Training Methods

The good, the bad, and the evil. They're always bound to spark a discussion or a debate, and even known for people to stop being friends over the many ideas out there. Recently, a friend of mine was jumped on for apparently "abusing" her horses because she smacked them to get out of her space and use other not so "happy" and "positive" training methods. I've been to her barn, and every horse was happy and well behaved - not a mark on them and none of the shied away from someone's hand because they thought they were going to get beaten. I can't count how many times I've spoken up in a dog community about what I've done with my dog to get a result - a consistent result - which can hardly be considered abuse, and people jumped all over me with "OMG NEVER DO THAT!"

Those of you who have met Howie can attest to the fact that he is happy and well-behaved for the most part, except when the dreaded puppy-brain takes over. Do I use leash-pops? Yes. Do I stick my toe in his ribs to redirect attention? Yes. I've even been known to swing my leg out in front of him while we walk to remind him to stay in heel position. I use a pinch collar on some occasions and when I can't use the pinch, I have my "choke" collar handy - often, I have to use less correction with these than I do on his flat-buckle collars. Never once has my dog yelped in pain or shied away from me. I can stand there and wave a spatula in his face while he watches me cook, hoping I'll drop something, and he won't budge and will barely flinch.

I also use high-drive treats and lots of praise for things done right. I get all hyped up and happy when he does what I want, but I also use a stern "no" and other various noises for the things I don't want him to do. I am not 100% positive all the time, and my dog knows it. He knows to get out of my kitchen when I growl "out" and he will slink off to his bed if I get mad for him being underfoot all.the.time. I stopped trying to dodge him and started just walking into/on him, and he's learned to scoot out of my way after having a laundry basket dropped on him because he was under my feet where I couldn't see him.

I also cuddle with my dog, he gets high quality food & treats, I use a happy "yes" and lots of pets and scratches for when he does something right, I pet him for no reason at all other than the fact that I love his fat head. We play fetch and go running, and stritch his spot to make his leg go thump. I do not beat or hit my dog out of anger, but rather ignore him until I get over it - which he usually want to cuddle before I'm done being mad at him, and makes it all better. He lets me cry into his nape and lets me harass him until he's so annoyed he gets up and goes over to his pillow.

He lets me torture him by taking him on a canoe and making him sit there for 8 hours on the river.

I am all for positive methods when training your dogs (and horses) to be polite members of society, but they are capable of learning the "I did that one thing and something bad happened, I better not do that again" lesson. I do not approve of "alpha rolling" or beating the dog to get what you want; I do agree with letting your animal know you do not approve of the action they are doing.

So, to those of you who want to baby your animals and worry that they don't like the crate or can't figure out why they step on you and don't respect your space, please re-evaluate your training methods. I'm of the frame of mind that a mostly-positive routine works best, and of course, each dog is different, so you will have to take what works and throw away what doesn't for each particular animal.

Just be open to other ideas. Not everyone who isn't 100% positive is out there abusing their animals. What they do might actually be working, while you're sitting there with your toes stomped by a horse or a dog dragging you down the street.

On a happier note, I have photos from the weight pull and a The Story About the Canoe to post. It's going to be a busy blogging week!