The Cooperative Canine, LLC

12/06/2024

More than ever, rescues need YOUR help. Can't donate? Please share.

10/29/2024

I would hate to live with someone who lived by these tenets. In fact, I would leave as soon as possible. How do you think our dogs feel? They can’t just pick up and leave. When we live with another species, we must be MORE compassionate and empathetic because we don’t speak their language.

I read this today. What's the problem with it?
1: It's not possible to punish behaviour that hasn't occurred.
2: It's not possible to train a behaviour for ALL circumstances.
3: It's not possible to have total control of another's behaviour.
4: it uses punishment from the outset, no matter how well the dog does.
That's a lot of punishment aimed at trying to achieve the impossible.

10/15/2024

TW: Picture of the damage a prong collar can do. Do you still want to tell me they don’t hurt?

09/16/2024

It is never ok to hurt dogs (or any animals) in the name of “training.” The welfare of the dog MUST come before the handler’s desire for obedience.

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 It’s clear that outdated dog training practices will no longer go unchallenged.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are facing scrutiny, and balanced trainers like Ivan Balabanov have been fully unmasked, revealing the harmful and outdated methods still being promoted under the guise of expertise.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Let this serve as a stark reminder to those in our field who continue to promote outdated methods and deny the overwhelming scientific consensus.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.

09/02/2024

There is ZERO reason to use aversives with dogs or any animals.

It's a good day to re-share this message. I think shock collars should be banned because of the risks to dogs, and I'm not the only one. Back in 2018, the European College of Veterinary Clinical Ethology published a review of the evidence on the use of shock collars in dog training. They looked at the research on shock collars, bark collars, and collars used with fencing, and concluded that they would like to see a Europe-wide ban on the sale and use of electronic collars. "There is no credible evidence to justify e-collar use and the use of spray collars or electronic fences for dogs. On the contrary, there are many reasons to never use these devices. Better training options exist, with proven efficacy and low risk." You can read a summary of the study on my blog, and that will also take you to the original paper if you'd like to read it: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2018/06/study-outlines-reasons-to-ban.html

09/01/2024

Arrrrrrrre you ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th? You've got time to get this t-shirt!

Rrr+ or the Plank on Men's T-Shirt – Even pirates support R+!

08/31/2024

06/28/2024

When you use punishment to stop a behavior, the only thing you teach your dog is that you're scary and unpredictable. You don't teach them *how* to behave. It can look like a quick fix to your problems, but it's really just a band-aid, letting the underlying wound fester and worsen.

If I do *insert punisher* he stops reacting!

I saw someone a number of months ago, not in a professional training capacity, who was absolutely adamant that a firm ‘no’ and a leash pop would stop his dog reacting to others. I stood and observed as he demonstrated for me his training. He told the dog to sit when another dog appeared and his dog turned his head away from the handler, ignoring the first cue. He then leash popped the dog with a firm ‘no’ and asked for a sit again. The dog again turned his head away and licked his lips, flashing the whites of his eyes but obeyed and sat. The handler was then very pleased and told his dog what a good boy he was, eliciting a soft tail wag. The handler informed me because he was confident that the dog was confident.

This got me thinking about how we view our dogs and how we often focus on obedience over emotional stability. In this particular dynamic, this handler valued obedience moreso than his dogs emotions in that moment. I’m not convinced the dog felt the same. I felt for the handler because he didn’t know better, and we can only do what we know. He went on his way and I saw him a few months later but more on that below.

Now I’m not a super fluffy trainer. I do interrupt behaviours I don’t like (and shock I even use the word no!) but I am a firm believer that punishment is not the solution to reactivity. ‘No’ does not change emotion and ALL behaviour is driven by emotion of some sort. Remember the last time you were crazy stressed and upset and someone told you ‘calm down!!!’ How did it make you feel? It probably did jack s**t.

Imagine you came to see me to deal with your fear of spiders. What I’m going to do is put you in a bathtub filled with spiders and every time you shout or kick or scream I’m going to give you a firm ‘no’ and hold you in place. Eventually you’ll likely stop screaming and kicking off, but have I dealt with your feelings about the spiders? Not likely.

‘But it’s not always fear!’ I hear the fanatics shout! Say you came to me because you’re addicted to chocolate. You just can’t stop! So every time you reach for the chocolate I tell you ‘no’ and hold you in place. You’ll probably stop reaching for the chocolate but when I’m not there, you’ll go right back to it!

Behaviour work can be tricky and you can get bogged down in the details, but put simply, good behaviour work is about working with the emotions of the animal in front of you (dog and human!). For long term changes to behaviour, avoid the quick fix that seems to elicit immediate response. Look at WHY it works too.

The leash pop dog I spoke about at the start? He didn’t react because the worry of his handler was greater than the worry of the other dogs. Six months down the line I spoke to that same handler who told me he had to rehome the dog as he had started becoming destructive in the home and his reactivity was worsening with other dogs and turning to reactivity to people too. The reality is that the lead pop and a ‘no’ had put a sticking plaster on the problem that had no long term viability in terms of behaviour modification and created a pent up ball of stress that had nowhere else to put that stress, and his couch and his neighbour got the brunt of it.

Now obviously this story is on the more extreme end of the scale, but I’m seeing more behavioural fallout from trainers that don’t understand body language or communication or basic behaviourism who have stopped a behaviour without considering the emotion that led to the behaviour to begin with.

Deal with the emotions first, then work on the obedience. Enforced obedience alone is never the fix.

06/27/2024

Introducing Aly Forsyth, our newest Team Member here at The Cooperative Canine, LLC! She is an Overnight Care Specialist for us and is super excited to work with YOUR furry friends in the Middle TN area. Aly has Pet CPR & First Aid Training and is working on her Fear-Free Pet Sitting Certification.

"Hi! I’m Aly! I have a passion for all animals & I love getting to know each pet I meet and making a new friend. I have experience with senior pet care, pets with disabilities, and administering medications for dogs and cats. I love and care for each pet as if they are my own. I want all parents to be able to enjoy their vacation while knowing their fur babies are taken care of at home!"

Whether you live in Nashville, TN or Portland, OR, we have a compassionate caregiver/trainer to meet your needs, so check out our mission and qualifications. Use the "Start a conversation" or "Ready to Book?" forms on our website.
www.TheCooperativeCanine.com