Evolution - any process of formation or growth; development:
When I started out in training (now educating in kinder terms) dogs, the only method was aversive.
Aversive - reprimand or punishment
This meant I learned that when our dogs did something we didn’t like, they were punished for it. The most common punishment was a collar correction (yank.) This meant that throughout the entirety of an obedience class you would see constant yanking on our dogs. The result? Stress, anxiety, fear etc. etc., from both the dogs and humans. I can’t believe how many times my clients have said to me “I wish I’d known, it felt so wrong,” when talking about their previous aversive training.
Do aversive methods of training work? Somewhat. Unfortunately, what aversive training teaches our dogs is avoidance. I remember one of my dogs getting further and further from me as the weeks went on in an obedience class. He was trying to avoid the yank. And it was not until I read about positive training and the idea of rewarding what I liked versus punishing what I didn’t like, that the lightbulb went off.
Once I discovered positive training and the science behind it; I began to question everything and vowed to learn as much as I could. Why had those aversive trainers not offered me the tiny bit of information that changed everything? Why? Because they had yet to evolve, and frankly they had no intention of evolving.
Some evolution is not optional, mother nature does what she will and evolution is done. As far as our brains and willingly evolving or not; well that evolution is up to us and there are many k9 educators that are not willing.
There is a huge movement towards positive training, but sadly there are also still a lot of aversive trainers out there. What I am seeing is that many new positive trainers are using up the bulk of their time bashing aversive trainers; instead of using it to educate others about positive training. Sadly this does not help our dogs; and just makes the aversive trainers, dig in harder. Aversive trainers promote the idea of being in control, the Alpha theory, taking charge, quick fixes and anger.
If you watch people walking their dog out in public, the worst yanking goes on when people lose patience with their dog and yank in anger. But that is what aversive training teaches; don’t like what your dog is doing, give a physical correction. But a correction (yank) only teaches a dog to avoid, right? It doesn’t actually educate them, they just learn to avoid the punishment. Sad.
Avoid - to keep away from; keep clear of; shun: to prevent from happening.
What’s worse, is that sometimes avoidance turns to a full shutdown. This is when a dog totally shuts down mentally. For many aversive trainers, this is seen as submission or surrender which is completely incorrect.
Educating canines is an ongoing, never ending process. They are living creatures so there in lies the challenge. Learning how to best educate canines and teach their guardians while being compassionate, empathetic, kind and understanding is work. But our dogs are worth it, and spreading the word of “do no harm” is extremely important work.
Does it take more thought, education, implementation, process and relearning? Yes, but every single piece of kindness that is involved in our evolution is a critical part of being better. Our lives should encompass the idea of “being better,” always striving to be a better version of ourselves. This happens though education, having an open mind and frankly wanting to do better and be better.
So let’s stop looking at the job of educating our canines as a “because I said so” process; and give them the education that we owe them to live in our human world.
Dogs give us their all, let’s give them ours.