08/07/2021
I’m always amazed at the energy, time, focus, vitriol, and “empathy” expended on undermining tools and training which could help so many dogs stay in their homes, live bigger lives, and often, simply continue to live.
Groups of so called “dog lovers” or “dog advocates”, rally together to demonize, propagandize, and in many cases terrorize those looking to actually help owners succeed with their dogs. Somehow missing the most obvious fact: that if owners can’t find a way to safely and happily live with their dogs, many will understandably choose not to keep them.
Of course, the commonly trotted out responses are: there’s a better way. All of this is unnecessary, and harmful. These methods are outdated and inhumane. Choose the modern, kind, science-based approaches available.
Here’s the thing. If the above were true, balanced training, and the tools included in the approach…would be non-existent. Everyone would obviously choose the fun, emotionally less demanding fantasy of the purely positive/force-free training approach. Myself included. The market would effectively render balanced training and the tools often associated with it, dead. There would be no demand, and that would be that. But instead, owners who refuse to give up after the fantasy fails them, continue to look for answers. And so the market for balanced training continues to grow.
Meanwhile, the opponents of it, the “protectors of dogs”, work overtime to vilify the trainers, the tools, the training…and even “inhumane” owners. But even with all that effort expended, the demand for better answers for the entire array of dogs and dog problems that exist—not just the cupcake dogs who are terribly easy to train and work with, and often CAN succeed to SOME level with PP/FF training—continues to grow.
So one has to ask two questions: 1) If the PP/FF approach works so miraculously, AND is low impact emotionally (comfortable/easy) for owners, why are balanced trainers in higher demand than ever? 2) Why would so called “Dog Advocates” be so strongly advocating for owners to not explore or become personally informed consumers about all the options available to them? The answers seem pretty obvious. First, there’s a problem with the PP/FF fantasy that folks are working hard for you to not realize, but are being realized. And two, the dog advocates aren’t actually advocating for dogs, or for you, they’re advocating for themselves and their own ideals/beliefs/emotions…the actual end result for the dogs and owners be damned.
