Does Dog Training Work?

Well yes, sure it does!

But it’s not magic, it’s not voodoo; it's based on scientific principles.

Science? Isn’t that all getting a bit complicated? Yes and no.

When we talk about ‘Dog Training’, what we really mean is that we want to change a dog’s behaviour. Usually this means doing more of one behaviour,  or less of another - like less jumping up on people or more coming back when we call them.

Dog trainers also work on helping dogs to change how they feel around certain things when they are fearful, but for this blog I’m talking mainly about increasing or decreasing a particular behaviour when there is no underlying fear, because wen there is, you can't just train this away- it takes a different approach.

Behaviour in dogs,  just like in people, follows scientific principles. To keep it simple, if a dog gains something they like or want for doing a particular behaviour, they are likely to do it more. Think of a dog getting to start a game of tug for sitting, or having a treat for lying down.

If they gain something they don’t like for doing a behaviour, they are likely to do it less. Think of a dog getting a yank on the collar for lunging at a dog or a smack for jumping up. (NOTE: using punishment is not necessary and there is a huge body of evidence that points towards the fallout and negative impact, short and long term. And besides, who wants to be mean to their dog anyway?)

I know the principles sound simple but there are many factors that go into dog behaviour and training - environment, health, age, motivation, early experiences, illness, diet, breed, sex, how they’ve been treated, how they’ve been trained, reactions of the owner, the list goes on. 

But the point here is that behaviour is based on consequences and that is a lifelong thing. There doesn't come a point after a few goes at something in the house, where the dog 'knows it', and should perform the behaviour every time, in every situation, on every occasion (or they risk being called stubborn or naughty). It takes time, it takes practise in different places, it takes gradually building up the levels of difficulty and being able to identify why they may or may not be doing a behaviour on a particular occasion and knowing what to do about it.

I chuckle to myself when people say things like  “he hasn’t got any recall’’ as if it’s something that dogs come pre installed with, and somehow this particular dog has malfunctioned. 

Dogs don’t just do behaviour for no reason,  they do it because they find it rewarding. This means it gets them access to things that they want or need.  I mean why should a dog come back to us if we have not taught them that it’s a worthwhile thing for them to do.

Your dog’s behaviour doesn’t change just because you attend a class or because you speak to a dog trainer. It changes when you learn how to provide the consequences that your dog wants and likes at the exact time that they do the behaviours that you want or like. It happens when you treat training as an integral part of life with your dog.

It happens when you practise, when you seek to understand, when you give your dog a break for the things that you think are naughty, but to them, they are just natural behaviours that just don’t fit with what you want them to do. Think barking, digging, protecting their stuff by growling, scavenging for food - all behaviours that would’ve served them well when they were roaming free. 

It happens when you change how you respond to how your dog responds. It happens when you create an environment that doesn’t walk them straight into the behaviours that you don't want them to do (and then berate them for doing so)

It happens when you  give your dogs more to do, more variety,  more things that they were bred for, more play - just more.

It happens when you appreciate that they are not the same as your last dog who needed no training and was an angel (you just got lucky!) 

It happens when you realise that this is a difficult world for dogs to live in. It’s busy, loud, unpredictable, over the top and downright weird for them at times.

Dogs spend way more time confined, frustrated, bored and ready to put their energies into possibly the wrong things. 

Dog training takes skill, good timing, an understanding of how to amend training plans for individual dogs and a real appreciation of all the other complexities that go into behaviour.

You don’t need to be a dog trainer to live with a dog of course, but if you are just saying words to your dog and wondering why they are not doing things, this is not training. If you are taking food out with you and waving it in front of your dog ‘s face when they start do something you don’t want them to , this is not dog training. If you are shouting at your dog, yanking your dog on the lead, or telling them no, this is not dog training either.

It’s complicated,  it’s nuanced, there’s lots to it and I don’t expect an average dog owner to know that much about it. I think one of the biggest things that people feed back to me is that they had no idea, how little they knew.

If you need help training your dog seek out a positive, reward based trainer. Dogs don’t need out dated, forceful training methods. 

You can do so much damage by attempting to use heavy-handed forceful methods to intimidate your dog into doing a behaviour, this is not training either (this is bullying). If a trainer attempts these methods or anything that looks like coercion, do your dog a favour and get the hell out of there. And if they spout any dominance nonsense, also run a mile.

Dogs need cooperation, not coercion, and that goes for ALL dogs.

Remember that dog training & behaviour is complex, in-depth and based on scientific principles. So next time your dog isn’t doing what you want, try to cut them some slack and realise that you probably haven’t actually ‘trained’  them because you’re not a dog trainer.

And maybe contact a positive, ethical, experienced and educated trainer to enlighten you, and help you train your dog.

By the way, I wouldn't be instantly good at your job either, I may need months of training to do it (maybe longer!).I may never be good at it, as it may just not be my bag. This is why I don't expect you to be good at dog training! There are lots of us that can help you though

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