12/28/2022
I am witnessing the acceleration of a disturbing trend in people that own dogs.
Notice how I didn't say 'trainer', 'owner', 'pet person' or any other classifier.
It's not new, and maybe I am seeing more of it because I deal with people who own dogs all day long, but there seems to be a lack of comprehension that dogs are not some pre-programmable widget that you 'set' the operational parameters on and forget it; that the dog should run on auto-pilot, after a brief stint with a trainer, or whatever the owner considers an adequate effort.
I hear it in their choice of words; how they describe behaviors, responses to behaviors, results of behaviors. I see it in how they handle the leash, how they respond viscerally to disturbances in the environment and how it affects their dogs' behavior. What they don't see is how their response acts as a catalyst for their dogs' response. What they don't see is the conflict they create, every time they punish their dog unjustly, without thinking about how they could have avoided the conflict entirely with better, more thoughtful planning.
We train a fair number of dogs a year. We field questions from a lot of owners that seem to stem from the same flawed thinking that once the dog has undergone a training program, that's all that's required and the dog should be able to make better decisions from then on, without feedback from the handler.
People forget how many times they had to practice tying their shoes, their multiplication tables, periodic tables, even table manners.
How many times throughout your young life did your parent scold you for your table manners? "Use your fork!" "Cut smaller pieces!" "Use the napkin, not your sleeve"! "Elbows off the table!"
Now it may be more relaxed than when I was a kid, but I guarantee ya, each and every one of us has heard any one of those comments and probably a few others well into adulthood.
Dogs are very intelligent creatures, but they still need a goalpost!
It's unfair to set your dog up for failure simply because you are inconvenienced by having to SUPERVISE or PARTICIPATE in the process.
When folks bend my ear about housebreaking issues and the thermometer is dipping below freezing, I can diagnose the issue in 1 second- owner throws dog outside in the cold, expects dog to eliminate, dog claws at door, is reinforced for clawing at door by being let in, where dog promptly poops/pees on floor.
How to fix: be prepared to be uncomfortable for 5 minutes by dressing in warm footwear, warm coat and hat, warm gloves. Accompany dog outside, on leash, and *make* the dog *go*.
If the dog is productive, there's no mess to clean up, and the environment is peaceful. If the dog is non productive, dog is placed in confinement until dog *asks* to go out. Surprisingly, this prevents elimination in home on expensive rugs or furniture, and if dog does eliminate, the mess is contained to a small specific, easy-to-clean area.
You see that? It's by design! You can articulate every minute detail without conflict or the spectre of conflict by planning better and following through.
Don't want your dog on a leash all the time? Then train for the dog to be leash free.
If you expect that to happen in a day/week/month, don't be delusional. That stuff takes WORK.
The internet sensation ecollar trainer says 2 weeks? Let me know when your dog can do it WITHOUT THE COLLAR.
Can't assure that? Then your dog is technically not TRAINED.
He is collar conditioned.
We used to do a lot of 3 week leash and collar boot camps.
They teach the fundamentals of control ON A LEASH.
Move with the handler, move away from the handler, move towards the handler, stop moving. Sit and wait politely when greeting humans and at at doorways, retreat and remain at a specific location until released, and a few other skills.
Constant use of those commands in contextual ways will help the dog understand them and begin to practice these things without prompting.
Constant use creates muscle memory, coupled with the proper use of reinforcement.
Instead of getting angry about how your dog doesn't listen, think about whether you have practiced the behavior you are requesting at a rate of frequency your dog *should* understand.
Have you practiced each behavior with precision so that your dog develops understanding for your visual and tactile cues? Have you been refining your expectations for your own behavior in order to make it clearer for your dog to understand you? Have you required precise ex*****on of each command so that they are readily and easily reproduceable by your dog?
Dogs aren't mind readers, nor are they 'stubborn' or 'stupid'.
They are simply responding to the conditioning they have received, from the humans in their lives.
Learning how to communicate effectively isn't that hard, but it does require patience and a willingness to suspend what you think you know.
