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Correct Me If I’m Wrong? I Have a Better Idea

Correct Me If I’m Wrong? I Have a Better Idea

This may not strike you as a multiple dog subject and strictly speaking, it isn’t. But it’s a dog behavior subject that affects all dogs so that is multiple enough for me. I have been mulling this subject over for some time now, prompted by recent conversations I have had with a couple of people, all via internet, which is never the best venue.

Denise Fenzi at work.

Denise Fenzi training with R+.

As anyone who has either read my book or knows me in person is aware of, I am a positive reinforcement trainer. That wasn’t always the case. I started my training knowledge with the more old fashioned techniques  now known as “traditional” training.

At the time, it was simply the way that things were done. My fellow trainers and I were never intentionally harmful to the dogs that we were training or so we saw it that way. Of course the corrections that we issued to these dogs were intentional in that they were meant to be corrections. But did we see these forceful actions as harmful? Not at all. It was simply how we were told that dogs learned. But did they really learn? Sure, they did but at a cost and part of that cost was often a loss of trust. Humans are very unpredictable and can cause pain. They learned that right away. Best to avoid that pain by toeing the line that we drew. Dogs are amazingly adaptive. They can learn despite the failings of humans.

I will always have to live with the knowledge that my beloved Merlin and Kera were initially “trained” with choke chains and a harsh jerk on the leash. And let’s not forget scruff grabs and the like. My sweet Siri got far too familiar with a prong collar for during her late teenage months. Until I heard the cry of pain from one particularly enthusiastic launch forward during a hike, that is. That was the last time she had to bear that medieval device. It has made a great back gate latch since then.

My training method crossover did not happen fully overnight. I was dead set against using food rewards at first. But I attended my first positive training class with a dog from the shelter that I taught at, instructed by a local positive trainer who taught at another local shelter. I was initially horrified at the amount of food used. But I could not deny that my shelter ward for the class was attentive to what was taught. Soon I was bringing my own dog (Merlin) to the same trainer’s class with an eagerness that I never felt about my own classes. The transformation had begun.

The majority of that transformation was the fact that Merlin was not a dog that accepted corrections lightly. When they even made a dent in his consciousness, it was because he fought back. Merlin was a confident intelligent dog. He saw no need to be roughed up. When I learned a better way, the difference in attentiveness was like night and day. I had finally had the sense to give this brilliant dog the job that he had been craving. The end of his reactivity on leash to pretty much anything that moved had begun in earnest. I was delighted!

Years have passed and my knowledge has grown by volumes. My eyes have been opened. I have been thinking about this awakening in depth recently and I liken it to those pictures that get forwarded around where there are hidden images. Until you spot the image, you are confused and frustrated. Everyone else can see it, why can’t you? But then the skies clear, the image is undeniable and you wonder with amazement how you missed it even for a moment. As a dear friend says about other subjects, you can’t unsee it. Your life is forever changed. This is how I now see the balanced trainers versus positive reinforcement trainers division. I now see that image and that can never be changed. I wish they could see it too. It makes me sad that they can’t.

I will try very hard to explain this without judgment. Having been on the other side, I truly know that there is no cruel intent in most balanced trainers’ methods. I say most because some people will always take pleasure in their so called domination of another species. This is not said lightly. I have names in mind. This writing is not about those people. I do not feel that changing the view of those who feel that way is within my reach. Their path is in their control and they will follow it where they are directed to. I wish them clarity someday.

One of the questions I was asked recently was, did I think someone I know who is a balanced trainer hurts dogs? I said no initially because I truly don’t think she means to, as explained above. But after giving this more thought, the real answer is, “Yes, I do.” Using shock, jerks on choke chains or prong collars, and other physical corrections, DOES hurt. It’s designed to. That is the whole reason behind the use. Punishment does work. Correct the dog, he won’t do that again! But what does the dog learn from that? See above.

The dog in question does not change how he feels about what caused him to get issued a correction. He just learns that it hurts when he does that. It doesn’t mean he won’t do it again. It means that he will weigh his options and may choose what is more rewarding for him in the immediate moment at the expense of potential pain. This is a bad position to place a dog in.

The relationship suffers. There is no way of getting around that. There are various schools of thought that a dog should do whatever is asked simply because pleasing the human that asked is the best reward. It sure can be a huge part of it. But there are caveats to this.

That high of a value being placed on verbal acknowledgement as a reinforcement only comes with an already stellar relationship. If you are an unpredictable human and you sometimes cause pain, then you are not to be fully trusted and a verbal reinforcement will never be at the same level for a dog you are training than with a dog and human combo that has a trust filled relationship.

There, I said it. Let the flames begin. That is fact and you can spin it any way you want to try but that is how relationships work and we all know it. It’s the same with humans. Trust is trust. If you trust the person on the end of the leash to always have your back, then you will do pretty much anything for that person. Positive reinforcement training gives you and your dogs the opportunity to truly communicate with one another. It’s a two way conversation, with respect for both.

I realize that I must clarify the above somewhat. I am well aware that there are some crossover trainers who had great relationships with their dogs prior to crossing over. But I feel safe saying that these trainers have great skill with timing and that their corrections were rarely or never at the extreme end. The average dog parent who takes a class/has a private from/with a balanced trainer doesn’t have the same skill and understanding and the relationship will suffer.

Now none of this is not to say that positive trainers never lose their cool. We yell at our own dogs periodically, we have faults, we make mistakes, we are all human. But the effort to avoid having any emotional and physical pain in the name of forced compliance is a huge consideration. Again, this is not a judgment on those who I think simply have not seen that image. This is a plea to you to try to see that image. For your dogs, for the dogs you train. There is a better way.

I hear so much silliness from balanced trainers that well trained dogs trained by positive reinforcement is not the norm. We must have as our own dogs or train only soft dogs, not the dogs with drive like they train. Again, sorry to be blunt, but hogwash! I have dogs with “drive”. (what a silly term! It really just means a type A personality.) Merlin was never an easy dog to either live with or train but let me say, once I learned the right way to train, he was a pleasure! I could take him anywhere. He could be off leash standing next to a deer and he would come to me to be rewarded for ignoring said deer. I work with dogs like this all the time. I help clients turn reactivity and aggression around all the time. As with any client base, owner compliance is important to success. But success is the norm here. I am also far less worried about the damage that my clients can do to their dogs with bad timing of verbal markers and treats than giving them the permission to jerk their dog when the feel the need!

Anger is easy to escalate. Having been in this position, I say this with conviction: it’s far easier to simply jerk a leash again when “compliance” is not forthcoming than to take the moment to show the dog what you want instead. Anger begets anger. I choose to show people how to teach their dogs to make better decisions and to give their dogs a voice in the outcome of any situation. I can sleep better this way and I know that the majority of my clients do as well.

This is a subject dear to my heart so I need to curtail my ramblings now or I will fill far too many pages for this article! I will end this with some comments from other cross over trainers on what moment gave them pause to “cross over”, edited for space.

Dawn Elberson Goehring in Gaitlinburg, TN is in the entertainment business at the Comedy Barn Theater with her dogs. With a background in working with wildlife, which involves hands off training, she could not understand why leashes were needed to train a dog. So she went hands off with her trick training and found an amazing attitude with her dogs that serves her as well with training clients today.

Nan Arthur, trainer in Lakeside CA and member of the faculty at Karen Pryor Academy and author of “Chill Out Fido”, says that her defining moment was attending a class with her six month old puppy and seeing the instructor correct another dog so hard that he was slammed into a brick wall because of his barking. She walked out and found a better way.

Pat Miller, owner of Peaceable Paws in Fairplay, MD and author of numerous books on positive training as well as training editor of the Whole Dog Journal, states that her light bulb moment came when her marvelous dog Josie ran and hid under the deck when she brought out her utility dog equipment. She never looked back from that moment. It is well documented what has resulted since then!

Miranda Workman, trainer in Amherst, NY and former president of the CCPDT, offers that her Boxer who had been attacked by another dog, became reactive and was made worse by punishment based training techniques. He was no longer safe to be around. This situation helped her not only cross over but to become a professional trainer.

Casey Lomonaco, of Rewarding Behaviors Dog Training in Endicott, NY has Monty to thank for her awakening. I cannot possibly edit her story and still do it justice so simply read it for yourself here. http://projectmonte.wordpress.com/about/

All these situations have something in common: they saw the image in the picture. For those of you who have seen the image, feel free to share your story here as well. For those who have yet to see the image, if you are local, come watch me work. If you are not, call a qualified positive trainer and ask to watch her/him work. I wish you clarity.

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13 Comments

  1. Charli The Dog chick September 4, 2012

    This is a wonderful article – one that I am sharing with all my facebook affiliates. I too learned the old fashioned way and am now thankfully a CPDT-KA. If only the trainers that are still using corrections as a form of learning could read this and change their ways. What a wonderful world it would be for dogs!

  2. Amelia Johnson September 4, 2012

    Thank you for this well-written article. As a crossover instructor of puppy owners, my hope is that these owners will never succumb to using “balanced” methods as their dogs mature and test their patience.

  3. Anne Springer September 4, 2012

    Having made the switch, and then the added jump to force free training, I am very impressed at how your post has captured the essence of why many of us have gone this route. My own epiphany came in a much more tragic way. I had my dog die in my arms because he tore a lead out of my hands to chase another dog, and I could not call him away from the path of an oncoming car. You see, I had taken all that “correction” advice and used it, and my dog would rather have gone off with another dog than be with me. To this day, every dog I’ve owned since (for the past 32 years) has had a great recall, taught with copious amounts of chicken, cheese, tug toys, roast beef, frisbees, and any other positive reinforcement items my dogs have been willing (key word *willing*) to work for. I have the best relationship with my dogs that I’ve ever had, and I’ve progressed light years with the effectiveness of my training – especially in the past 5 years of being completely force free. I hope that your words will make someone out there take the chance and take the leap – they won’t be sorry.

  4. Amanda Bushee September 4, 2012

    Being a crossover trainer myself.. and somone who lives with multiple dogs… I stuggle every single day to not just go back.. however.. how have you found the true balance.. not just quick fix.. or suppression.. but the balance of positive and adversive that is somthing even we “humans” need to learn?.. just curious..

  5. Puggles & Pitties September 4, 2012

    Thank you for this post.

    The door cracked open for me when I was at a board-n-train visiting a dog the rescue had agreed to help. I watched the trainer lift her off the ground by her leash, which was attached to a prong collar, and hold her mid-air until she lost consciousness. When I asked him why he had done that, he calmly explained that dogs need to learn who the boss is. 2 weeks later they sent her home with a shock collar and no instruction on its use.

    The defining moment, when that cracked door was ripped from its hinges never to be seen again, was when I made the decision to have that same dog euthanized for extreme dog-dog aggression that could no longer be managed safely. We had been working with her using positive training for about 6 months and thought we were managing her environment well enough to keep her and the other dogs in the house safe. Until one night when she proved us wrong, broke out of her crate, and attacked 3 dogs in rapid succession.

    I’ve lost many nights of sleep wondering “what if” and wishing I had learned about positive reinforcement earlier. But in Sally’s name and memory, I will never again lay a hand on a dog in anything other than a loving manner.

  6. Susan Parker September 4, 2012

    LOVE this article… As a crossover trainer myself this article really says it all!!!!! Once you cross over… There is NOOOOOO going back… EVER!!!

  7. Maggi Burtt September 10, 2012

    My moment was when I applied a correction to my six month old puppy with a prong and she hit the ground and shut down. I was confused, devastated and guiltridden…this wasn’t what I wanted for my dog! It wasn’t what I wanted for me, either.
    Never again.

  8. Pam Shaw September 10, 2012

    Force is never the answer. I always tell my clients and those attending my presentations….’if you have to use force to get your dog to do what you want, you will not be a respected leader, if I use force to get my clients dog to do what I request I would not be a respected teacher’. Prong collar belong in the rubbish bin keeping shock collars company!! There is o place for them in any way, shape or form.

  9. Paula Kelman September 10, 2012

    Excellent!! This is exactly the way I feel, and I agree that correcting a dog for an unwanted behavior does not change the dog’s emotional response to the trigger. Thanks for a very good, well thought out article

  10. April and Lobo September 11, 2012

    I actually began to stop the physical corrections after Lobo yelped when he hit the end of the prong collar. I completely crossed over when my friend, Nucky, started talking about her dog. She showed me videos of clicker trained dogs, and I was sold.

    It makes me sad to think of all the crap that Lobo had to go through.

    This inspired me to write a blog about my journey. So here it is:

    I Wish my Journey Started With a Click
    http://clickertrainedakita.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-wish-my-journey-started-with-click.html

  11. Laura Brody September 11, 2012

    You said this so elegantly and clearly. I, too am a crossover trainer and cringe when I think how I trained my first 6 dogs. I would like to add one observation about the difference between a dog who is “happy” that the trainer is happy and a dog who crawls up a force based trainer’s leg in APPEASEMENT body language. “Please don’t hurt me. Look, I’ve done what you’ve said” is what they are saying as they lean in and stare up with their ears back and their hind end tucked. So many of us were taught to see that body language as a dog who “wants to please”. So, when someone tells me they want their dog to work for praise and find that valuable, I say, “Praise is a “compared to what?” reward”…”Compared to being hurt by the trainer, sure, praise is very valuable.”

  12. Christina September 11, 2012

    I have followed your blog for while. This will be my first comment as this really hit home. As a proud owner of 3 Rottweilers if I had a dime for everytime I heard ” How are your dogs so well behaved?? Did you use an e collar on them? How many times did you use the alpha roll?” I would be a rich a woman! Even more shocking is their expression when I say I have never used anything except POSITIVE METHODS ie, treats, play time, exercise ( lots of it) and a ton of ” Your brilliant” ” Awesome job!!” ” Yes, thats it!!” My dogs are like family members. I wouldnt dream of being harsh with my child or parents…why I would I to my dogs??

    That being said, I do believe in having structure and rountine which make my dogs and household run smoothly. They do eat in their crates, they are never allowed to rush through doors, jump up, or display aggression towards each other or a human….but having a strong, INVOLVED relationship with your dogs works better than any dominant corrections in my humble opinion.

  13. Kathy September 8, 2016

    I’m in tears reading this, we have a 12 yo. Female since 2007,Rescue no formal training but an intuitive girl. A 18month old male dobie/shepherd, not trained, rescued in April and a German Shepherd male, age 3, from a rescue in august. Thinking the young one needed a playmate.. when we did the intros on neutral ground one leash, we could not get the boys near each other. We have tried a variety of things.. we have a heavy duty between the dining room and living room to keep seperate. We are starting to walk them together but have been instructed to use a brand of prong collar. They are still seperate and the weekend we did get them together in the yard, it went well overall until the fight, the 12 to got in on it against the 3 yr old. Yes, injuries but we were lucky.. minor.. we didn’t want to use the collars, we were told the 3 yo was not aggressive… we want this to work.

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