Mountain Life Positive Dog Training

27/03/2025

27/03/2025

Every day dogs are subjected to shock and prong collars under the guise of better control and more reliable behavior. The Price Of Pain exposes the behaviora...

27/03/2025

Balanced training can involve intimidation and rough handling, or it can incorporate physical and psychological terror. When some balanced trainers are asked which methods they use, they respond with, “I will do whatever it takes.” Balanced trainers punch, choke, shock, strangle, pin, slam, and flip dogs. Some do much worse.

Restraints such as choke, shock, and prong collars, muzzles, and crates render the fight-or-flight response nonexistent. Dogs are held captive, and if they attempt to defend themselves, they risk retaliation. The mentality of these trainers suggests that they delight in their victory in showing the dog who is boss. It takes a certain personality type to feel empowered by targeting individuals who are powerless. I assume it is the same exhilaration a faux hunter feels after killing a friendly or disabled exotic animal in a canned hunt.

Please share to all pet parents
“WHAT IS BALANCED TRAINING”
Warning: article contains news stories that may be disturbing.
https://poodlebrains.com/a-kick-in-the-ribs-maybe-a-good-boy

03/03/2025

How to teach your dog to resource guard - a blueprint

1. Don't puppy proof your house. Leave dog attractive objects like shoes, food wrappers, hair brushers, the laundry basket etc easily within your puppy's reach.

2. When puppy takes one of these objects, immediately shout no, quickly move into puppy's space and grab it out of their mouth. Don't do any training teaching them to drop or trade objects.

3. If pup starts running away from you when they have taken an object you don't want them to have, corner them, grab them and remove it. Remember to verbally scold them for all of it.

4. When puppy starts to growl, verbally chastise them, and still remove the object. Remember not to do any training teaching them to drop or trade. Ensure all your verbal "commands" are done with aggression and volume.

5. Be surprised when your dog starts guarding spaces such as beds, couch etc and shocked when they start trying to or actually biting you. This usually starts happening in as adolescence begins, around 4-5 months.

Bonus points for taking your dog's food bowl away while they are eating to show them you can, and for petting your dog, playing with their ears or feet, and sticking your hand in their food bowl while they're eating.

Double bonus points for everything you do to show the dog you're the boss and for completely disregarding any genetics.

Almost every dog we work with who shows aggressive behaviours around objects or spaces has been subjected to this or a version of this. So much of it comes from terrible historical advice people have been given.

Tomorrow, I'll break down how to prevent it.

If you're needing help with this, please get in touch, we can help.

19/02/2025

It really is that simple.

19/02/2025

PICTURES SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. WHAT DO YOU TRUST MORE: WHAT YOU HEAR SAID OR WHAT YOU SEE DONE?

Balanced trainers are notorious for insisting that their tools and techniques are not abusive. They present absurdities as facts: they insist that shock collars don’t shock; they tickle. They insist that prong collars don’t pinch; they replicate a mother’s loving bite, and claim that choke collars do not choke; they communicate.

A jab or punch to the throat is just a touch, while kicks to the ribs are mild corrections that don’t cause contusions or fractures. Some shamelessly refer to these tools and techniques as educators. They justify a dog’s yelps, cries, and attempts to hide while they are being punished as signs of a dog being stubborn, spoiled, or being a sissy.

Oh, the mental contortions that punitive trainers go through to keep alive the fabrications that benefit them. One would think it would become exhausting for them to keep pretending that what they do is ethical, pain-free, safe, and humane. Yet, time has shown us that this is not the case.

Please share with all pet parents
WHAT IS BALANCED TRAINING?
https://poodlebrains.com/a-kick-in-the-ribs-maybe-a-good-boy

13/11/2024

THE SCIENCE OF STRESS

This is a subject which all dog guardians should familiarise themselves with, because there will always be events that crop up which your dog may find stressful. It’s quite a heavy-duty topic with lots of science, but it is important to be aware of any early signs of stress in your dog so that you can minimise the effects and safeguard your dog’s physical and emotional well-being. This will also prevent a decline into chronic stress and help avoid any behavioural challenges from developing.

https://www.trailiepawsforthought.com/post/the-science-of-stress-part-one

In this blog I look at day to day stressors, whether stress is always a bad thing, the workings of the nervous system, and the Fight or Flight response.

Look out for part two where I examine body language, something which we should all be as fluent as possible in - it's always good to have a refresher!

©️ Trailie Paws For Thought
www.trailiepawsforthought.com

I'm very happy for all of my content to be shared, but please do not copy and paste (to avoid sharing from source), screenshot, or download any part of it. THANK YOU! 🐾 🐾

03/11/2024

"Life isn't "purely positive" so I can use a prong/shock collar to train my dog..."

This is a ridiculous trope which is often served up as some kind of gotcha. But it's not.

When we are growing up, life is hard. Many of don't need to imagine this because we've lived it but imagine going through life as a child or teenager and not being able to come home and finding safety or support from your parents abd siblings. Imagine doing a task at home and being worried about being berated or physically harmed by your parents. Would that be necessary for life?

Imagine going into a new place of work where your teammates/supervisor are hostile. Would that help you learn how to do your job? Would it make it easier or harder? Now you not only have to worry about the new skills your learning but you have to defend yourself and let people know you won't be treated that way (or dogs don't have that option under these conditions, if they communicate this, it will lead to more punishment).

You go into a new gym class and either (or both) the instructor and other participants are sneering and nasty. Would you go back? Our dogs don't have the option not to go back.

Let's flip that. A child goes home from a particularly hard day at school and are supported by their parents, who then equip them with the skills of how to deal with the hardship.

A new employee joins your team, are welcomed, and taught properly. Do you think they will give a better performance?

A martial arts class has a new student. The instructor starts at their level and partners them with someone who will meet that level and gently expand their comfort zone.

I could give loads more examples - school, college voluntary work, interactions with people in the street.

Yes, life is hard. We don't need those who are in the position to teach and support us pouring on more pressure when we are already struggling.

Our dogs are the same. Life for them in a human world is hard. They need us to teach them kindly, humanely and effectively and this can all be done by reward based training.

They don't need the added pressure of prong collars, choke chains, slip leads, grot/garotte collars, shock collars etc. It's hard enough for them as it is.

N.B. this page is not a place for anyone to promote, endorse, justify or excuse the use of so-called "balanced" training methods or tools. Take it elsewhere.

#

19/09/2024

... and why it shouldn't have been published

01/02/2024

In traditional dog training, punishment is often used to discourage undesirable behaviours. This can include physical corrections such as leash jerks, alpha rolls, or even the use of choke or prong collars. The aim is to establish the trainer's dominance and control over the dog.

Traditional training methods often focus on correcting or suppressing behaviours that are deemed undesirable, rather than teaching the dog alternative behaviours or reinforcing positive ones. The primary goal is obedience and compliance, rather than considering the emotional well-being or natural instincts of the dog.

Moreover, traditional training may not prioritise building a strong bond and trust between the dog and the trainer. Instead, it is more focused on establishing a hierarchical dominance structure, with the trainer at the top.

It is important to note that the views on traditional training are evolving, and there is a growing understanding and shift towards more ethical and humane training approaches that prioritise positive reinforcement and consider the dog's welfare as a whole.

Ethical dog training encompasses much more than teaching behaviour change. It involves understanding a dog's natural behaviours and instincts, and using cues to communicate effectively. This type of training places a strong emphasis on meeting the dog's needs, ensuring their emotional well-being is prioritised throughout the process.

Ethical dog training recognises that teaching new behaviour options is just one aspect of a broader approach to dog care. It takes into account the dog's overall well-being and fosters a positive and respectful relationship between trainer and dog. By understanding the dog's needs, ethical training aims to meet them through a combination of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and social interaction.

In ethical dog training, the trainer is aware that a dog's behaviour is often a result of their environment, genetics, and past experiences. Rather than attempting to suppress or control these behaviours, ethical training works with the dog's natural instincts and focuses on positively reinforcing desired behaviours. This ensures that the dog is not subjected to unnecessary stress or harm.

Overall, ethical dog training in the UK combines the use of cues to effectively communicate with the dog, along with a comprehensive understanding of the dog's needs. By considering the bigger picture of a dog's well-being, ethical training aims to create a harmonious and trusting relationship between trainer and dog.

If you're an ethical dog trainer, join NICE - we are your people. https://www.nicemembership.com/cpd-membership