Articles

Discussing various books and opinions as a guide for all dog owners

By Karin Landsberg (DipCABT (NOCN UK), CAPBT Practitioner, CertCAB)

The field of Behaviour is an interesting one, with never a dull moment.  Different opinions between trainers, behaviourists and other professionals can often make it hard for pet owners to choose which belief system they should subscribe to when it comes to what’s best for their pets.  There are so many conflicting opinions out there.  So to help our pet owners make educated decisions about which methods they choose to employ, we’re going to put as much information about modern pet behaviour and training out there as we can.  When we say modern, we don’t mean a new idea that is held by a handful of young upstarts – no, we mean modern scientifically proven facts about canine behaviour, researched by the leaders in the industry who are recognised across the world as ‘the people who know what they’re talking about’ – both practically and academically, applied daily by countless professionals and understood to be the most accurate and humane method of changing any problem behaviour in our companion animals.   

This modern viewpoint encapsulates the understanding that dogs are not wolves, that they are emotionally capable of far more than just being either dominant or submissive, and it questions and confronts the reality that pack theory is a far too simplistic way to try and suppress behaviour.  It embraces their individuality and takes into consideration the fact that owners and their pets are unique, not just some pre-cast stereotypical alpha and beta characters constantly vying for a position of power.  It also doesn’t follow the old adage that “there are no problem pets, only problem people” – an outlook that places such reserve on owners to even acknowledge they may have a problem, in case they are immediately labelled as poor owners who caused issues in their pets which causes so many pet owners to rather either live with the problem in silence, or if the problem is serious may relinquish their dogs to shelters in the hope of the dog finding a more suitable home where the problem may not appear.

Behaviour problems are often the result of miscommunication, misunderstanding and inappropriate feedback. It doesn’t mean owners are always to blame – if you don’t know better, how can you be held responsible?  However, ‘finding out’ can be a tremendous task on its own.  Which normal pet owner has time today to read through volumes of material and then ponder the implications and repercussions of what is advocated? 

I’m not going to lie to you – there are some extreme disagreements on what a dog is, how a dog should behave, what a dog is capable of, what the owners should do, and who knows what.  It’s easy to get bogged down in the details and get stuck in endless arguments about who is right. 
That’s not what this is about – the underlying question, in fact, the ONLY question, is: which methods do you use to change what’s happening?  There at least, we seem to have mostly two methods being subscribed to.  Positive reinforcement training, or punishment/aversive training.  Do you want to use motivation to change what your dog is doing which will result in a stronger bond with a more willing and cooperative dog who isn’t scared of you? Bearing in mind that when using these methods it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake because you won’t do harm and you can try again, or do you want to use punishment and aversive methods which has a severe impact on your dog’s emotional state, his ability to learn and his relationship with you. Not to mention that using punishment and aversive techniques can do a lot of physical and emotional damage if you make a mistake – either you can hurt your dog, or you can get hurt if your dog acts in self defence against what is perceived as a hazard..

There are pros and cons to each technique, which is not surprising.  But before you decide on which method you choose to employ, be certain of both positives and negatives and make sure you understand what you’re doing.

Motivational methods

The biggest pro here is that anyone can do it without doing damage while training or doing behaviour modification with their dog, regardless of level of experience.  If you make a mistake, or your timing is off, you can always fix it and shape it into the desired behaviour, without making your dog scared of you or doing any physical damage.  It doesn’t mean you have to let your dog run amok and ignore you and basically do whatever he wants – far from it! It just means that you put boundaries in place about his behaviour and you enforce those boundaries without the use of physical punishment or argument.  You give feedback on what you like and when the dog does something you don’t want, you correct him by providing a consequence he doesn’t like, for instance a time-out. It means you don’t grab him, choke him until he turns blue, you don’t pin him to the ground until he loses control of his bladder or scare him so badly that he has to resort to biting you to keep you away from him.

The downside of the motivational methods is that it takes time.  There is no instant cure, no immediate effect that looks glamorous and it requires patience.  It does, however, mean that you can create an environment that is conducive to your dog learning something and that the learning lasts a lot longer than when you use aversive methods.

Aversive methods

The biggest draw-card for owners about aversive behaviour modification and training is that it appears to produce instant results.  Which, to a certain extent, it does – if you punish or frighten any dog badly enough, he will do one of two things – he’ll either suppress his behaviour (temporarily) or he’ll engage a hazard avoidance strategy (fight/aggression).  The problem with suppressing behaviour is that it is often like putting a pressure cooker on the stove and leaving that pressure to build and build – at some point it’s going to explode and then you have soup all over the ceiling.  Using aversive methods means applying pressure, constantly.  The catch of course is that you have to keep increasing the pressure, since the dog will habituate to the level that’s being used.
It causes great stress and stress inhibits learning. It means that while it may yield ‘instant wow results’, it’s only going to work until something gives. That something is either the owners or the dog. And when it does, you end up with an even bigger problem.

Are there dogs whose behaviour can be altered by the use of physical punishment? Well, yes.  The question is, is it humane and what is it doing to the dog?  Using aversive methods can be dangerous. It’s all good and fine for an experienced person to come in and ‘dominate’ your dog, but can YOU do it, just as well? It’s easy to come into someone’s house and be horrible to their dog. The dog will respond to that –he has no history or relationship with this new person and will try to escape or avoid this hazard. He doesn’t know what this person will do, so it’s easier for him to learn new responses that will stop the threat.  He has a relationship with you. He knows how you respond; he knows what you do when he growls at you.  This means he’ll behave differently with you when you try to do it.  And the results will be different.

Behaviour modification can be done using only motivation. It is remarkably effective for just about everything, including aggression and rehabilitation of difficult or dangerous dogs, as proven by Best Friends in America. This organisation focuses on rehabilitating pit bulls used for fighting. They are successful without being unpleasant with the dogs – there is just no need for it plus the risk of getting badly hurt while trying to physically force a pit bull to comply is too high.  Consider this. There’s a reason marine parks use motivational training when training large marine mammals… you can’t put a choke chain on a killer whale or a dolphin and MAKE it do anything.  So why should we use choke chains on dogs just because they’re smaller? It’s unnecessary and nothing but bullying.

So, back to the different behaviourists and experts and their stance on behaviour modification.  As I mentioned, there are countless professionals who are leaders in the field internationally who are very outspoken against old fashioned pack theory implementation when addressing behaviour and training problems. The list is quite long and actually quite impressive.

 It includes people like Jean Donaldson, James O’Heare, Professor Raymond Coppinger, Professor Peter Neville, Barry Eaton, Karen Pryor, James Serpell, Dr Ian Dunbar, and associations the world over, including COAPE (Centre Of applied Pet  Ethology), the CAPBT (COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers), the American Humane Association (AHA), the Association of Pet Behaviour Councellors (APBC), the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB,) the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior… the list is endless. These people all speak out against the use of out-dated pack theory in behaviour modification. They (as do many others in the world) believe that you don’t have to dominate or abuse your dog into submission. You can use positive, modern methods that won’t damage you and your dog’s relationship.

The information is out there. The books that should be on every dog owner’s shelf include:

*Karen Pryor: Don’t shoot the dog.

* Jean Donaldson: The Culture clash.

* Barry Eaton: Dominance, fact or Fiction.

* Professor Coppinger: Dogs: a startling new understanding of Canine Origin and Behaviour.

*Burch and Bailey: How dogs learn.

Over the next few months we’ll do reviews on various books out there.  We believe in education as a way to prevent problems, and we also hold true the belief that it is every professional’s responsibility to their clients to continue their education on an on-going basis, instead of blindly subscribing to what is being put in front of them.  The information is available; all it takes is a bit of time to read it and an open mind. Keep an eye on our website for more!

We often get asked “what constitutes a GOOD puppy school?” by our students and clients.  Those questions prompted this article, to make this information available to everyone out there who is thinking about getting a puppy.

At ThinkingPets, we aim to educate South Africa (and indeed the world) about positive training techniques. If more people are aware of the different types of training out there, and the benefits and drawbacks of each type, they will be able to choose a puppy school with confidence. Puppies that go to a good puppy school right from the start have a better chance of growing up to be well-balanced, confident adults. This will mean that these same puppies will have a much better chance of staying in one home, with their original owner, instead of being labelled as a “problem dog” and passed around from shelter to owner and back. To this end, we have put together a list of factors you need to take into account when going to a puppy school.

When you first make contact:

•   Does the trainer explain what methods they use up front?

It is important that you know whether or not the trainer allows physical punishment and/or choke chains in class. Choke chains can damage your dog’s neck, so be very careful! To give you an idea of how sensitive a neck is, just take your finger and press it length-wise, lightly against the middle of your throat. It is extremely uncomfortable, even with such light pressure. Now imagine someone jerking your neck with a metal chain. We recommend that you use a harness for your puppy. Classes that use choke chains will often tell you that your puppy can only attend class if they are 4 – 6 months old. This is because the puppy’s neck is a little hardier from this age onwards, although damage can still be done.

Physical punishment – hitting, jerking and smacking – and shouting can hinder the bond between puppy and owner. In addition, all physical punishment can often result in general suppression of behaviour, hand shyness, learned helplessness or aggression. The only thing your puppy is likely to learn is that training is a scary time when my owner is going to punish me.  Where fear or pain is involved, learning cannot take place.

Remember that even one such an incident is enough to make a big impact on your puppy and might mean that your puppy will be reluctant to ever go to class again.

• Does the trainer explain school policies and costs up front?

It’s important that the trainer explain school fees and policies up front. For instance, what happens if class is cancelled because of rain – do you lose that lesson or not? What is their policy regarding refunds? Make sure that you are informed of all these things so as to avoid nasty surprises in future.

Do find out if the school allows the whole family to join in the class. It is important for puppies to be exposed to as many different people as possible, and this includes children. It is a good idea for a school to allow children to attend – provided they are supervised of course.

•   Does the trainer request proof of your puppy’s vaccinations and de-worming?

Puppies can join in with a puppy class as soon as they have had their first inoculation. Before this, it is dangerous to take your puppy anywhere where there are other dogs that may not have been vaccinated as puppies are very susceptible to diseases, such as distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, adenovirus and para-influenza. De-worming is just as important as worm larvae can be passed from dog to dog where there is faeces lying around. It is important to have assurance that the class you are attending allows only vaccinated pups to attend.

• Is your trainer qualified?

Can the trainer prove that he/she has undergone training through a reputable organization? There are a lot of trainers out there who have schools simply based on the fact that they “have owned dogs all their lives”. Please be very careful of this.

The puppy school should preferably be sponsored or endorsed by a reputable brand, company or Veterinarian. Affiliations like this are essentially a quality guarantee – no self-respecting corporate entity or Veterinarian will link their name to a terrible school. This will also mean that the school is responsible to someone and that you can give feedback about the school. Schools without accreditation won’t necessarily care about feedback, as they aren’t accountable to anyone.

At the first class:

•   First Impressions: the instructor & the venue

When you get to class, is the instructor dressed neatly? Is the venue clean and neat as well? This might seem unimportant, but an instructor who doesn’t takes his/her appearance and the state of his/her venue seriously is likely to be just as indifferent about the importance of his/her role as your puppy school trainer.

Is the venue securely fenced? Nothing can be more tragic than a puppy bolting into the road and getting hurt or killed. Please make sure that the venue is safe and secure.

• Are all the dogs in the class more or less the same age, or are there adult dogs mixed in?

There is a lot of debate going around about this subject. What we can do is offer you some concrete facts to explain why we say older dogs should not be allowed in a class with puppies.

Puppies are dogs under the age of 4 months. Dogs between the age of 4 months and 2 years are classified as adolescents. All dogs over 2 years of age are adults.

Adolescent and adult dogs have different play patterns than puppies. They get really rough and pushy. Adult dogs also have their permanent teeth and much more jaw strength than the puppies.  Puppies can get hurt by this rough and tumble and can also be scared. At roughly 4 months – this varies within breeds – puppies will start exhibiting hazard avoidance behaviour. Basically, mother nature is telling the puppy to be suspicious of all new things as they could equal a threat. Any new interaction that has a bad outcome – such as being knocked over by an older dog – will most likely result in the puppy being afraid to approach strange dogs in the future.

In some schools, an older “neutral” dog is sometimes included in class to “teach” the puppies. Whether or not this is beneficial is also a big debate among professionals. Such an adult dog has to be very well-socialized, have a stable personality (not likely to snap at puppies), and be very obedient. Even then, it could be considered a bit unfair to the older dog as he will be mobbed by a group of unruly puppies with sharp, baby teeth!

• Is there dog faeces lying around?

Dog faeces can carry different diseases and worms over to other puppies. It is extremely important that any puppy class you attend encourage owners to pick up after their puppies.

• How many instructors are there vs. the amount of puppies?

If the class has 15 puppies and only 1 instructor, that instructor will not be able to help each and every client personally. This means that you won’t receive the attention and time you are paying for. Ideally there should be 1 instructor and/or assistant per 6 puppies at maximum.

•   Information

Puppy school is not just for the puppies; it’s for the owner’s too! Your trainer should be able to teach you everything you will need to know to raise a healthy, well-balanced dog.

It is important that the trainer discuss topics such as sterilization, socialization and habituation, developmental stages, etc. It’s important that the owner learns what he/she can expect from his/her puppy as the puppy matures. This can be a lot of information to remember, so a good school should be able to give you information that you can take home and read again and again.

The school should also encourage you to practice what you have learned at home with your puppy. Dogs don’t generalize well. The more places you practice with your puppy, the better! The trainers should make you aware of this fact and give “homework” at each class.

All trainers should be knowledgeable on what you can expect from your puppy depending on the breed. Each breed has specific characteristics that can influence training.

You should be informed about any on-going training that the school offers. Puppy school is only the first step – your dog can learn new things his whole life through. On-going classes are also a wonderful way of keeping your dog well-socialized.

• Do you end up spending the whole class just letting the puppies play together?

Puppy socialization is very important. Your puppy does need to learn how to play with other puppies, and he/she needs to learn that other dogs are friends and not a threat. However, a good puppy class shouldn’t focus only on puppy socialization. It is important that your puppy learn some basic commands and how to walk on a loose leash. Teaching your puppy these commands in a class, as well as practicing at home, has the benefit of helping your dog understand that he needs to listen to you whether there are other dogs around or not. A class that is one big play session might teach your puppy that once there are other dogs around, he can do whatever he likes! Your puppy should also learn some basic life skills such as frustration tolerance, bite inhibition, etc. in class.

Ideally the instructor should also teach you how to get your puppy used to be touched and handled all over – this is especially important so that visits to the groomer and the Vet are less stressful! It will also come in handy should you ever need to inspect your dog for injury, clip his/her nails, or maybe pull out a thorn. If your puppy isn’t used to being touched on his feet, you could have a battle on your hands. Secondly, but equally as important, this will help you to familiarize yourself with your puppy’s body and make it easier to notice when something is out of the ordinary.

Puppy class is, when all is said and done, still an educational facility where owners and puppies not only have fun, but also are given useful lessons to prepare them for their lives together.  This means dealing with puppy problems, preventing future problems, and allowing the pups to get to know all different kinds of dog breeds and people.

• Does the instructor explain and demonstrate each behaviour/trick taught to the puppies?

Nothing is quite as frustrating (and embarrassing) as standing around because you have no idea what to do. The instructor should let all the owners know which action/obedience command to practice next, and should make sure that each owner knows how to go about it. It is important that you not only know what to teach your dog, but also how, to guarantee successful training.

• Does the trainer intervene when one puppy bullies another, or not?

Some schools will just leave dogs to “establish dominance” and “sort each other out”. Please watch out for this! Dogs are NOT wolves. They may be related to them, but they do not live in the wild, nor do they act like wolves, or live in packs. Applying wolf behaviour to your dog would be like applying chimpanzee behaviour observed at the zoo to you, simply because we are both primates. It’s like chalk and cheese!  

If your puppy is bullied in class, chances are that the only thing he will learn is to be meaner than any dog approaching him or he will get pounced on. Puppy class should be a safe place where puppies can play and learn that other dogs are not scary and that they don’t need to be afraid. A good trainer will keep an eye on all puppy interaction and intervene when play gets too rough for one puppy.

• Does the trainer help you with your specific puppy problems?

No two puppies are the same and no two owner-puppy combinations are the same! There might be another owner in class with exactly the same type of dog that you have, but they won’t experience all the same problems you do. A good trainer will make time to ask each owner where they most need help, be it house training, jumping up, bite inhibition, food guarding, etc. You should leave puppy class armed with more knowledge that you came in with, and have the answers to your puppy questions.

•   On-going support

Sad to say, most puppy owners don’t expect any support from the trainers after puppy school is finished. A good school should be able to offer you the on-going support and advice you need as well as on-going classes for your dog as he matures, or at least be able to recommend another school that does. Also be sure to ask if the trainer is willing to do home visits if necessary.