps running off, I need to put them on a long line for safety and teach them that coming back to me is awesome.
For me, Force Free is an ethical goal in everything I do. Is it possible 100% of the time? Of course not. I put my dogs on a lead, I shut them in the house, I have a fence around my garden and I also shout from time to time. I am far from perfect. But I constantly aspire to give my dogs as much freedom as possible. I give them as many choices as I can. I teach through clear communication, compassion, empathy and kindness. I avoid anything that I feel will make my dogs feel intimidated, fearful, upset, scared or uncomfortable.
Empathy is not anthropomorphising. We can see things from our dogs point of view without humanising them. When I think about my best teachers, both academically and in life, they all empowered me, inspired me, made me feel safe. I never did well when I felt that I wasnt good enough, when I was constantly told what I was doing wrong. Great teachers make you want to learn more, build your confidence, earn your trust.
None of us are perfect. We will always get things wrong. But we can all aspire to be the best teachers for our dogs.
They deserve more than we can ever give them so we need to give them our best.
