The Worst Learning Experience

Imagine you are 3 and you're taken to a field. You see a ball, a bat and a glove. You happily trot over and go pick up the ball, but are surprised by a forceful "NO!".  You are super confused, but recover quickly, because, hey, you're 3.  You move away from the ball and far away from that scary person because, apparently, neither are safe things to be around. You wander around and you see the bat lying there. A little more hesitantly, you look around to make sure Scary Person isn't around and pick up the bat.  A few seconds later, you're so absorbed turning this new found treasure over in your hands and trying to figure out what it does. You've never seen something this shiny and round! Suddenly you hear a loud, "NO!" and a simultaneous head smack. You immediately drop the bat and move far away from the area.  At this point, you are too scared to pick up the glove, so you just sit in the dugout trying to figure out your next move that won't get you in trouble.  Scary Person moves in your direction and you panic, thinking about the last two experiences you had in which this person yelled at you and hit you, so you bolt out of the dugout onto the field. Scary Person is even more angry that you moved away from her, and without saying a word, you can tell that she's angry as she strides your way.  You finally sink to your knees, cover your head - shutting down because of the uncertainty and new found insecurity, finally screaming, "I don't know what you want me to do! Please tell me! Give me a hint!"

Sounds like a terrible way to learn how to play baseball, right? But wait, you didn't learn this way? Oh, you say that your parents SHOWED you how to put the glove on and MODELED how to stand, throw and catch?  They DEMONSTRATED how to do it correctly and SHAPED your skills as you became more confident and experienced? Well, that is how learning should be! Bravo to them!

However, the previous example is the daily life of the average dog being trained, or "learning", with aversive methods: E-collar, prong collar, hard leash jerks, alpha rolls, etc.  It is a constant guessing game for the dog. You are waiting for them to do something wrong and then telling them what NOT to do, instead of showing them what TO DO.   If a dog doesn't know what it's doing wrong (like pulling), it will never understand that your hard yank means, "STOP PULLING".  However, giving good things when your dog is by your side will, by nature, make the pulling happen less often. Make sense?

Here's another real world example:

Just imagine trying to navigate and learn a new job and as you stand in the middle of the room, everyone goes about their business but no one gives you any direction on what you should be doing.  You begin to try to figure it out and touch the phone, but are quickly reprimanded loudly, "NO. That's WRONG!" Feeling embarrassed, you move to the copier and just as you move your arm to touch it, a man pokes you in the arm, hard. "NO. That's WRONG."  How many things would you try before you find the activity they want you to be doing? Or would you be so dejected and depressed by the third or fourth reprimand that you would want to wash your hands of the job itself?  Humans would never expect each other to know what to do without someone showing you first. So, why do we expect dogs to do this?

Notice the difference in body language of the same dog: ears back vs forward, open mouth vs closed mouth, eyes averting the owner vs focusing on the owner

Your dog will repeat behaviors that are safe, secure and get him good things. If you tell him clearly what those things are, he will love to repeat them. If you never show him, do you know how many behaviors he will try in the meantime hoping for it to be the right one? If humans learned the way most people teach their dogs, more people would be against aversive methods. Maybe they should start calling the aversive methods what they are, "Figure out on your own what I'm trying to teach you and anytime you get it wrong, I shock/hit/hurt you". Yeah, sounds terrific.

Please consider training force-free. There is a time and place for aversive methods but they are for the animals that need serious rehabilitation and PROFESSIONALS are using it as a tool to ensure the safety of all involved. Force free training may take a little longer but your results will last much longer (not just until the collar comes off) and you'll have a better relationship with your dog. Promise.

Below are some force-free training facilities/trainers in Charlotte, NC.  You may google "Force free trainers in ________" if you are interested in local trainers near you!

Zoom Room - http://www.zoomroomonline.com/charlotte-dog-training.html
 

Tega K9 Training - http://www.tegak9.com/

A Better Dog - http://betterdog1-px.rtrk.com/dog-training/north-carolina/charlotte-nc/index.html

Ahead of the Pack Dog Training - http://www.aheadofthepackdogtraining.com/