Dog Behavior and Training

Impact of Dog Training Methods
**Adding to the complexity of two very different species living under the same roof are some varied opinions about how to train dogs. There are almost as many dog training styles as there are dogs,
but most progressive dog trainers today agree that positive, rewards based training works best and more so when solving problem behaviors.
A study published in the February 2004 issue of the British Journal of Animal Welfare found that: “rewards were more effective in eliciting desired behaviors from dogs….” The same study also found
that “…those owners who used punishment-based training had seen a variety of bad behaviors in their dogs including barking at/aggression towards people and other dogs, fearfulness, excitement, separation
anxiety, and inappropriate mounting.” The authors of the study also state that “The use of punishment-based training might create a state of anxiety or conflict in the dog that is later expressed as bad behavior.”

Dogs who were trained exclusively using positive, rewards based training were found to be significantly more “obedient” than those trained using punishment and force.

A more recent training trend, popularized on TV, recommends owners should exhibit more “leadership” towards their dogs. Leadership should be defined as the ability to guide, direct, or influence— and that is indeed the proper way to view an owner’s relationship with a dog. Unfortunately, some owners take being a leader to mean they should dominate and intimidate their dogs to enforce behaviors.

In my work experience with people and their dogs, I find the definition of leadership has become skewed and so twisted out of shape by people that a contortionist would be hard pressed to keep
up. These misshapen ideas leave many pet parents confused—and if they are confused, just think how the dogs must feel with so many conflicting messages, all in the name of training!

You may have heard from friends or family members about how to train your dog and how fast some methods “fix” the problems of the misbehaving, anxious, and impulsive dogs. However, fast, is not
necessarily a fix, nor does it institute an internal calmness within especially when many of those quick methods use punishment, intimidation, and fear to accomplish the results. Be wary of
quick fixes!

Positive training, on the other hand, does not mean you have to be indulgent. To help your dog understand and learn, you will need to teach and guide your dog until he is able to do the things
you want, and you will continue to teach him until he can do them reliably. Until that time, you should supervise and help your dog to make good decisions using methods of training that promote a
strong relationship of trust, not fear. This is not much different from raising well-rounded children.

However, even when people use proper and humane training techniques, many do not manage their dogs or “enforce” rules in a consistent fashion. For example, sometimes it is OK for the dog to
get on the bed, sometimes it’s not. For many dogs, what would be really useful is a book for dogs, titled, “The How to Live with Humans Manual” as we seem to be “malfunctioning” all the time, at least
from the dog’s perspective. It would be helpful if our dogs could turn to the chapter on “Things that REALLY Annoy Humans” to learn that we don’t like them to jump all over our guests, steal food off the
counter, or chew the kids’ shoes. Alternatively, maybe the dog could look up, “How to get humans to play ball, especially when they are busy in the bathroom,” which is every ball-crazy dog’s first priority.
Life would be so much easier for our dogs and us with such a book.

Since we don’t have that manual to share with our canine friends, it is important to keep in mind that humans and dogs are two very different species and that alone can put them at odds with one another.
This is frequently due to our differing forms of communication.

It is often tricky for humans to understand the “language” of canines and vice-versa and this can create anxiety for both species when no one is able to get their message across.

The good news is, as you read the following sections, you will be able to interpret your dog’s “language,” as well as communicate more clearly with your dog in a way he will understand. That, along with
the training exercises in Part Two of this book, will give you a better understanding about what makes Fido tick and you will intrinsically ease your dog’s day-to-day stressors and use this knowledge to help
your dog live a calmer life. This is the core foundation to good training and leadership.

**Excerpt from the upcoming book, Chill Out Fido, How to Calm your Dog
by Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT, KPA CTP, to be published by Dog Wise Publishing