Front Attach No Pull Harnesses, if you must...

Today I'd like to show a properly fitted front attach no pull harness and an improperly fitted front attach no pull harness.

I'd like to start by saying that I'm not a huge fan of these harnesses. They have their uses. I have concerns about how these harnesses impede the shoulders and gait, especially in young, growing dogs. Also, don't fall for the "positive only" hype. These harnesses ARE an aversive tool, just like the much maligned (but much safer) prong collar. An aversive tool makes doing the inappropriate behavior uncomfortable so the dog doesn't do it again. Front attach no pull harnesses put pressure on the shoulders and chest and make pulling uncomfortable. As a friend rightfully describes, they also threaten to pull your dog's feet out from under them because of how the leash is attached below their center of gravity. I have seen dogs dash to the end of the leash only to be flipped over in mid air after hitting the end of a leash attached to a front attach no pull harness. Make no mistake, these harnesses are far from the innocuous tool they are touted to be. They are actually quite aversive simply by wearing them, even without a leash attached. I've also seen quite a few dogs back right out of these harnesses and get loose. They have their uses with certain dogs and certain situations. I wish they weren't as prevalent as they are.

Here's an article with concerns highlighted by a veterinarian.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_7/features/the-no-pull-debate_20782-1.html

I also have to add that many pet store clerks have minimal to no training on the fitting and selection of training tools. Please be careful accepting their recommendations for training tools and their fitting.

A relatively properly adjusted front attach harness

The picture above is of a front attach harness that's relatively properly fitted. You can see the straight line created by the girth strap and the top strap. The chest strap is at about a 90 degree angle to the girth strap and sits across the breastbone. The top strap is also sitting over or just slightly behind the shoulders.

Improperly adjusted front attach harness

Above is an improperly adjusted front attach harness. The harness is upside down, as the black strap should be under the girth, not over the top. The harness being placed upside down means it will be impossible to fit and adjust properly. The top strap is also in front of the shoulders, rather than on or behind the shoulders. This will lead to limiting the range of motion of and pressure on the neck. The chest strap sits too low, potentially leading to an even worse trip hazard for the dog. There is no straight line formed by the girth and top straps. Fitted this way, the harness will cause undue pressure on the neck and shoulders, severely impeding the gait. This is how a pet store clerk advised a person I know to (improperly) fit the harness to their dog.

 

Now take a look at the demeanor and body language of my dog Malcolm in these pictures. He looks comfortable and relaxed in the top, properly fitted picture. His ears are up and his mouth is open and relaxed. In the second picture you can see how uncomfortable he is with how the harness is adjusted. His ears are back, his mouth is closed and his face tense, he's shifted his body weight funny and is a bit hunched. Imagine him trying to walk in the improperly adjusted harness...

ANY tool has pros and cons to it. Choosing which tool is most appropriate depends on the individual dog, handler, and situation. If you need help choosing a training tool, please contact me at fcdogtraining@gmail.com

Safety... I can't believe I even have to say some of this...

Lately I've been seeing a lot of things about dog training and dogs that are frustrating me. I think the biggest of those has to do with safety. I'm seeing stories of people getting bitten and injured and so many of them could have been prevented or minimized. My friends with service dogs are telling me stories of how people are interacting with their working service dogs in entitled and dangerous and stupid ways. So I'm going to write some things here that I personally think should just be common sense. Hopefully people will start understanding and incidents can be minimized and eliminated.

First, you absolutely DO NOT have to interact with strange dogs!!!!! Just because you see a dog DOES NOT mean you are entitled to interact with that dog. I hate to break it to you, but not all dogs like strangers and not all dogs like children and not all dogs like other dogs, period. And it doesn't matter if your dog is friendly or you like dogs or you're good with dogs. You saying these things after we tell you to leave our dogs alone is code to responsible owners that means the person saying them is going to ignore our requests for you to stay away and truly doesn't understand dogs. Before you interact with a dog you don't know, ASK!!! Ask if you can greet or pet a strange dog or if your dog can interact with them. Secondly and MOST importantly, RESPECT what that owner has to say. If the answer is no, there's likely a very good reason for it. The dog may be reactive, aggressive, sick, or even working (in the case of service dogs). You are NOT entitled to interact with another dog simply because you see it!!!

Second, and I never thought I'd have to say this, but DO NOT reach through, under, around, over, etc a barrier (fence, car, window, etc) to pet a dog, especially a strange dog!!!! Reaching into where a strange dog is at is an excellent way to get BIT!!!! I am continually stunned to hear stories of not only children but ADULTS reaching through or over fences, even reaching into cars to try to pet strange dogs. Quite simply, DON'T, ever!!!!

Third, if you love dogs, learn about dog body language and communication. I can't tell you how many times I've been told a dog is friendly when the dog is actively performing reactive/aggressive behavior (barking, growling, snarling, stressed/reactive body language). Dogs communicate through body language. It can be quite subtle, but often it's quite obvious once you know what to look for. Learn some basics of what happy, scared, and aggressive dogs look like. If you're unsure, ask an experienced dog trainer (like me)! Learn some of the common stress signals that dogs show when they are getting stressed or anxious about a situation. Learning this essential communication will help you more safely interact with dogs. If a dog is growling, snarling, snapping, biting, etc DO NOT interact with it!!!! A dog exhibiting those behaviors is beyond stressed and you stand a very good chance of getting hurt if you force an interaction. I can't even believe I have to tell people to not interact with growling, snarling, snapping, biting, etc dogs. It boggles my mind that people ignore such obvious signs of stress... If your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors (growling, snapping, snarling, barking, etc) please contact an experienced dog trainer without delay. These behaviors don't just get better on their own. Ignoring them can lead to serious consequences.

http://barkpost.com/dog-body-language-charts/

Fourth, as an add on to number 3, learn how to safely monitor interactions between dogs and children. Simply watching them isn't enough. You MUST learn about stress signals and dog body language so you can know what a dog is "saying" during these interactions. Many children are bitten by dogs they know. Sometimes it's a lack of appropriate and adequate supervision. Far too often, it is that the supervising adults don't know what signals to look for that indicate a dog is getting stressed. When in doubt, keep dogs and children separate. Better to be safe than sorry...

Fifth, STOP anthropomorphizing dogs!! What does that mean? It means putting human motivations and interpretations on dog behavior that are completely wrong and are not at all accurate interpretations of what the behavior actually means. Misinterpretation of behavior can lead to issues and even bites/injuries. This is also related to learning about dog body language and communication. Learn what dogs are REALLY trying to communicate.

Sixth, TRAIN your dogs!! Training your dog can help eliminate and prevent many problem behaviors and makes them safer and more enjoyable to live with. If you're unsure how best to train your dog, please contact an experienced dog trainer (like me).


If you'd like more information about any of these topics or other dog stuff, please contact me at fcdogtraining@gmail.com

Dominance and Pack Theory- Let's Not Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water

No, dogs are not wolves. Yes, strict adherence to dominance theory is outdated and not entirely accurate. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Dominance theory was based on the observation of wolf behavior. Advances in behavioral studies and new research has proven that dominance theory and observations done on CAPTIVE wolf populations do not reflect much of the true behavior of wild wolf populations. Wild wolf populations are usually based on small family groups of parents and offspring. Their behavior is quite often TOTALLY different from captive wolf populations and packs, which are often unrelated adults or young adults forced to live together. My assumption is and new studies are showing that this forcing together of unrelated adult wolves leads to very different behavior profiles developing that is found in wild wolves. Ritualized aggression and dominance behaviors develop in an effort to manage such a disparate group of individuals.

No, dogs aren't necessarily out to dominate us. Dogs are opportunistic and do what works. Observations of feral dogs and feral dog packs show they are unlike wolves and wild wolf packs. But that doesn't mean we have to throw the baby out with the bath water, behaviorally speaking. Dogs have evolved to live with us, but that doesn't completely squelch the instinctive canine behaviors. We routinely are "forcing" dogs to live in artificial packs with us and with other unrelated adult dogs. So why do we assume that there is NO relevance to the behavior seen in the artificially created wolf packs seen in captivity, just because their behavior is different than wild wolves? Are we not creating an artificial pack with our domestic dogs in many situations?

I'm not a believer in strict dominance theory. I don't believe every dog is out to dominate us, that that is their ultimate goal. But I do belive in the concepts of pack theory because I've seen it over and over. Competition for resources, living together in close proximity, etc all bring out pack behavior. So while I fully accept dogs are NOT wolves and captive wold behavior is very different from wild wolf behavior, I can see SOME similarities in captive wolf pack behavior and domestic dog "pack" behavior. I believe it is very important to consider this when working with and training dogs, especially in multi-dog homes and situations  (like dog parks, doggie daycare, etc).

Dog Nutrition and Cats are Different

I'll start off by saying that there's no one right way to feed our dogs. That's right, you heard me. I'll say it again, there's no one right way to feed our dogs. You'll find opinions on pet nutrition to vary widely. Some people can become quite militant that their way of feeding is the ONLY way to properly feed and if you don't feed that way then you're harming your dog. I call baloney on that. I've known many people using a wide variety of diets and methods to feed their pets and their pets were healthy and led long lives. Not everyone can afford $109 a bag for dog food or spend hours at a time making homemade food. I know I sure can't. People don't need to feel bad if they're feeding the best they can afford. There are better and worse choices within every budget level. We need to find what works best for our individual dogs, our individual needs, AND what we can afford. I can recommend the highest quality all raw homemade dog food to my clients. But if they can't afford it, or it makes their dog sick, or they are physically unable to keep up with making it, it does nobody any good. I know for me, with my disability, I simply don't have the energy to prepare a homemade diet. I can barely prepare meals for myself and some days I can't even do that. So I do a good quality dry with frozen raw and my dogs do well on that. Each situation is unique and we all do the best we can.

Here are some general recommendations I make for choosing a dog food:

• Try to avoid foods with corn, wheat, soy, BHT, BHA, ethoxyquin, sugar, artificial colors and flavors, calcium propionate (a preservative)
• Try to avoid foods with unnamed meats and meat meals, and fats (like meat by-products, meat and bone meal, animal fat, etc). When the meat is unnamed, it can be anything, including euthanized pets. This is a fact, not hype.
• Try to avoid foods where the primary protein source is by-products or by-product meals. These are not as high quality of protein sources. But don't panic if your pet food has those in them as long as they are named meat sources (chicken by-products, beef by-product meal, etc)
• Named meat meals are a perfectly adequate protein source. Chicken meal, for example, is chicken that has been cooked down and had the water removed. It is a concentrated source of protein. Named meat meals may actually mean there's more protein in the food as the water has already been removed, so it isn't lost during the processing. Water lost during the processing means there's actually somewhat less of the protein in the food.
• Try to find foods with named animal protein sources (like chicken, lamb meal, etc) in the first five ingredients
• Be aware of ingredient splitting. The first five or so ingredients is what the food will be primarily composed of. For example, if the first five ingredients contain ground corn, corn gluten meal, meat by-product meal, corn middlings, animal fat, then you know the food is primarily corn. 
• Be aware that some carbohydrates can boost the protein levels and percentage, but these may not be as good for your dog as animal proteins. Some examples include peas, chickpeas, lentils, etc. There's nothing wrong with having these in the dog food. Just consider what's in the first five ingredients.
• Avoid switching foods too often. Switching foods too often can contribute to digestive upset and creating a picky dog. It may be beneficial to switch protein sources or brands a few times a year to obtain a more balanced and complete diet.

So what can you do? Research. Learn about pet food labels and how to interpret them. Read and compare pet food labels. And buy the highest quality food that you can afford and that your dog does well on. If your dog is having chronic ear infections, hot spots, skin infections, chronic intermittent vomiting and/or diarrhea, gas, then diet may be a cause. Have your pet seen by a veterinarian to rule out medical causes. But understand that most vets don't have very much education when it comes to nutrition. Vets get one class on nutrition in veterinary school and it's sponsored by the big pet food companies like Hills, Waltham, etc. Bit of a conflict of interest there if you ask me. And before you put your pet on an expensive prescription diet from the vet, read up on the ingredients of those high-priced diets. Holistic veterinarians are an excellent resource for a more complete perspective on nutrition and diet.

Also, while a raw diet may be excellent, if not balanced properly it can be hazardous to your pet's health. Balance is important as well as considerations for the reality of bacterial concerns with feeding raw meat. Raw diets aren't as difficult as some people make them out to be. However, there are things that are essential to a raw diet in order for it to be balanced. One of the most important components of a raw diet is calcium. Meat is high in phosphorus and must be balanced by a calcium source. If you want to explore raw diets there are a wide variety of sources for information available. Do your research, consult with a canine nutritionist or holistic veterinarian, and be careful what recipes you follow. You don't want to necessarily follow "Bob's raw food recipe" found at random on the web without having a basic understanding of balanced raw food feeding concepts. Also, some people foods are highly toxic to dogs, so be aware.

Contrary to what you may hear from militant raw feeders, not all dogs tolerate raw. I've known quite a few dogs who got very sick on raw, even when their owners did everything correctly. My own dog lost his tolerance of raw as he got older. Meals with raw made him vomit and it got progressively worse. Took out the raw and substituted high quality canned and no more vomiting. So raw feeding isn't necessarily the magical cure for everything as some tout it to be. Also, a common misconception is that you will harm your dog if you feed kibble and raw at the same meal. This has not proven to be true. Also, my own dogs would vomit if I fed raw one meal, kibble at another. Feeding them together at the same meal eliminated the vomiting and they do very well.

http://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/

There's a lot of information out there about dog nutrition and feeding. Some of it is great, some of it is junk. I'll include some resources below for those who would like to learn more.

Some of you may ask, "Well, what do you feed your dogs?" I feed a combination of high quality, all natural dry and a commercially available balanced ground frozen raw product (fed thawed and gently heated, but not cooked). I occasionally add in ground flax seed, coconut oil, fish oil, and canned pumpkin. This works very well for my dogs. Their poops are small and firm, their coats are nice and shiny with no itchies, their breath is good and their teeth look fine, eyes and ears are clean and healthy. That's what works best for me, my dogs, my budget, and my energy levels.

Also, on a very personal note, my PERSONAL opinion is that I will not feed my dogs whole raw bones. I have heard over and over how raw bones are safer than cooked and don't cause problems. But I personally have seen dogs with intestinal perforations and broken teeth from RAW bones. I will not feed my dogs raw bone unless it is ground to a very small size (like rice grain sized or smaller). That is a choice I make that goes very much against the generally accepted views of raw feeding. Please NEVER feed your dogs or cats cooked bones!!

*VERY IMPORTANT!!! Cats are different!! Their nutritional needs as obligate carnivores are specialized. I think the most important thing to know is that dry food is NOT optimal for cats. A diet of only dry food can contribute to serious and even life threatening health problems for cats including diabetes, kidney failure, and urinary and bladder issues including urinary blockage (a life threatening medical EMERGENCY). Cats NEED a moist animal protein diet with minimal to no carbohydrates in the form of canned, raw, and/or homemade. Please see the following links for more information:

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.yourdiabeticcat.com/diet.html

http://www.catnutrition.org/

There's so much more I could say about pet nutrition, but it can't all fit in one post. Please join me in the future for more information on pet nutrition. If you'd like additional help in learning about pet food nutrition, labels, and choosing a pet food, please contact me a fcdogtraining@gmail.com. Please consult with a veterinarian before making any changes to your pet's diet, especially if your pet is showing any signs of illness or health issues.



http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/helpful-dog-food-articles/
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/holistic-healthcare-library/food-diet---general/147/top-10-myths-about-pet-food-and-nutrition.aspx


*Disclaimer-The information in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. This information does NOT constitute or replace veterinary advice.  Please consult with a qualified nutritional and/or veterinary professional prior to acting on or relying on any of the content. Author assumes NO liability.

Trying out the new dog puzzle toys

Last night I decided to try out the new dog puzzle toys I got on sale from Petco.

They were all on sale for under $10 each, so I decided to give them a try. The purple one and blue one were labelled for small dogs, but I figured either of my dogs could try them out even though Penny is medium sized and Malcolm is large.

The dogs figured them out pretty quickly, as in under a couple of minutes. But it gave them something a little different to do. These are definitely best with supervision only. The plastic they are made of isn't very durable. The little cup covers that the dogs move on the purple and blue games are quite thin and could very easily be chewed up. Even a good solid chomp would likely damage them. So if you have destructos or chompers best to stay away from these for safety's sake.

I used a stronger smelling training treat to put in these at first to encourage my dogs, but you could easily use dry kibble if you wanted to. The green star game rotates and you can adjust how difficult or easy it is to rotate by a knob on the bottom.

In the end, I definitely wouldn't pay full price for them or any of the puzzle games I've seen. They're just too easy and most dogs figure them out very quickly. But they are good to give a dog something a little different to do from time to time. I would definitely use these with supervision only and put them away when the session is over.

One added bonus I found for my dogs is the little cup covers make for a great retrieves training session once the puzzle is empty. They were scattered all over the place so I used the opportunity to work on my dogs' retrieving skills by asking them to pick them up and hand them to me so I didn't have to bend over to pick them up (bending over would aggravate my health condition). Malcolm, my German Shepherd mobility service dog, has a lot more practice and training for retrieves than Penny, my cattle dog/basenji in home medical alert service dog. Malcolm even helped by picking up the games' bases and bringing them to me.  :-)

Last night though, Penny did her first ever distance directed retrieve. Penny was being very enthusiastic and tried to toss me one of the cups she'd picked up. It bounced about 5 feet away from the chair where I was sitting. I pointed towards it and told her to "get it" and with some encouragement she went and got it, brought it back, and mostly got it into my hand. :-)  I had to grab for it a little, but she got a treat party anyway. Her first ever send away retrieve and she did so well!! I'm so proud of my girl...

Both the dogs enjoyed their sessions with the puzzle games, though they didn't last very long. They seemed a bit disappointed when I put them away. I'll bring them back out on another day.


If you'd like suggestions for toys and games to help give your dog something more to do, please contact me at fcdogtraining@gmail.com

Some thoughts on training your own service dog, or owner-training

Here in the USA, disabled people are allowed to train their own service dog to assist them with their disability. However, just because you CAN do something doesn't necessarily mean that you SHOULD. Utilizing a service dog is becoming very popular. However it is not necessarily the best way to mitigate every disability.

It is my personal belief that if you have not trained multiple dogs through basic to advanced obedience and if you don't have the knowledge to deal with basic problem behaviors and potty training, then you don't belong training your own service dog, especially not training your own service dog without the assistance of a qualified professional dog trainer. That trainer doesn't have to necessarily be experienced in service dog training, but that is a huge bonus. You should also be able to afford the minimum necessities of housing, feeding, vet care, emergency vet care, gear, training classes, etc. without having to fundraise for those basic necessities. If you can't afford even those basic things, then you really likely can't afford a dog period.

I am a professional pet dog trainer with years of experience training dogs for myself and my clients. I am also disabled and have now successfully trained my second (and third) disability assistance service dog(s) for myself. Owner training your own service dog is NOT simple or easy or even necessarily inexpensive. It takes time, energy, and most importantly knowledge of dogs and dog training. Those of us who train our own service dogs to high standards spend hundreds if not thousands of hours training our dogs in their obedience, disability related tasks, and public access skills (which means training in coping with the vast stresses and new experiences of working out in public places), which can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years depending on the age of the dog. This is not easy and is not something to be undertaken lightly.
                http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-training-standards-for-public-access.html

Before I began training my first service dog I spent months researching about service dogs, speaking with service dog handlers and trainers, joined a yahoo group for service dog owner trainers. Even with all my experience I still felt slightly overwhelmed at the prospect of training a dog to assist me and be able to function well and assist me out in public. I did extensive online research about training and recommended minimum training standards, public access tests to help determine if a dog is prepared for working out in public, service dog laws, service dog etiquette, etc. Now I know everyone isn't as detail oriented as I am. But it seems that nowadays everyone is deciding on a whim to just go out and get a dog to train as their own service dog, often with very negative results. Every time a dog is labeled a service dog and misbehaves out in public it gives the public a bad representation of service dogs. This makes things much more difficult for service dog handlers that have put in the time and effort to train their service dogs to a high standard.

In order to be able to be accompanied by a service dog, the handler must be legally considered disabled, which means having substantial impairment to one or more life functions, including but not limited to caring for oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, thinking, working, eating, sleeping, etc. No disability, no service dog.

And because I HAVE to say it, the ADA law defines a service dog as a dog TRAINED to perform tasks or work that mitigates the handler's disability. Emotional support and comfort by the mere presence of the dog is NOT considered task trained and such dogs are not legally considered service dogs and their handlers do NOT have the right to have them in places where dogs aren't generally permitted. The law states a service dog must be housebroken, under the control of the handler, and not present a health or safety risk to the general public (generally interpreted as not being excessively dirty and not behaving aggressively or dangerously).
               http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Also, there is NO legally recognized or required certification, registration, and/or identification of service dogs in the USA. Places of public accommodation are NOT allowed to ask for or require any form of documentation for a service dog or require specific types of gear for the service dog to wear. When it is not readily apparent if a dog is a service dog, a place of public accommodation may legally ask two questions. Is this a dog required because of a disability? What tasks or work is the service dog trained to perform. No other questions or inquiries into the handler's disability or demonstration of tasks may be asked for or required.

Also, VERY importantly, a place of public accommodation has the LEGAL right to ask for a service dog to be REMOVED if the service dog is out of control and the handler does not take action to effectively regain control, if the dog is not housebroken (as in goes potty in a business), and/or behaves dangerously/aggressively or is excessively dirty. So just because you say your dog is a service dog DOES NOT give you carte blanche access.

Choosing a suitable dog for a service dog prospect can be quite difficult. Not every dog is suited to being a service dog. Service dogs must have extremely stable temperaments and be absolutely structurally sound. It's not as simple as "get yourself over to the shelter and rescue a dog." Great service dogs CAN come from shelters and rescues. I know, my first service dog was from a shelter. But choosing a prospect takes time and proper temperament and structural evaluation. When I was looking for my second service dog prospect, after my first service dog retired due to arthritis, I looked in shelters and rescues in SIX states for nearly a YEAR and never even saw a dog I thought I should go and evaluate. I ended up getting an amazing young adult male dog from a breeder I've known for over 20 years now. So the process of even finding an appropriate service dog prospect can take a long time and should not be rushed.

And as for choosing the breed of your prospective service dog, especially for a first time service dog trainer and handler, there's a reason the big programs use Labradors and Golden Retrievers. While you may want a special breed, if you don't have extensive experience with a specific breed, do yourself a favor and choose a breed known for success in service dog work, like a Lab or a Golden. While I know Labs and Goldens don't work for everyone, choosing breeds not normally known for success with service dog work is starting from behind in many cases. And while just about any breed MAY be able to do service dog work, it doesn't necessarily mean that they SHOULD or that most individuals of that breed should or can do the work. You also need to consider breed specific issues regarding housing, BSL (right or wrong, it exists), public perception, etc.

And a service dog may or may not be the most appropriate way for you to mitigate your disability. Being accompanied by a service dog is a lot like having to take a toddler everywhere. You have to watch out for them, make sure their needs are met, make sure they stay safe, etc. Service dogs attract a LOT of attention from the general public. People interrupt you, ask invasive personal questions, distract your service dog while they are working, interfere with your service dog while they are working by petting, blocking, sending their children over to pet, allowing their children to pet, yell at, hit, or even jump on your service dog, etc. Some businesses will try to deny you access because of your service dog. All of these things you have to be prepared for and be able to cope with while being assisted by your service dog. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad, but it can be depending on the location and the day. So you have to determine if the assistance you gain from a service dog outweighs the additional energy spent and stress of being assisted by a service dog. Is your disability such that you can handle the unwanted attention?

I personally wouldn't trade my service dog for anything other than being healthy and not needing them anymore. Being assisted by a service dog can be an incredible experience and partnership. But it is not something to be taken lightly and not something to undertake yourself without doing your research and being assisted by an experienced trainer.



If you'd like more information on service dogs and/or the service dog training process, please contact me at fcdogtraining@gmail.com

http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-training-standards-for-public-access.html

Balanced trainer introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Renee and I'm a balanced dog trainer...

Sheepishly waves to a chorus of "Hi Renee!"

And what is a "balanced dog trainer" you ask? In technical terms, this means a trainer who uses all four quadrants of operant conditioning (often termed "scientific training") as well as classical conditioning and counter-conditioning along with other behavior modification techniques.

What does that mean to the average person? A balanced dog trainer is a trainer who uses a wide variety of tools and techniques (within reason, of course) that they vary according to the individual situation and needs of different dogs and owners. This includes the use of punishment (as defined by operant conditioning)/corrections.

I joke that if you ask 10 dog trainers about training tools and techniques you'll get 11 different answers. Everyone has an opinion when it comes to how best to train a dog. Unfortunately, the latest trend in dog training is the positive-only movement. The positive-only movement has commandeered the dog training world, which has become embroiled in its politics. People who use tools and techniques outside the realm of what is considered to be "positive-only" are demonized, made out to be poor trainers at best, abusers at worst. Having experienced this demonization first hand, I feel it's important to show an alternative perspective on what balanced training really is, that balanced trainers are NOT abusive, as well as the serious limitations of "positive-only" training.

Dog training used to be pretty darn harsh. It was done with a lot of physical force, harsh corrections, alpha rolls, minimal rewards, etc. In response to this, dog training has swung to the polar opposite end of the spectrum, with positive-only, where at its strictest, you can't even tell the dog "No" as that's punishment. According to militant positive-only adherents, punishment will destroy a dog emotionally and will irreparably harm the relationship with the owner. Of course there are varying levels of application of "positive-only" methodology along with varying levels of devotion, sometimes bordering on cult-like fanaticism. Woe unto those who use methods that are considered outside the realm of "positive-only!"

I think it is a very important improvement in dog training that we've swung away from harsh methods. However I have seen serious limitations with the swing to the other end of the spectrum in  "positive-only" training, much to the detriment of the dogs and owners involved. I believe that intentionally limiting the tools and techniques that are acceptable to be used in dog training (again, within reason, some techniques and tools will always be abusive), as positive-only training does, unnecessarily limits the dogs that can be helped. I prefer to keep a wide variety of tools and techniques in my toolbox, so that I may be able to help in a wide variety of situations. Limiting the tools and techniques used is like only keeping a hammer in your toolbox. Sure, a hammer can be used in a lot of different situations. But it just can't do the job that a screwdriver can do. You need to have the screwdriver in your toolbox too AND know how to use it. I feel the same about positive-only dog training, which is the hammer. It can't be the only tool in your toolbox. I believe a solution is to be found somewhere in the middle, a balanced application of a variety of tools and techniques.

The following article does a good job of outlining the issue, so I don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel.

http://karmaperformance.weebly.com/when-did-balance-become-a-dirty-word.html


I am a FIRM believer in positive reinforcement training. This is where you teach the dog a behavior and then reward the dog for doing the behavior correctly with something they find rewarding (like food/treats, playing with a toy, physical affection, etc). I believe that it is very important to use positive reinforcement in TEACHING a dog what behaviors we want them to do. But I'm also a believer in balance. In every dog's training there comes a point where there must be consequences for failing to comply with our requests, once they've been taught what it is we're asking. Those consequences can vary according to the situation, from ignoring the dog doing attention seeking inappropriate behaviors, a verbal correction, a leash correction, giving the dog a time out, etc.

In all my years working with MANY different dog breeds and individuals, I have yet to find one method that consistently works for ALL dogs in all situations with all owners. People have different learning styles, so why should we assume dogs are any different? No one style of teaching or learning works best for every person and I believe the same applies to dogs as well. Different dogs and dog breeds have different temperaments and thus need different training styles and tools. Different owners vary in their abilities to train and apply different methods. If something isn't working, I believe it's important to have a variety of techniques and tools to use so both the dog and owner can succeed.


This blog will be my balanced perspective on a variety of dog related topics including training, care, nutrition, etc.