Whole
dog training the middle way
 I
am a dog training moderate.
To leash and collar force trainers I'm a food training softy. To reinforcement
trainers I'm an abusive monster. I think I heard one call me "unethical"
because I don't adhere to her extremist views
What I am not is a
method training extremist. The two most common extremist camps are the
reinforcement extremist and the force extremists.
The reinforcement
extremist usually think it's better to destroy a dog rather than use a
training collar. Yet at the same time, reinforcement extremist seem to
come across as wanting to treat dogs more humanly than humans.
The most common reinforcement
extremist methods are
- 100% clicker
training. I do use clickers in my training and I have since the
early 80's. This type of training is very effective, but it dose have
some limitations.
- training method
where food or toys are the primary reinforcers used, and the
training collar is only used by the devil. Force trainers sometimes
think I'm a food training extremist.
The force extremist
usually think, if you can't forcibly correct the dog into good behavior
there is no training the dog. Generally force extremist don't understand
how operant conditioning and reinforcement training works to change behavior.
Some common force
extremist methods are:
- European dog
training. Especially associated with protection dog training. I
have met many very good trainers from Europe that successfully train
armies of dog using this method, However it is not always the best
way to train that canine specialist we call a pet.
- The Koehler
Method of dog training. Koehler
was an exceptionally good dog trainer. I trained a dog under Koehler
when I was in high school and this experience was very educational for
me. However from reading his books and looking back on my time in his
training class, I don't think he was aware of how reinforcement training
really worked.
There are many styles
of teaching that will work for many pets. Although there are large numbers
of dogs that can be taught with any of the many styles, there are also
many (even if not as many) pets that need to be taught with an approach
that's right for that particular pet. In this case an inappropriate teaching
style can lead to disaster.
I hope the articles
on this site will help you recognize which styles of human/canine
education will work best for you and the canine companion(s)
you care for.
I advocate
using a whole owner / pet educational system.
Whole dog training involves
reward conditioning, physical placement and control of your pet, as well
as social relationship conditioning, including sensitivity exercise.
Whole training starts
with the pets natural characteristics and physical state (genetic history,
basic needs, individual temperament, health, etc...).
The next consideration
is your pet's social environment and social skills.
Teaching techniques
and their application are the third aspect of a complete pet education
program.
Teaching techniques
can be either hard or soft. What's important is to blend all aspects of
the dog's development into a harmonious whole. Often the actual technique
is not as important as how the technique is used. A complete owner/dog
education program contains both soft and hard techniques.
How you
blend and balance these three elements can make the difference between
an ill-mannered or well-mannered pet.
It is my belief that
most pet dogs should have some type of leash work, either traditional
leash and collar work, or conditioning with one of the newer head collars.
Next I strongly advocate
the use of a reinforcement based teaching systems.
Social relationship
conditioning is built around sensitivity exercises.
The third aspect of whole dog training is a type of conditioning based
primarily in the social relationship between the owners and the pet. The
first two parts of the dog training process are the tools most people
need to reach or come closer to the third. When beginning a conditioning
program I feel that leash work and reinforcement work should be taught
separately and that Social Relationship work (SRT) be incorporated into
all canine development programs from the start.
Our programs are primarily
directed toward educating household pets and their owners. Owner/pet education
programs are designed to teach basic obedience, life skills, house manners,
how to prevent future behavior problems from developing, and how to solve
existing behavior problems. We can loosely term this hazard avoidance
training. This term is used because these drills are meant to teach the
dog how to avoid behavior that is either hazardous to the dog or to people.
We will soon add new
programs that go beyond basic pet behavior.
Puppy training can
start at 7 weeks with an in-home programs. Although pet dogs are now my
main focus I have a background in protection,
police, and security k-9s. I have also helped design therapy
dog programs, that help people who are in treatment for physical and mental
illnesses.
 Start
enjoying the benefits of a great relationship with your
special pet....
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