At first I told him no, I didn’t do board/training work because at the time I felt owners were not following through, expecting the trainer to have reliably trained their dogs, with no commitment on their part necessary. Given the many options for using equipment, I still prefer using flat buckle collars, martingales, Gentle Leaders (if necessary), Easy Walks, and similar equipment. The problem I have with the arbitrary use of these other tools is most owners don’t have the skill to use them correctly and effectively, and many years ago one of our Doberman puppies, we had sold, hung himself on their chain link fence. However, unskilled handlers, trainers, and owners just as easily can be ineffective using a Gentle Leader, another reason why I believe dog owners need more help than ever.
Tag: boarding
Dominant dog or dog that just needs training?
This is a great example of an adult 3 year old M Vizsla correcting adolescent behavior from an 11 month old M Husky. When the two dogs first met, Bars tried mounting Hunter from the side a couple of times. Hunter corrected his behavior using the least amount of force. Bars continued to challenge Hunter, …
Continue reading Dominant dog or dog that just needs training?
The Problem with Cesar Millan, Dog Training and Dog Behavior
The problem with Cesar Millan’s methods are two fold, he ignores what dog’s are communicating (body language) and uses flooding as a preferred choice for behavior modification as opposed to “overcoming fears gradually…ensuring that the dog (or person) is comfortable at each level of the fear hierarchy before proceeding to the next” according to Burch and Bailey (1999). If anyone doesn’t understand the term flooding, used in respondent conditioning, I will explain using Burch and Bailey’s book How Dogs Learn. Flooding is a “sink or swim” method as opposed to what is commonly used systematic desensitization. When using flooding procedures, one (trainer or handler) presents the animal or human with the scary stimuli all at once. The theory behind the method holds that “high levels of anxiety and fear will be elicited quickly, and respondent extinction of fear will also occur quickly (Burch & Bailey, 1999).
Is the study of animal behavior being marginalized when used as a marketing tool?
I found a website yesterday, specializing in dog boarding. What alarmed me was they stated, "our camp counselors” are, “certified in dog behavior.” When I inquired, which I did, I was told they go through an in-house training program lasting a couple of weeks or less! The problem I see with using the designation “certified in dog behavior” is, it makes the study of animal behavior, appear to be no more than friendly dog advice obtained from anyone, while marginalizing the very individuals who can and are educated to help the most. This is a disservice to the dog owner and the industry.