Sunday, September 9, 2012

Are Some of Our Dog trainer and Behaviourists Killing With Kindness?

Without going into too much detail, most behavioural work, and some obedience training falls under the heading of operant conditioning, in operant conditioning there are four consequences, these are:

Something Good can start or be presented, so behaviour increases = positive Reinforcement
Something Good can end or be taken away, so behaviour decreases = Negative Punishment
Something Bad can start or be presented, so behaviour decreases = positive Punishment
Something Bad can end or be taken away, so behaviour increases = Negative Reinforcement

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o In simplistic terms whole one would be associated to pleasure such as treats or a game or a

Are Some of Our Dog trainer and Behaviourists Killing With Kindness?

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lovely run in the park.
o Number two would be taking something away that the dogs likes, a favourite toy or a treat

for instance.
o Number three would be direct punishment such as hitting or using electronic collars or

choke/check chains.
o Number four is removing something that may be causing pain or distress, Such as stopping

hitting or stop pressing the button on shock collar.

Good or Bad Trainers?

Most good behaviourists and trainers would tend only to use positive reinforcement and negative punishment, except in exceptional circumstances. In my notion most bad trainers and behaviourists would whether use just one or all four on a regular basis.

It may seem strange for me to say positive reinforcement is bad, any way many trainers and some behaviourists think that using just positive reinforcement in isolation is the only ethical way to change behaviour. If they really understood what behavioural and training was all about then they would not take *Skinners work and remove two thirds of it.

Many of these citizen are really training in our colleges and universities; marking exam papers of students who are our hereafter trainers and behaviourists, based on their own biased and unsupported opinions. They are quoting Skinner and talking about operant conditioning, yet totally ignoring the fact that it does not have just one element in isolation.

It is my humble notion that they believe themselves to be kind and fair, but in reality are probably more instrumental in many of our dogs being euthanised or put into recovery than even the bad trainers that use lots of positive punishments, aggression and subjugation on our dogs. These positive only trainers, really do not understand that all animals, together with humans, need to be aware of cause and consequence. In their rush to show they are kind and caring, they ignore the main tenets and principals laid out in ethical conditioning.

One large dog training connection failed many prospective members for just saying the word "No" to a badly behaved dog. They believe it stresses the dog, where then is the basis for discipline and learning, how can you instil mutual respect and the potential to understand the consequences of unacceptable actions, if you are castigated for saying the word No!

Should we Ignore Bad Behaviour?

These are the same trainers that tell you just to turn you back and fold your arms when the dog is biting you. This could corollary in these poor dogs to becoming more frustrated and anxious therefore more dangerous. If the preliminary disappointment and attention seeking behaviour did not work, it can corollary in an escalation of the preliminary aggression..

I often have to corollary in after these training sessions, and put in place a kind but effective schedule that really benefits both the dogs and the owners. Amazingly some of these behaviourists and trainers never even touch the dogs they are treating. They sit and survey for a few hours write a fifty page article on what you should do, but are totally incapable of doing it themselves. It's like studying to drive from a book.

30% of my work entails following up after others have failed. These are also the trainers that rather than teach a dog to heel, put on what they think kind and diplomatic devices such as a Halti. I cannot count how many times I have seen dogs desperately struggling to get these infernal devices of their faces. Many dogs have hair rubbed down to the skin, blisters and abrasions and infections where they have ridden up and rubbed against the eyes. And these are supposed to be the kind alternative? finding at the model for operant conditioning then these devices would come under positive punishment as the cause pain ache and distress.

No Boundaries

In many recent press and media articles there have been calls to change the way schools, organisations, and families instill ethics and discipline in our children. Experts have come out and said that we have failed recent generations, by not teaching and extolling the virtues of respect and morality.

These do gooders believe that children or animals should not be controlled by whatever other than positives. No negatives, no discipline, no control, Ignore the bad reward the good. Where has that got us is today's society?

We owe our children and our pets an educational and training schedule whereby they understand boundaries and guidelines, right from wrong, respect rather than contempt. It does not want cruelty pain or distress. In a community where we cannot even say No! Then anarchy will reign. We are now euthanising far more of our pets for behavioural and training problems than ever before. Just think for a moment why that may be happening.

Consistency

All animals especially mammals, need a track to run on consistency is the key. In the wild all actions have consequences; these boundaries are taught by pack members together with the mother, siblings and the alphas and controllers in the pack. Surprisingly there are very few injuries from aggression or fights in wolves, coyotes, wild dogs or jackals.

These animals have a strong and powerful set of rules and hierarchies that filter down to even the bottom members of the pack. They have a strong ethos of belonging. Pack position and rank are respected and adhered to, though these positions can be quite fluid in positive circumstances. It is leading to understand that leadership in this situation is rarely tyrannical, it is based on mutual respect. Posture aggression is the norm rather than any real and risky attacks to reinforce rank.

The guess for this is obvious, tyrants and overtly aggressive leaders would engender fear rather than respect, insecurity rather than confidence. Unless the pack works as an effective cohesive unit, then their hunting forays far less successful.

We as humans cannot be Alpha's to our dogs. (After all we are not dogs) as I have explained in my article "Dogs and the Alpha Myth" But we can lay out boundaries, guidelines and rules to follow. We can operate resources which may comprise food, toys, games and even entrance to us.

As reserved supply controllers we can gain mutual respect without fear, thereby creating a deeper bond with our pets. But as in any community, pack, or house there has to be guidelines and these must be clearly defined for them to work.

Stress

Stress plays a vital role in learning. Too much stress and studying collapses, too minuscule stress and studying does not occur, the definite whole of stress and studying happens and changes and studying begins.

When we first decided to set in motion an organisation associated to dog behaviour and training combined (Paact) The Profession connection of Applied Canine Trainers, a lady contacted me who was a member of an additional one organisation demanding to know if we allowed our members to stress any of the dogs we treated.

I explained the importance of stress in studying and pointed out how leading positive aspects of stress can be in dog's growth, both mentally and physically, I gave an example with regard to puppies, studying and stress does not just begin when they reach the new home, it starts when they are born

The only senses puppies have until about three and half weeks old are olfactory and tactile. They are blind and deaf. Humans handling pups slowly and considered during this vital time from one week onwards are able to generate a mild stress response which acts to heighten the puppies both physically and emotionally. Pups that are handled during the first few weeks of their life mature and grow quicker; they are more resistant to infections and diseases, are commonly more stable, handle stress better, are more exploratory, curious, and learn much faster than pups that are not handled during this period.

That is why we should be very particular when selecting a puppy to get one, not from the puppy farmers or large breeders who do not have the time to handle the pups. Look for the breeders that are not commercially minded who has them indoors and clearly loves dogs, not just for the money they can make.

Needless to say I did not get an answer or even an acknowledgment from this lady. I really did not expect to. When citizen do not truly understand how dogs learn, then all they do is corollary the most recent fad and theory. Unfortunately this is roughly all the time to the detriment of the dogs.

We must all be aware and aware of the fact that both puppies and adult dogs must have the full spectrum of experience, not just the positives, but also the consistency and understanding of what is standard and what is not.

Positive reinforcement is perfect but not in isolation. It must be coupled with consistent actions, encouraging good behaviour but actively ensuring we don't reward or ignore unacceptable behaviour. If right or wrong is clearly indicated then it's far easier to understand and follow, your dog will be calmer more settled and your connection will be stronger and deeper, both owner and pet will benefit.

Let us all hope that the dogs currently being rehomed, sent into rescue, or euthanised will once again decline.

* Burrus Frederic Skinner considered the father of operant conditioning
http://tip.psychology.org/skinner.html

Are Some of Our Dog trainer and Behaviourists Killing With Kindness?

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