On Dog Training.

[draggonlaady]

And really, applicable to any kind of training. This article is a fairly long-winded way of saying that beating a dog into submission is not the same as training. All training should be based on rewarding desirable behavior while discouraging undesirable behavior (without scaring the life out of the trainee). I'm posting it, long-winded or not, because of the particular discussion of some of Cesar Millan's techniques, which I have parroted at me constantly at work.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2007250,00.html

It is very very frustrating having to explain to people who refuse to listen to me, because I am "only a veterinarian, not a dog trainer" that not all problems (and indeed, not even many problems) are dominance based, and won't be resolved by dominating.

Comments

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

I should hunt up another article I read recently; in a small study, dogs would imitate motions and behaviours of the owner, even if they were rewarded for NOT doing so. I think the whole leadership/set an example thing is related to that. Also, that's probably how I can get away with letting my old hound dog do the majority of training on my foster dogs... ;)

Is it available on line?

[neogrammarian.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I totally agree on the dogs mimicing their owner's motions (my dog yawns when I do for chrissakes).

No, PoB is a real live graphic novel, not online I'm afraid. It's about the bombing of the Baghdad Zoo and a group of lions who escape and roam Baghdad for a time. (True story, and the artist & author worked closely with GIs for information about it, as well as using the news articles about it). But it's from the perspective of the lions, and it's very cool.