The debate is over. Provided you hire a qualified truly positive trainer, any investment in training will be returned to both you and your dog exponentially in terms of a healthy relationship and a harmonious household.
People used to think that dog training was only about teaching dogs obedience commands, usually through the use of heavy-handed punishment-based techniques. It was viewed as somewhat of a luxury for pet parents and was often wrongly considered to be something so straightforward and simple to achieve that anyone could do it on their own without the help of a professional.
This sentiment does still exist to a degree today, but increasingly, dog guardians are beginning to recognize that although the profession of dog training isn't regulated, there is sometimes life-saving value in finding a qualified, educated trainer to help point them and their dogs in the right direction and provide much-needed guidance.
How you train matters
Science has evolved, and with it, the profession of dog training has exploded, but not without controversy. Many traditional trainers that continue to promote outdated dominance and punishment-based philosophies have seen their livelihoods threatened by the ever-growing army of enlightened positive trainers like Victoria's global VSPDT dog trainer network. As a result, dog guardians face an increasingly difficult choice when it comes to choosing the right dog trainer.
The fact is that the majority of domestic dogs have had no formal training – positive or otherwise. Since dogs are now sharing our homes and our lives in ever closer ways, it is more important than ever that every dog be given a good canine education. Doing so will prevent thousands of dogs from being surrendered to shelters due to behavioral issues that could have been prevented. Investing the time to teach your dog will make living with her easier and that investment could also save her life.
5 Reasons why you should train your dog
- To build a positive relationship
One of the best ways to build a healthier relationship with your dog is to understand how your dog perceives her world as well as how she learns and use the principles of positive training to make learning as rewarding, successful, and easy as possible. Unfortunately there are still some trainers practicing today that believe in order to achieve so-called ‘balance’ with your dog, you must first teach her who is boss by becoming her ‘alpha’ or ‘pack leader'. This approach is doomed to fail from the start because the methods used to establish this dominant status over dogs are physically and psychologically damaging and dangerous. Positive training, which rewards and motivates a dog for behavior that you want to see, allows you to foster a relationship with your dog based on mutual trust and understanding instead of fear and intimidation. The most effective teachers are those who can influence behavior without the use of force and work through any problems their dogs might have humanely. Dogs who are taught using positive reinforcement methods are more tolerant, self-controlled, and behave much more predictably in different situations. - To teach life skills
Every dog needs to learn how to live successfully in a home environment. Domestic dogs might seem to have an easy life compared to their wild counterparts, but living in the human world comes with certain unique pressures. Teaching your dog basic life skills and providing her with enough mental enrichment and physical exercise will prevent her from developing anxiety and other stress-related behaviors such as destructive chewing, inappropriate barking, and aggressive display. An important part of the learning process is to set your dog up for success by managing her environment and making it easy for her to do well. This begins with understanding how your dog copes in certain situations. For example, if your dog is highly social and loves new people coming into your home, teach her to greet without jumping or overwhelming your guest as they enter. This helps inhibit excitable behavior while still allowing her to enjoy the new person’s arrival. If your dog is wary or fearful of new people, take pressure off her by putting her behind a baby gate or in her own room as they enter. Space is vitally important for dogs that are socially inexperienced or fearful, and managing your environment to reduce pressure keeps everyone happy and safe. - To increase sociability
Increasing your dog’s enjoyment of social interaction will give her the confidence to deal with the pressures of domestic life. Teaching your dog to cope in different situations requires understanding, but consistent commitment ensures success. We have high expectations for our dogs, encouraging them to be friendly with everyone they meet, even if they are uncomfortable in certain situations. It is therefore vital to socialize your dog by giving her good experiences in the presence of all kinds of people, animals, and environments. Doing so at a young age will give her confidence and lessen the chance of her experiencing anxiety and discomfort in adulthood. Socialization does not mean your dog has to always physically touch another dog or a person. Humans ‘socialize’ all the time without physically touching each other. Exposing your dog to different situations where she can observe and ‘converse’ at a distance is as important as teaching her to accept physical touch. People are naturally drawn to interact with a cute pup and when dogs greet each other some physical touching is likely to take place.
Socialization is all about keeping your dog comfortable in these social situations while taking care not to force her into a situation she might find uncomfortable in. If you have the kind of dog that does not interact well with others, do not feel you need to force her. Not all dogs, like people, are social. Understanding how your dog copes will determine how far you can go and even though having a social dog is preferable in our society, it is not a failure to keep your dog out of a situation she finds uncomfortable. Observing how she copes will help you respect and understand her limitations. - To avoid problem behaviors
Training your dog builds up a language of communication between you that promotes security and comfort. The more time you invest teaching your dog to live successfully in the human world the more you will avoid problem behaviors that come from a lack of understanding. Unfortunately, many dogs end up being punished for behavior that could have been avoided if time was taken to help them learn. Many dogs respond well to cues in the classroom, but remain unprepared to deal with life’s pressures in the real world. Make sure that every cue or action has a purpose behind it. Settle is a valuable cue because it can be used at times when you need your dog to be physically and emotionally calm , while come is a cue that allows your dog to be off-leash but teaches her to return to you when you need it. Hand targeting or the touch cue, for example, not only helps your dog get used to hands being extended towards her, something she is likely to experience many times in her life, but is also good for teaching a recall. - For loyalty and companionship
Positive reinforcement does not mean permissive, simply that you focus on teaching your dog what to do, and stop unwanted behaviors without relying on relationship-killing techniques like intimidation, pain, force, or threats. Guiding your dog to make the right choices and understanding what she needs to be happy will help increase the bond between you.
Misunderstandings about dog training
There seems to be a great misconception that positive trainers never like to say no to their dogs and allow them to get away with negative behavior. There is also a misguided belief that positive trainers only teach by stuffing food into dogs’ faces and that they lack the skills to truly rehabilitate severe problem behaviors such as aggression.
Positive training helps people foster relationships with all types of dogs with all types of behaviors by understanding, and turning around the problem behavior without the use of force or fear. This changes behavior without damaging the trust between dog and guardian. Anyone can use rewards to teach dogs to learn but it takes advanced knowledge and skill to turn around problematic behavior without the use of force.
People who make time to teach their dogs lead more fulfilling lives with their canine companions. A healthy balance of learning, sociability, and providing your dog with the right kind of outlets will ensure her success. People who fail to give their dogs the education they need are doing them a great disservice and will have problems in the future. The learning process does not have to be costly or intense, and the more enjoyable it is for the both of you, the better the results will be.