49 – Perfection
I write this one week in advance of Bark in the Park. By the time you read it, Bark will be a memory and I will be recuperating from a long day of demonstrating agility with Buzz. I worry – what if he decides to go find the person with the popcorn (like he did last year), what if one of his “girlfriends” shows up while he’s demonstrating (Maggie, Sophie, Chanel, you know who you are), what if his little adolescent hormones kick in and he decides to act like training is something Mom only does with other dogs? What if he isn’t Perfect?
Last spring I read an article about parents in New York City who were anxiously awaiting news as to whether their 2- or 3-year old child had been accepted to a prestigious preschool, worried that failure to be accepted doomed their child to lack of success and unproductive lives. Wow, no pressure on the child here! The scenario repeats everywhere: little Suzie must make the cheerleading squad, little Johnnie must be class president. Unfortunately, as a dog trainer, I see the same thing happening with our dogs. Puppy socialization is a given. As Bob McMillan pointed out in his column last month, there is a very short period - 16 weeks - in which we must teach puppies to accept the new and the strange. Yet as the dog ages, some people seem to become obsessed with total control, a need to force Rover to fit a mold we want and which may be totally inappropriate for that dog. Fido must heel at all times. Queenie must sit quietly and never move a muscle until told. Our kids, our dogs – what a sad life they are doomed to lead when we seek to control every movement, worried that what others see might not be Perfect.
Training is a wonderful thing. The dog learns rules that help it be welcome in the world of people. There is consistency and leadership, which takes pressure off of the dog to control situations and allows her to relax a little. Knowing what to do will help her avoid a lot angry behavior from people. Good training can build confidence in a dog and help her learn to handle new situations. And here is the key: the training must encourage the dog to try new behaviors and to want to work with the handler. If the dog gets completely excited when you pick up the clicker because he knows he’s about to have a great time, you’re on the right track. He can make mistakes and have opportunity to correct them without punishment and without fear.
Observations of some folks in search of perfection who don’t use current, scientifically-based training have me asking questions. If the dog is not in perfect heel position, why choose to kick it so it will become perfectly aligned with the handler? Click the dog when it is in the correct position so he learns what is right. If the retrieve is not perfect, what is it about shocking the dog with a shock collar that is justifiable? Reduce your criteria temporarily and build back up to what you want. The dog is not purposely dismissing you. Is it really okay to cause pain with a prong collar so the pulling on leash stops? How about investigating a newer method or equipment such as an Easy Walk Harness that does not cause pain or damage to the trachea? Why choke the dog with a choke collar so he’ll sit when you can just click and treat? Too often the mentality is “Let’s show him who the pack leader is – let’s cause him pain. Then he’ll be Perfect.” That is, until the fallout from punishment happens.
If you are told these methods are not painful, then I would ask “how else do they work?” If they did not cause pain, they would not bring a change in behavior and people wouldn’t use them. Will all dogs develop problems from this kind of punishment training? No, but we can’t tell in advance which dogs will be negatively affected and the chances of the dog becoming aggressive or shutting down are much too high to take that chance. Once it happens, it’s too late to go back. If you know that positive training will bring you the same achievements just as fast, and with no fallout, why would you consider hurting the dog?
Please spend a little less time worrying about Perfection and a little more about having a well trained dog who is excited about training, especially training with you. Use your brain rather than brawn when training, after all, humans are supposed to be the superior species. You may be surprised that the results you want just begin to fall into place.
If you stopped by and watched Buzz doing agility and tricks at Bark in the Park, please forgive him if he wasn’t Perfect. We’re working on it. And we’re both enjoying the journey as we work together to become teammates as well as friends.
Jan Casey owns Smiles and Wags in Cookeville and offers dog training and behavior consultations. She can be reached at jan@smilesandwags.com or 931-510-0119.