Respectful dog training

The word “respect” is often tossed around lightly. In the dog-training community, the word is gaining popularity by leaps and bounds. We want our dogs to respect us – that’s a given. The term is used by trainers of every method, but among them it’s thought of quite differently. Yes, we need to teach our dogs how to be respectful, but it’s time to look at the respect we should give back in return.

Respect means not harming, degrading, insulting or injuring someone. It means treating with consideration. Looking at this word more closely, we can see that it can have a different meaning depending on your view as the dog or your view as the dog owner. We expect our dogs to not hurt us and to show some deference – a respectful compliance. In terms of the dogs, the training technique we choose should lean toward the absence of degradation.

Be considerate

When teaching your dog anything, make sure he fully understands what you mean. It’s common for new dog owners to raise their voice or make their commands sharper to elicit the desired response. It may be thought that the dog will respond better to the firmer tone, but this is usually a result of learning to listen to only that tone. You sharply tell the dog to sit, pull up on his collar if he doesn’t respond and become more annoyed if he pops back up. This becomes a vicious circle, with the owner becoming increasingly frustrated and blaming the dog. The dog may feel the pressure and be unable to learn in a stressed state. This is a lose-lose situation.

It’s far more productive to teach your dog what you mean rather than quickly applying an aversive. Teach the word and reward the word. If he has difficulty, show him again. Don’t jump to the conclusion that he is defiant; he might not have fully learned what you mean. Think about how long it takes to learn a new skill, especially one taught in a foreign language. It might take your dog some time to learn what you are teaching, but this is not a race. Enjoy each day and enjoy the process.

This does not mean you never have to say “No,” or that you are a pushover. In fact, it means the opposite. You should have a word or sound that indicates he is incorrect, as this will move him closer to the desired behaviour. “Ah-ah” is good to use when your dog does something incorrect, such as pop up out of the sit. He will soon learn that “Ah-ah” means nothing great is coming his way – no toy, no treat, no praise. Once he learns that his appropriate behaviour gets him his reward, he will be ready, willing and able to comply.

Do no harm

We are asking our dogs to respect us by doing as we ask. In return, we should seek out teaching methods that are respectful and cause no harm. There are basically only two methods of dog training. One is that you reward the dog for doing the correct behaviour, and the other is that you reprimand the dog for doing the incorrect behaviour. We can teach the dog to work for something he likes, or teach by intimidation and fear and have him work to avoid something painful. Dogs that must learn to avoid the collar being used are not being taught in a respectful manner; they are being taught in a controlling, degrading way.

When education runs out, aggression and frustration set in. When people don’t know what to do and run out of options, they tend to lash out, usually at something lower than them, such as the dog. They don’t have the tools to cope with the situation. One way around this is to become more educated. Study learning theory. Learn to figure out techniques that help your dog learn, then concentrate on applying them on a daily basis. Have a great dog and show him off, teach others how you got that far and make sure you both have fun in the process. It’s okay to have fun while teaching your dog, and it’s even more fun if your dog is also enjoying himself.

Training or teaching your dog should not be a power struggle or a war of egos. The alpha roll is a good example of this. In the mid-1980s, it was the key exercise for showing pups who was really in charge. We were all instructed to flip our dogs onto their backs and hold them down until they would submit to us. This was probably devastating to our dogs, erasing all trust they had in us. Luckily, we discovered other options and this method has now faded into the background. The alpha roll can still be found in a lot of old-style training books, so be careful what you read. Job Michael Evans was a popular trainer many years ago and suggested this method in his books during this time. Shortly before his death, he said that if he had one wish, he would recover all his books and change that chapter.

Be consistent

Instilling respect in our dogs and showing respect to them requires consistency. Show your dog clearly what you want, and reward for only that. It’s not a matter of just handing over treats, and it’s not a matter of letting your dog get away with being disrespectful. It’s a matter of teaching with your ego checked at the door.

It’s not good to praise and pat your dog simply be-cause he is cute. You need to stick to the plan and teach him properly. Marker-based training gets some backlash because dog owners using it are not always consistent, and give in to those big brown eyes too quickly. Make it your mission to have a fabulous, well-behaved, well-liked and well-loved family member. Treat your dog with consideration and you will earn and keep his trust forever.

Article by:  The director of Who’s Walking Who (Toronto and Ajax), and co-author of the book Citizen Canine, Gillian Ridgeway has been working with family dogs for over 34 years