GENERAL TOPIC QUESTIONS
-
What is the difference between a
Behavior Specialist, a
Behavior Therapist, a Behavior
Counselor, a Trainer,
a Behaviorist, and a Veterinary
Behaviorist?
-
I've gotten
behavioral advice from my vet, my
breeder,
my dog walker, my daycare,
my
pet store, and my family.
Who should I trust?
-
Why don't the trainers at Seattle Dog Works call
themselves "Positive Trainers?"
The methods are positive, aren't they?
-
What is the Canine Good Citizen® Test
and why doesn't Seattle Dog Works offer the
test or evaluation?
GENERAL TRAINING QUESTIONS--RELATING HUMANS
and DOGS
A: The difference is tricky, and
in this case, it's "buyer beware."
A
Veterinary Behaviorist is a veterinarian
who has gone through advanced training and is
certified by the
ACVB (American College
of Veterinary Behaviorists).
A
Behaviorist is a professional who has been
certified by the
ABS (Animal Behavior
Society). At this time,
there are only two certified Applied
Animal Behaviorists in the state of
Washington. One is a Research Associate
Professor at the University of Washington, the
other a long-time professional animal trainer
in Tacoma. Be cautious of dog professionals
not holding the CAAB (Certificate in Applied
Animal Behavior) working under the pretense
"Behaviorist."
A
dog Trainer is the person who works
hands-on with a dog. He/she implements a plan
to change a dog's behavior. Many dog trainers
are also qualified as Behavior Specialists,
Counselors, and the like, or a Trainer may
operate solely as a Trainer. At this time, no
formal education or training is necessary to
become a trainer.
A
Behavior Counselor holds a CTC from
the SF/SPCA Academy. A CTC (Certificate
in Training and Counseling) is granted by
the San Francisco SPCA Dog Trainer Academy
(Jean Donaldson, Director), upon successful
completion of the CTC course and accompanying
exam.
A
CPDT (Certified Pet Dog Trainer) has
logged 300 hours of experience in dog training
stretched over five years, and has passed a
certification exam issued by the Certification
Council of Pet Dog Trainers. The methods used
by CPDTs vary widely.
A
Behavior Specialist (not to be mistaken
for a Veterinary Behavior Specialist) and a
Behavior Therapist are somewhat arbitrary
designations and the terms alone do not
qualify or disqualify any one individual to
professionally work with dogs.
These designations are constantly changing as
the face of the dog behavior landscape
continues to evolve. Before choosing anyone to
work with your dog, always research the
credentials behind his or her name.
A:
It's important to
know that veterinarians, while very
specially trained in animal medicine have very
little formal training in behavior. In fact,
Washington State veterinary school curriculum
doesn't include a behavior class as a
requirement. There is one class offered,
but only as an elective. See
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/prospectivestudents/curriculum.asp.
Unless your vet is specially trained in
behavior or he or she is a veterinary
behaviorist (see above), this is likely the
level of behavioral training he or she has.
Some breeders
will suggest that they "know a breed" and dog
behavior, when in actuality, they know how to
breed the breed, but unless they possess
further training in behavior, nutrition, or
medicine, they are a breeder only and should
be consulted as one and nothing else.
Some dog walkers,
sitters, and daycare workers may
suggest they know behavior, but unless formal
training has taken place, this is unlikely
beyond experiential, anecdotal, and
observational knowledge.
Trainers and
behavior specialists are not without these
faults as well, and owners should be very wary
of anyone in the behavior field giving
medical, breeding, grooming, or nutritional
advice.
A good rule for dog care
is: breeders are breeders, vets are vets,
walkers and daycare workers know care,
the pet store knows merchandise, and a
trainer/behavior specialist (if educated
and/or certified) knows training and behavior.
NOTE:
Seattle Dog Works will never undermine a vet's
expertise in animal medicine, we will never
offer breeding suggestions or nutritional
advice, and we expect the same professional
standard from others in the field.
Sadly, the field of
companion animal care is poorly regulated.
It's up to an owner to really screen for a
qualified agent in any area of his or her
dog's care.
A: Seattle Dog Works only uses methods which
fall under the
American Humane
Association guidelines for humane
training. The word "positive" in "positive
training" actually comes from the practice of
using animal learning theory to modify animal
behavior and simply refers to the addition
of something, not the nature of the addition
(pleasant or unpleasant). In contrast, the
term "negative" simply means the removal of
something. In pure animal learning terms,
"positive" and "negative" may be pleasant or
unpleasant, kind or unkind.
Because of this ambiguity and dilution in
meaning, Seattle Dog Works does not refer to itself
as a "positive" training facility. Please feel
free to
contact us
with questions on this subject.
A: The Canine Good Citizen® (CGC)
Program was started in 1989 by the AKC with
the intent of establishing guidelines to
measure a dog's "manners". In 2004, the
successful completion of the CGC exam gained
some dogs immunity from home owners insurance
breed bans. The 10-part CGC exam is comprised
of a series of obedience-based tests such as
"sitting politely for petting" and "reaction
to another dog." Although the test is a
good way to get owners and dogs working
together, Seattle Dog Works does not endorse the
exam itself as an adequate or accurate measure
of a handler's abilities, a dog's behavioral
soundness, or the predictor of success or
failure in a real-life environment. As such,
we do not offer CGC testing.
However, we do offer alternatives to the CGC
test to prepare your dog for therapy
situations. Please
contact us
for more information.
A: Asking a dog to work without
adequate reward is analogous to asking you to
work your job without a paycheck; praise is
nice, and some days it can keep you going, but
I'm pretty sure it's that paycheck that gets
you going in everyday.
For years, people have operated under the
assumption that human praise, attention, and
simply our existence is enough reward for a
dog to do the things we ask him to do.
We now know that dogs, like people, are
rewarded by hundreds of things from food, to
praise, to sleep, to other dogs, to smells,
toys, etc. Remember, just because your dog
won't work for no pay, he still loves you.
He's just a smart being with his own system of
likes and dislikes--just like you!
At Seattle Dog Works, we use food to train in
classes and in private behavior sessions.
Interestingly, the more you work with your
dog, the less you need to use food to train
him. With time and skill you will discover
other rewards for your dog's hard work such as
play, freedom, and even sniffs. Really,
what's so bad about sharing the joy of food
with your beloved dog anyway?
Q:
I want to establish myself as the "alpha"
dog in the household. How should I do that?
A:
This
is an example I like to share with my classes:
Let's say you've been appointed as a city
ambassador for Seattle. Your job is to
show visitors from other countries around our
fine city--the usual stuff; Space Needle,
Aquarium, Zoo, etc. One day, a visitor from a
very remote island comes to visit and you're
assigned to show him around. The only thing
you've heard about the culture on his island
is that the inhabitants want desperately to
dominate Seattlelites. Who wouldn't?
This is a potentially dangerous mission on his
part, so you've been told that you must assert
your relative dominance to help him adjust to
Seattle culture.
First stop, Space Needle. You meet your
guest at the bottom of the tower and enter the
elevator. You two don't share the same spoken
language, so you're proceeding with the
physical gestures you know to normally relay
good humor and pleasant manners such as
smiles, waves, etc. Your guest doesn't show
the same gestures but seems comfortable
enough.
The elevator ascends. At the observation
deck, the elevator doors open and your guest
violently shoves through the other riders and
bursts into the open lobby area, knocking over
a small child in the process.
AHA! You've heard about this--your guest, from
that remote island where the inhabitants like
to dominate Seattlelites is asserting his
position as "Alpha" and is rushing through the
elevator doors before you and the other
elevator riders. To help him adjust to
our culture, you rush out, grab him firmly,
stare him in the eyes, and then lead him back
to the elevator where you flail about through
a series of physical gestures trying to
communicate our cultural system to him.
He screams, kicks you in the leg, urinates on
himself, and runs from the lobby to hide
behind a coffee cart.
Desperate and confused, you call your
supervisor. She informs you that your guest
has never seen a building taller than two
stories and this was his first time in an
elevator. Also, he hails from a culture raised
to hide outward displays of discomfort.
Rather than asserting his social dominance
over Seattlelites, turns out your guest was so
terrified by the time he reached the top of
the tower, he couldn't help but rush from the
car when the doors opened. The child caught in
the ruckus was inconsequential. Working under
the assumption that he was asserting his
dominance, your attempt to teach your
guest about our culture by grabbing his arm
and leading him back to the elevator was too
frightening for him and, fearing for his life,
he aggressed against you, then lost control of
his bladder.
The guest from the remote island is your dog.
Not only is he from another island, he's from
a completely different gene pool--a whole
different species!
For years, we've bought into the misconception
that dogs want to dominate our species. That's
as ludicrous as assuming that anyone from a
different culture has the same master plan.
Canine social structures are VERY complicated,
even between animals of the same species.
When we as humans try to insert ourselves into
these very complicated systems, we screw it
up. We get it wrong.
Ever heard that to assert your dominance you
should pass through a door before your dog?
How about eat before him? Roll him on his back
and yell in his face after he growled at you
for holding his paw? Yank him to the floor and
holler at him for sleeping on your bed?
Rather than considering that he's passing
through a door before you, eating before you,
growling when you touch his paw, or sleeping
on your bed to dominate you, consider
perhaps that he's rushing out the door because
he's excited to go for a walk, he's eating
when food's put in front of him because he's
hungry, growling when you touch his paw
because he's frightened, or sleeping on your
bed because it's comfy.
Dominance? Not likely.
this article is protected by copyright law
©2005 and may not be reprinted without written
permission by Cristine Dahl
For more information about dominance, and a
slightly different perspective, please read
Melissa Alexander's article
The History and
Misconceptions of Dominance Theory.
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Q:
Why won't my dog come when I call him?
A:
coming soon
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Q:
Why don't you allow prong and choke collars
in class? They are so effective in preventing
pulling while on leash--what's the problem?
A:
First, and foremost, "prong" or "pinch"
collars (see
picture) are considered inhumane
and are not endorsed by the SPCA. For
documentation directly from the SPCA, please
see this
article.
However, let's, just for the sake of argument,
throw this element out. Let's argue this
point as if prong collars were perfectly
humane.
I
argue that the other more compelling reasons
are much more devastating than inflicting pain
on your dog.
Below is an actual, true account
(name changed) of one of the many related
cases I counsel all over this city week after
week. The sheer number of cases I see
similar to this one is alarming.
Quinn, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever lives in
Laurelhurst with his family, a young couple
with a new baby. Quinn loves kids,
always has, is very gentle with them, and
always strains at the leash to meet them. When
he does meet them, he showers them with
kisses, curves his body around them, wags his
tail, and "smiles" with a big happy grin.
Quinn's owners decide that his pulling is too
much to handle so, at the suggestion of a
neighbor, they move to a prong collar.
The
very first day he wears the collar, he
sees his favorite neighborhood kids and
strains to meet them. The moment he hits the
end of his leash, he pauses ever so briefly,
then displays aggressively to the kids.
Quinn's owner scolds him, reels him back in on
the leash, and heads home.
This behavior is repeated two more days in a
row before I am called to help. In 3 years,
this behavior has never happened before; only
after the addition of the collar is Quinn
aggressing towards children.
Before our appointment, Quinn is out walking
with his owner again on the prong collar.
Although he doesn't pull on leash anymore, he
aggresses excessively at all children
until the child disappears from sight.
By day four, Quinn is no longer a safe bet
around kids. The likelihood of him injuring a
child at this point is very, very good.
The rest of the history of this case is
irrelevant, but the treatment was long,
expensive, and finally, Quinn was euthanized.
What happened?
Because dogs learn 99% of the time by
association, they are forced to make
associations in situations which, while clear
to them, we may not find so obvious. In this
case, Quinn's well-meaning owners were simply
trying to modify his leash-pulling behavior.
They were operating under the assumption that
Quinn would feel discomfort in his neck when
he pulled, attribute this to his pulling and
he would stop pulling. Sounds simple
enough.
However, it turns out that Quinn didn't make
the same assumption his owners had in mind. He
only learned that all of a sudden, when he
strained to meet children, he felt pain, and
only felt pain under those circumstances. In
other words, to Quinn, "the sight of children
= pain". He learned this lesson instead of
"pulling = pain" as his owners intended.
Quinn, and having personally witnessed the
anguish his family faced, I argue his family
as well, made the ultimate sacrifice.
Although many of you reading this will say,
"that didn't happen to my friend who used a
prong collar" or "my dog isn't aggressive
after using the collar", I cannot argue your
points. Prong collars do work to stop pulling
temporarily, but the potential side effects
caused by their use, even once, far outweighs
the potential benefits. In my mind even one
case like this is enough to avoid prong,
pinch, and choke collars forever.
This is only one of the adverse results prong
collar use can have. Others include but are
not limited to habituation to the collar,
heightened anxiety, and lowered reaction
threshold. There are equally effective,
kind alternatives to pinch, prong, and
choke collars. They are the Gentle Leader® and
the Sensation Harness® seen on my
resource page.
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