Hmmm, I'm looking forward to seeing the programme this evening, after all the discussion.
From the ones I've seen in the past, I do feel that clearly show that dogs are dogs and should be treated as such, and not humans or children or partners etc. I remember the woman in the last season who had an extra living room and TV for her dog and it wore a big while eating!
Can't comment on the water thing though, because I've never had a yappy dog. If Oscar starts to get that way, I'll turn to you all, before I ask Mic!
So throwing water at a dog is how you should treat them?
I agree dogs should not be treated like children in one sense, but in another do you think that dogs need to learn what is acceptable in human society.
Everyone has different relationships with their dogs and I see mine as my buddies and companions not objects I have to bully to get what I want or impose my authority over. My authority over my dogs has been earned through trust and understanding and I have worked Bl**dy hard to get it to where it is.
I believe the key to my success as a dog trainer is the relationship of trust I have built with my own dogs and what this has taught me.
This relationship takes time to develop and involves understanding what makes an animal tick and motivates it to do certain things.
It is easy to throw water at a dog or kick it to stop what it is doing, but you are just burying the behaviour and not changing it.
I could have thrown water every time Bayley reacted aggressively towards someone when I got him but it was precisely this sort of punishment that contributed to his mistrust of humans in the first place.
I have said on here before that punishment does work, but it has pitfalls and it may not be long lasting.
Prime example, I went to a dog club the other night and some of the dogs were kicking off and barking at the other dogs.
The owners were all shouting NOOOOO and yanking up on the collars which stopped the barking stopped for a few seconds.
Then one woman took to throwing her keys at one dog who was carrying on and again it had the effect of stopping the barking for a split second.
Ok the dog stopped barking, but the dog was almost posing a question "what do you want me to do instead?"
This is the problem with DB They interupt but then don't train an alternative.
They also seem to have no idea about what is motivating the dog in the first place.
I was not instructing but I could not let this carry on so I butted in.
I tried explaining the reasons why the dog was kicking off which were plainly obvious to me, however the instructor could not see it.
I took the dog to the other end of the hall and began to calm it down with some TTouch.
I got the dog to a distance where it felt comfortable and began to let the dog look at the other dogs.
If the dog was calm it was rewarded and as it turned out we ended up about halfway towards the other dogs by the end of the night with no reaction. He was so chilled and calm for me and I don't know whether the instructor was embarrassed or impressed.
What I'm trying to say is if you treat the symptoms of a problem you may stop them for a while but treating the cause takes longer and I'm afraid me doing ttouch on a nice calm dog would not make as good TV as the old dear screaming and throwing things at the other end of the hall.
Yes what they do stops the behaviour briefly there and then but does it last?
I doubt it.
Mistiming and misusing the techniques shown on this programme can lead to opening up all sorts of cans of worms as well.
What I have seen on this show in the past is comparable with bullying.
Everyone lives their own way with their dogs and I guess people will all disagree about how best to do it forever and a day, but when you learn about dogs to an advanced level you really begin to tear your hair out that people do so much damage trying half heartedly to copy the techniques shown on programmes such as Dog Borstal and Cesar Milan.
I must have had three clients this week that have asked me if i watched the Dog Whisperer and have been shocked and horrified when I have voiced my disapproval.
I agree with Vera it is the dog trainers who are left to pick up the pieces from programmes like this and I suppose I should be glad of the business, but to be honest I rather not have it.
I have dogs with issues, I work with dogs with poor social skills on a daily basis and have never yet reached the desperation of throwing water at a dog.
If I had to do it I would give up.
Mark
