Canine Common Sense: Things women who own dogs need to know. (Part 2)

Why does the professional canine community continue to support, promote and conduct group training classes and other questionable practices for training dogs?”

Answer: It might surprise readers to discover that no standard of professionalism or criteria for competency exists for dog trainers or behaviorists. There appears to be no limits to the incredulous claims some canine professionals can imply regarding their experience or expertise. Even those who have matriculated from a training school may still have to be viewed with suspicion. Far too many of them continue to use treats for training, which in my opinion is a form of bribery and counterintuitive to a mother dog's natural training methods. I am also dismayed at the increased use of questionable training devices such as prong and electrical collars, which can use pain as a stimulant for learning. This approach would never be used or advocated to expedite a child’s learning curve. Why must dogs suffer?

·         Always contact your local Better Business Bureau before engaging any professional canine service.

If something feels wrong or contrary to the ways you would normally interact with your dog during a canine obedience class, or in-home canine evaluation session, then it is wrong. It is relatively easy, for example, for an unscrupulous or incompetent canine trainer to convince a client that the family dog first needs behavioral work before beginning an obedience training program. (An ignorant or unaware consumer makes for a perfect cash cow.) The trainer might place a puppy or dog on its back, hold it down and expect the animal to remain motionless and compliant for several minutes. If the dog nips or scratches the evaluator while attempting to break away (Wouldn’t you?), it might be deemed potentially aggressive. $Ka-ching$.

            Many canine professionals, canine authors and television personalities are also likely to ignore another very significant detail. Most of them assume that men and women who own dogs have the same needs, objections, abilities and expectations and therefore can receive the same instructions for teaching their dogs’ obedience commands or implementing a behavior modification program.  Many women however have three to five natural characteristics that can cause a dog to display aggression or unruly behavior. Think the dog can’t detect a difference between the sexes? Think, again!

            The Department of Agriculture could rectify my concern — and those of the consumer, once they realize a problem exists — if the agency required all dog trainers and behaviorists to pass a state certification program which included a basic understanding of the following:

·         canine nutrition

·         animal physiology

·         rudimentary human & canine first aid

·         professional & business ethics

·         basic human psychology

·         universally recognized training curriculum

This is unlikely to happen because many self-proclaimed (but dubious) dog trainers and behaviorists, as well as large national pet store chains that offer training, services, continue to lobby against such a proposal. Adherence to the aforementioned criteria would be a time consuming and costly venture for many of them.

I require all potential clients to participate in a 90-minute, in-home canine evaluation program. This session provides me the opportunity to determine if the home environment is clean and safe for the dog before conducting a canine psychological profile. I also explain during this presentation how my training and behavior modification program are dependent on three important criteria:

            Scientific Evidence: If information can’t be backed up with substantial evidence, what is the point in giving it any credence? For example, have the claims made on specialty dog foods been verified by an independent research group? Ask your veterinarian for evidence to support their trust in the products they sell.

            Practicality: If the client is unable to execute a behavioral modification or training recommendation due to a physical impairment, an alternative solution must be found. I witnessed someone on crutches participating in a group training program with her dog, but the trainer appeared reluctant to offer any alternative methods to make the woman’s experience more comfortable. The trainer also failed during that time to explain how some dogs might be inclined to take advantage of an owner with disabilities because it might perceive the owner at times as weak, incapacitated or needing protection.

            Common sense: Isn’t it astounding how the mother dog has been negated by most of the canine training community despite the fact that she is the most influential factor in a puppy’s life and development? Conversely, the domesticated daddy dog, the

alpha dog everyone is supposed to admire and emulate, seldom bonds for life with its mate, or provide its offspring with food, protection or even instructions in basic survival skills. Talk about a deadbeat dad!

            During an in-home consultation, I also stress ownership responsibilities as well

as several canine behavioral guidelines to enable the client to begin creating a positive

human-canine partnership.

Canine Common Sense: Things women who own dogs need to know. (Part 1)

Despite the numerous books on dog training and behavior, the almost mushroom-like growth of national pet supply stores offering dog obedience training courses and the increased number of celebrity canine trainers on television, I continue to receive questions from women that reflect a lack of knowledge or naiveté regarding canine behavior.

“Will spaying or neutering my dog make it calm down?”

 Answer: No. A dog’s personality and temperament, two key components of a dog’s psychological profile, cannot be altered by a medical procedure.

“What steps do I need to take to gain control of my alpha dog?”

Answer: There is no such thing as an alpha dog because dogs are not wolves or pack animals they are scavengers. Out-of-control dogs, often misdiagnosed as alpha dogs, typically belong to owners who fail to establish house rules that provide a dog with behavioral boundaries. These same owners will sometimes deliberately or inadvertently allow the family dog to become a decision maker, opening the door for many unwanted, aberrant canine behaviors to foster and develop. This could potentially (and usually does) allow the dog to control its owner's behavior. 

“Can I use a squirt bottle or a can filled with pennies to control my dog’s jumping-up behavior?”

Answer: No. A human implement used as a disciplinary tool can trigger some dogs to attack or display fear when the object is later used for its intended purpose.

“If I give my dog human food, will this cause it to beg at the table?”

Answer: It is impossible for a well-trained, uninvited dog to beg at the table. But don’t refrain from occasionally giving a dog (away from the table) unprocessed human food (chicken, fish, beef, a few grains, vegetables and fruits). They have been eating what we’ve been eating for more than 8,000 years.

                                                           

“My husband dislikes having our dog sleep in the bedroom, but several national canine celebrity trainers promote the idea. What should I do?”

Answer: My concern with dogs sleeping in the bedroom will be addressed in future blogs: “What’s really happening in the Bedroom? For now, the main issue that needs to be addressed is how any canine professional can theoretically advocate such a position, and then offer behavioral modification advice when so many unknown factors such as the dog's home environment, temperament or health profile is unknown. 

Before venturing an opinion or recommendation, I believe it is imperative for any canine training professional to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Observe the dog in the home to determine if the environment is conducive for supporting its needs. To my knowledge, no in-home consultation service is offered at any national pet store facility, yet these same facilities will offer group training sessions and puppy socialization programs before ascertaining this vital information. Ultimately, consumer dollars decide the success or failure rate for businesses offering, in my opinion, less-than-stellar services.   

• Conduct a canine psychological profile to determine the dog’s temperament and personality. This information will aid the trainer to determine if the dog is mentally prepared to receive training instructions and predict the dog’s behavior when subjected to a familiar or alien environment.
• Recommend owner lifestyle changes for creating a positive human-canine bond. 

• Help the owner to establish house rules so the dog will receive consistent guidelines for acceptable canine behavior.

“My dog failed obedience class at a local pet store. Now what do I do?”

Answer: Your dog didn’t fail, nor did you. Group training classes are conducted with the implied assumption that all dogs are the same. This one-size-fits-all approach to training a dog negates several important facts. Dogs participating in a group training session will vary in breed affiliation. And, much like their owners will also vary in age, temperament, personality, physical and mental ability as well. This hodgepodge of characteristics and traits will undoubtedly cause unnecessary distractions or concerns. How could this possibly be considered by anyone as conducive to learning?