The N tional Dog Training Academy Training Methods Old Versus New The N tional Dog Training Academy www.aadogtraining.co.uk e. sandra@aadogtraining.co.uk

Training Methods Old Methods New Methods Dominance theories – developed from studying wolves in captivity Alpha male role model: Ruling by aggression Putting your dog in it’s place Showing your dog who is boss New Methods Positive reward based training Training our dogs what we want them to do by rewarding good behaviour www.aadogtraining.co.uk e. sandra@aadogtraining.co.uk

Old Methods Revised Because: Discovered studying wolves in captivity did not give a true picture of the wolf family. Further study shows wolves do not rule by aggression – it would wipe the pack out! Studies discovered that wolves live in very similar family units to humans. We want to build positive relationships with our dogs not rule by fear. www.aadogtraining.co.uk e. sandra@aadogtraining.co.uk

The Debate Most dog trainers & dog behaviour professionals now subscribe to the new methods of training as established through the study of operant and classical conditioning research. However, how these modern ideas have been interpreted can cause variations in the beliefs and methods of dog training.

Roger Mugford’s Thoughts Roger Mugford says, “After all these (my) 30 years of practice and as many years of watching the spawning of the ‘love, cuddle and treat Taliban’, we have MORE dog bites, more complaints, rehomes and euthanasias of young healthy dogs than ever before.” He also goes on to say, “Payoffs without penalties produce spoilt and dangerous children........and dogs. Link to full article

What is wrong, what is right? So there are animal behaviour practitioners that believe the interpretation by some, of positive reward based training, has led to an increase in the number of out of control, or even worse, dangerous dogs. I personally have seen too many dogs who point blank refuse to do anything unless the handler has a treat in their hand. In my view this is not how positive reward based training should be interpreted. Positive reward based training does not mean there should be no consequences for the wrong behaviour. Without consequences dogs will learn nothing.

The ‘Dominance’ Debate One of the biggest debates is around the use of the word ‘dominance’ and what it actually means and how it is related to the training of our dogs. The following slides will give you several different perspectives on this.

People Still Frequently Use The Word ‘Dominance’ ‘Dominance is not a personality trait. Dominance is “primarily a descriptive term for relationships between pairs of individuals” and moreover “the use of the expression ‘dominant dog’ is meaningless, since “dominance” can apply only to a relationship between individuals. Bradshaw et al (2009) www.aadogtraining.co.uk e. sandra@aadogtraining.co.uk

The Human Leader ‘For humans to play a true ‘wolf Alpha’ role they would need to regurgitate food when puppy licked at their mouth.’ Nicole Wilde (2000) www.aadogtraining.co.uk e. sandra@aadogtraining.co.uk

Not all about punishment based training Sarah Muncke says, “An acceptance of the construct of dominance should never be regarded as synonymous with punishment based training. To suggest this is to denigrate the work of some of the most experienced and effective dog trainers in this country who can offer dogs of all backgrounds and temperaments the possibility of a happy, successful and safe life in a home and as part of a wider community. “ Link to full article

Interestingly they seem to agree? John Bradshaw talks about resource holding potential. The ‘top’ dog in any group or relationship is fluid. It’s all about how much value any particular thing has for a dog. How much of a fight is this worth to me? Bradshaw et al (2009)

And …… David Sands states, “I quickly stopped trying to guess which dog was top dog in those multi-dog households that I was visiting and learned that the status-quo often changed or was fluid.”

Conclusion Arguments & debates continue about how we should train dogs. But does it really? It seems likely that we all agree we should use kind, fair but firm methods of training. When we look at operant conditioning we will question ‘what actually is positive punishment?’ Can any-one truly say they NEVER use positive punishment in training a dog?

Do we have differing experiences As dog trainers, although we work with people who need to change their dogs behaviour, most of the behaviour issues we see will not be as severe or dangerous as the dog behaviours people such as Sands, Mugford & Muncke see and work with. Maybe this gives differing professions different views on what is acceptable and what is not? Frank and open discussion on this topic will be a theme throughout the practical training sessions.