The different Dog Training Methods
Develops your Dog's " Hidden Intelligence " To eliminate bad behavior and Create the obedient, well-behaved pet of your dreams..
Traditional dog training methods
Traditional dog training methods are based on the old approach used by the military. Based on the theory of hierarchy and dominance which proposes a very punitive approach, these methods unfortunately do not take into account the sensitivity of each animal, the latest scientific discoveries and the needs of our dogs who are destined to be companions of life.
When the wars ended, the former soldiers responsible for dog training began to offer classes to the general public. Strangler necklace, electric and spades are the vestige of this outdated pedagogical formula.
However, it is not the army or even the people who used these techniques that are to blame, it is rather society that prioritized education based on repression.
The educational methods used to teach and rehabilitate humans have changed, and those for dogs too. The social sciences have allowed us to understand that prevention and education are much better tools than fear, submission and punishment.
The effectiveness of positive reinforcement education
There are two reasons why a dog behaves: because he will be rewarded if he obeys, or punished if he does not.
Learning without mistakes using friendly techniques is possible ... and much more effective! Time and time again, scientific research has demonstrated - in both animals and humans - exceptional returns on the use of positive and progressive learning methods.
The strengths of positive education *
- Minimizes the number of errors during learning
- Decreases the time spent learning a skill
- Reduces future mistakes because they have never been done
- Created less frustration, stress and aggression
- Does not extinguish certain behaviors that might be desirable
- Does not create a conditioned emotional reaction related to the punishment of any part of the behavior or task
- Do not create an emotional reaction associated with the punishment in relation to the coach or the training venue
You probably know positive psychology methods that state, with studies in mind, that focusing on our strengths pushes us more toward success and success than the other way around. Let us make the most of it, Pitou, who after all, asks only to learn and to be guided!
For a rich human-dog relationship where all flourish
Based on a modern and friendly approach to educating our animals, we enable them to reach and exploit the full potential they have to offer. Highly motivated by these respectful learning methods, the canine individual comes to always want to give us more: our presence becomes in itself a powerful bonus.
Approaches based on punishment, domination and intimidation only create unnecessary tensions that can lead to abandonment ... or euthanasia!
Hierarchy and Pack Principle in Wolves and Dogs
This theory, which has long been considered by all to be indisputable, is in fact very questionable!
Issued at the end of the sixties by David Mech with regard to the wolf Alpha would be wrong, its author himself would have refuted it!
Moreover the dogs come from several species of canines different (and more or less sociable!) Having rubbed the men over the last millennia. The wolves would not be by their only ancestors.
To continue, it is foolish to think that the actual behavior of an animal can be accurately defined by that of a neighboring species: do we have social interactions similar to those of bonobos or chimpanzees?
Hierarchy exists
It is contextual and situational: it is constantly evolving and depends on the environment, issues and individuals interacting. One dog will take over another according to his preferences and motivations. It must be understood, however, that all dogs have different preferences and limits, so that one individual may be "dominant" in one case and "submissive" in the other.
Alexandra HOROWITZ, Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, is a teacher and researcher in the Department of Animal Psychology at Barnard College in New York.
Here are some excerpts from his book "In the skin of a dog":
"Principles of training and scientific studies disagree. Many trainers base their relationship with dogs on an analogy with the wolf. Scientists know little about the wolf's natural behavior, and the little they know about it often contradicts the foundations of this analogy."
"The analogy with the organization of the pack keeps a great attraction for many, especially if the man is placed in the role of the dominant. "
"The concept of pack offers us a comfortable setting when we are hesitant about how to manage a canine presence. "
"In nature, packs are almost all related individuals: they are families, not groups of like-minded people competing for dominance. "
The punitive act or "how to shoot in the foot"
The human, blinded by the fallacious promise that being the "pack leader" of his dog will bring him respect and obedience, allows himself to use different forms of physical and psychological intimidation.
When the evidence that the theory of hierarchy is incoherent jumps in the face, it becomes difficult to justify the emotional and bodily abuse inflicted on our animals to be better obeyed.
The disadvantages related to this form of education:
- Higher risk of aggression since the dog's level of stress, needs and signals of appeasement are not respected
- Sequelae emotional sometimes irreversible (see a state of distress acquired )
- Man-dog relationship tense since based on confrontation
Why do dog trainers use punitive methods ?
Most coaches working with traditional educational methods are mostly uninformed:
- Some educators have been working in the canine world for many years, but have not updated the information, techniques and theories on which the courses are based.
- Training schools offering dog handler training (or canine educator) train new generations of "specialists" in canine behavior who then pass on this misinformation to their clients themselves.
HUMAN FACTORS LIMITING THE USE OF CURRENT TRAINING METHODS
It is very difficult to change habits, perceptions and mentalities ...
Cognitive dissonance: "When circumstances lead a person to act in disagreement with his beliefs, that person will experience a state of uncomfortable tension called dissonance, which will subsequently tend to be reduced, for example by a change in his beliefs in the meaning of the act. "**
For example :
- People who sell weapons often think that their product serves to protect (not attack, kill)
- Those who represent snuffbox companies advocate the free choice of each (while nicotine is an addiction)
- And, in the case of educators using aversive methods, the punishment will be used to "make themselves respected" and "to teach the dog to ..." (while the dog is actually learning to fear and his cognitive skills are greatly diminished) )
The use of "confirmation bias": When we have an opinion on a subject, we are tempted to consult publications, opinions or films in the direction of our ideas ... What has the unfortunate consequence of us blinded by relation to the divergent ideas of ours.
Explain the inexplicable: The use of beliefs to understand the world around us is universal. However, it is important to be able to rationalize when scientific data brings us more coherence and information.
In conclusion
More and more canine educators promote learning by motivation for efficiency and ethics. Far from being a simple fashion, this way of commitment to canine well-being is the result of years of scientific research.
Training your dog respectfully with pleasant methods is far from being a form of permissiveness: preventing unwanted behavior and training each of the behaviors we desire requires a great deal of rigor and consistency.
On your marks, ready ... reward!
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