Training Style

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Category: Philosophy
Published on Saturday, 11 June 2011 16:45
Written by Chanone Sanders
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There is no one way to train a dog. Dogs do not fit into a 'training mold' and come out obedient and well-mannered. It is not that simple.

There are many methods used to train dogs. When I began my journey into dog training, I was taught a style involving demands of perfection from the dog, correction and some praise. If the dog did not obey, I was taught to correct harder until the dog figured out 'who was boss!' Eventually, after a struggle, even the most stubborn dog would give in, for the time being. While I was learning to train dogs with these methods, I saw the dogs hang their heads and tails low to the ground and in some cases I watched dogs actually shut down emotionally because of the stress of the training. The dogs weren't having fun; the trainer wasn't having fun. Sure, in the end you could get a very obedient dog who would rather walk on hot coals than disobey a command, but at what cost? These dogs did not trust or respect their trainers or owners out of love and joy, they  held a certain amount of respect out of fear and nothing else. When given the chance, these dogs would misbehave and challenge their trainers or owners and test that level of respect. This method of training produces a constant battle with your dog, with small accomplishments along the way.

I quickly learned that I did NOT like what this style of learning created in the relationships with our canine companions and eagerly sought out new training methods that were less harsh and less "military". After all, what good is a well-behaved dog on the street if he does not enjoy being with you, training with you; what good is perfect obedience without that look of love and adoration that the dog is so very skilled at providing us?

Through self-education involving a lot of reading and practical application with my own dogs, and working along side top police dog trainers all over Canada and the United States , I learned that a dog trainer does not have to constantly battle with a dog to achieve great results. By working in harmony with them and helping them to teach themselves, we achieve far greater results in the long run than with harsh corrections and forced obedience. But how is this accomplished?

The methods are slower and steadier involving a lot of patience from the trainer and/or owner

By "shaping" a dog's behaviors little by little, we create a solid foundation of skills that the dog never challenges or questions. By letting a dog work some of the problems out for themselves, we create a free-thinking canine who chooses obedience, rather than being forced into it. This creates long-term good behaviors and commands that are a part of the dog's daily life, instead of merely being a part of the 'training'.

This process is different with every dog

By using a highly motivating stimulus such as a favorite food, toy or game, we can encourage our dogs to create their own good behaviors such as walking nicely on a leash beside us. We begin with constant physical rewards (food or toy) that we associate with a verbal reward ("Good Dog!") to build a solid foundation of the behavior. When the behavior has been learned in its basic form, we slowly decrease the physical reward, increase the verbal reward and build on the behavior.

By teaching our dogs a behavior, rather than forcing them to obey a command, we are creating a dog who behaves because he doesn't know how not to be good, rather than a dog who obeys some of them time, but acts out when he is frustrated or confused. As their guardians, we owe our canine companions all the love and respect we can give them. We owe it to them to teach them with methods that create harmony between us and foster the wonderful relationships we have with our dogs.

Chanone Sanders, C.M.T.