Best Friends or Slaves?

I swear, the next dog trainer I see recommend a choke chain or prong collar I’m recommending be euthanized. After all isn’t hostility and aggression why we euthanize so many dogs?

Training shouldn't be about what your dog did wrong, its about building a relationship that allows your dog to choose to follow you. I fail to see how any aversive technique will help create a harmonious relationship. As a matter of fact this may be what’s causing bad behaviors such as pulling on the leash (trying to get away from you) or why they wont come when called (why would they want to subject themselves to your brutality again). How can we call them our “best friends” yet treat them less than slaves?

The bottom line is this: science has proven that aversive techniques produce (not can produce, but will produce) aversive side effects including fear which leads to aggression. Because the dog was focused on another dog while you were “correcting” their behavior they begin to associate other dogs with frustration. Leash pulling then turns into leash aggression, and later that turns into full blown aggression.

Think of it as shock therapy. Your dog saw another dog and received a leash jerk. The dog didn’t realize the jerk came from you as a correction for pulling on the leash, they assume it’s been jerked because of the other dog. Now you may feel like your making progress as your dog stops pulling towards other dogs, but would you feel successful knowing that they stopped pulling because they now find others dogs less appealing?

All of this because you chose to correct instead of train.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY! It’s called positive reinforcement. All you need to do is switch YOUR focus. Instead of waiting for your dog to misbehave, praising your dogs accomplishments while showing them how to accomplish more (training).