I’m in the London as I write this article and, as I listen to and observe the many, many dog enthusiasts I’ve encountered in this canine-crazy county, I’m reminded how important it is to treat the human component of the dog/handler relationship as kindly as the dog.
We positive trainers and dog lovers are super patient and understanding with dogs when they are just beginning to “get” what we ask of them, yet when we are teaching people, or even just talking dog over dinner or at Point Isabel, we tend to get cranky.
Today, for example, I was wandering around London, doing touristy things on my day off between sniffer workshops, and decided to go into Harrods. I had heard there was a pet department on the fourth floor.
I was nervous about how an over-the-top retail establishment would approach the pet category – I thought I might see pet cheetah or monkeys for sale – but curiosity got the best of me and I had to check it out.
What I encountered was a mixed bag. As expected, opulence reigned. There were lots of anthropomorphic toys and clothes, plus a posh doggy spa most certainly catering to the humans more than the dogs.
While I did not come across any exotic pets for sale, there were a number of small-breed pups for sale. Pups displayed as merchandise could be purchased on a whim by anyone willing to pay $3,200 USD. Of course, this gave me a sick feeling.
But then I stood watching the pups in their enclosure for a while and they did seem okay. The enclosure was quite large and they had a bed, a few toys, and a potty area far removed from their living and eating space. Their living quarters rivaled many breeder and shelter facilities I’ve seen, as far as set-up goes. So that was something. Still, I walked away from the display feeling a bit distraught and definitely irritated.
But then, as I was trying to find my way out of the intricate labyrinth that is every department of Harrods, I overheard something: the sweet sound of good advice, enhanced by a lovely British accent. I peered around the corner to identify the source of such words and phrases as “ignore bad behavior, positive reinforcement, puppy socialization, lure the dog with a bit of his meal.”
A distinguished gentleman in a suit (the Harrods pet department sales associate) was talking to a young couple who were there to purchase supplies for the Beagle pup they were expecting. I eavesdropped shamelessly. He spent at least 20 minutes with them, providing very good advice. It wasn’t all a sales pitch, he genuinely seemed to care, because much of the information he gave them didn’t have a product attached to it. For example, he went through the entire housetraining protocol for a puppy, from 8 weeks of age to a year old, step by step.
He talked in depth about puppy socialization classes and how important they are, suggesting that their local vet could surely recommend a good one. He emphasized that puppies need to be exposed to a wide variety of novel experiences, such as different types of surfaces, household and environmental noises, and people of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
The man explained that even though they could use wee wee pads, they should also use grass for house-training so the pup could get used to eliminating on the type of material he’d be expected to use as an adult dog. He then proceeded to demonstrate how to lure all the basic positions, such as sit, down, and watch. (All with an imaginary dog in front of him. How’s that for dignified?)
The couple listened intently and asked many questions. I loved it! In fact, I almost got teary.
His advice wasn’t perfect. For example, he told the couple to ignore any potty accidents because dogs so crave our human attention that even negative attention would be perceived by them as a good thing, thereby encouraging the “bad” behavior. I don’t buy that. It’s not the scientific reason we don’t punish dogs as a primary training tool, nor does it explain why it’s not useful to punish a dog for urinating in the wrong place. We choose not to use anger and punishment in dog training primarily because dogs aren’t being “bad” when they do things we humans don’t approve of, they are merely being dogs, following normal doggy impulses, inclinations, and rules of etiquette. We choose not to punish them because it can negatively affect our relationships with our best friends and can confuse our interactions.
Dogs live in our human world. As the more intelligent species in the canine/human relationship, with bigger brains and opposable thumbs, we have the responsibility to clearly teach dogs what we expect of them. Of course, learning new (and different, possibly unnatural, things) takes time. Behavior change generally happens gradually and in little steps towards the new goal, for all species.
This is why, in a world where until only a few decades ago most people believed that animals needed to be subdued into submission and that dogs only thrived in a linear hierarchical, pack-like environment and therefore should be raised with a firm hand, it is so very important to acknowledge positive progress in people who don’t quite have the whole picture yet. Behavior that is reinforced will be repeated, and feedback that is friendly and encouraging fosters curiosity and the willingness to try new things, in humans as well as dogs.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar is Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, where she recruits and trains the instructors for the Dunbar family business, SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Training. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-detection program, and is in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage (truffle hunting) to the US. Kelly is also Founder and President of Open Paw and consults on various matters.
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