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THE DOG TRAINING CHALLENGE
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By Kelly Ryan
Recently, several dog trainers have issued a “Dog Training Challenge,” asking other trainers to put amounts up to $5,000.00 to prove that their methods are faster than the challenger's methods. One challenger equates operant conditioning and positive reinforcement with "food-bribery." Operant conditioning is not a training method, but a learning theory that defines how all creatures, including dogs, learn. All training |
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We agree dog owners get the best results by having their dog respect them as a fair and firm leader, that no one wants a dog who has to be bribed with treats and that praise, affection and attention are among the most powerful motivators available to dog owners in getting the behaviors from their dog that they want.
We believe that the best trainers spend more time with the owners than with the dogs.
Our program and approach addresses each of these aspects of training and provides our students with the tools to have their dog respect them as the leader of the pack and to not rely on treats or any other training tools or equipment to get the behaviors they want from their dog.
The fact of the matter is, who can train a dog “faster” in the context of a challenge is wholly irrelevant. The relevant issue is how to best teach dog owners to train their dogs and get the dogs they want to live with, safely and happily.
That is why, among other things, we focus our program on giving dog owners the tools to understand their dog’s body language and how their dog communicates, understanding the impact of health and nutrition on behavior, understanding their dog’s needs, including their dog’s need for them to be a good leader, and understanding the application of operant conditioning principles, specifically how the imposition of consequences affect behavior.
Our goal is for dog owners to have a dog they can live with happily and safely. Our program is designed to meet these goals.
Perhaps the best response to such a challenge comes from Myrna Milani, DVM, in her book DogSmart:
“In reality, such a view of dominance makes little sense because it wastes too much time and energy....the more time an animal spends fighting to establish and protect its territory.... the weaker it becomes.”
At 4 Paws University, we choose to devote our time and energy to the education of not only our students but also ourselves, so that we may continue to offer training methods based on education, experience and success.
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