It would be remiss of me not to comment on the recent spate of dog attacks
that are receiving so much media attention right now. It is deeply upsetting for all concerned and I am not going to speculate or comment on individual cases of which I have no knowledge, there are more than enough people doing that.
I even saw a social media post that blamed it on positive reinforcement or ‘force free’ trainers, something that is too ludicrous to even comment on. Another blocked site!
I do, of course have my own opinions and concerns:
Lockdown dogs: Many people who have not prior experience of owning or training dogs, obtained dogs during lockdown with no real idea of how to manage or train them. Every day there is the familiar sight of people in the park, frantically yelling their dog’s name louder and louder with no response, it’s as if the dog is expected to have some built in homing signal to its name. They will be there today, and they will be there again tomorrow, doing the same thing. If the dog doesn’t respond first time, just shout louder, surely that will work?
Certainly, there are many more very responsible owners that may be training their dogs, or who may have a nervous, reactive or medically compromised dog on a lead. They then have to put up with some other dog running up and jumping all over theirs with an owner saying “It’s OK, they are friendly”. Not the point. Dogs are usually on a lead for a reason and unless the owner says otherwise, do not allow your dog to approach, that is standard etiquette (such as picking up your dog’s poop, don’t get me started on that!).
Many people seem to purchase dogs on physical appearance without researching the breed characteristics or considering what the dog’s needs are. Large or active dogs cooped up in small spaces with little exercise, training or enrichment. Working type dogs in homes where the owner doesn’t have the time or knowledge to give the dog the physical exercise and mental stimulation it needs. Many good trainers will offer a pre-puppy consultation, to help new owners select the right dog and ensure all the dog’s and household needs are met with expectations set. This is a great resource.
Then there are the continual social media videos and photos of babies and young children clambering over unfortunate dogs thinking it is ‘cute’ without considering whether or not the dog is happy for this. Look at the dog’s body language! Tight mouth, whale eyes, ears back. Many dogs tolerate this but for how long? When they eventually snap and bite the child, who is at fault? Not the child and certainly not the dog yet it will be the dog that ends up in a rescue shelter, or worse….
Dogs are not toys and they have feelings. Let’s show them some respect. Let’s teach our children not to go up to strange dogs and expect that the dog wants to be patted or embraced. Do we want to be hugged by every stranger that passes us? Why should our dogs be any different.
I would also like to clear up one final point of confusion. In ‘positive reinforcement’ positive is not emotional, it’s mathematical. Whilst I do like to be happy and friendly, in dog training, positive is about adding something to the environment that rewards the dog for doing the behaviour that we want, making it more likely that the behaviour will be repeated. It’s also about good management, preventing behaviour that we don’t want while we teach the dog the correct behaviour. Remember, the dog does what makes the dog feel good. If we punish it for something we don’t like, chances are it won’t have any idea what it’s done wrong and will become fearful or even aggressive. It may even just wait until you are not looking to repeat the behaviour!
Whatever your view, please don’t tar all dogs or owners with the same brush, and if you are experiencing issues beyond your knowledge, please consult a trainer that will treat you and your dog with kindness and respect.
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