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Service dogs? No. Service Humans. Yes!!!

If you're a dog person, then you are probably aware of all different ways in which dogs help us humans. Specifically, there is a group of dogs who deserve a special mention. I'm talking of course, about Service Dogs.

Seeing-eye dog would be a perfect example; there are also tracking dogs who help find people in rubbles, drug-sniffing dogs working with police departments, even dogs who are able to sniff out dust-mites working with exterminators.

Incredible? Yes. Possible? Absolutly. Here is how.

Of course, there are countless other ways in which dogs help us, but I think you get my point. We owe a great debt of gratitude to this amazing animal.

Lets turn our focus now to humans.

What is it that we do for dogs and how does that reflect on us? That will be the focus of this article.

Since "New Thought" (now commonly known as Positive Thinking) replaced the oppressive shackels of Calvinistic doom and gloom few hundred years ago; there has been a steady momentum building (in the western world) towards happiness, pink butterflies and all-things positive.

Positive thinking (in its worst form) has permeated religious institutions (think non-denominational corporatized mega churches), corporate culture (think motivational speakers, team building exercises, and similar nonsense.), and even the economy.

How else would you explain so many people signing up for ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) thinking -no doubt positively- that interest rates will go down over the next 30 years.

To really beat a dead horse; books and DVDs like The Secret, The Power of Positive Thinking, Law of Attraction and countless others have not only reached best-selling status but have gained prominence in scientific circles over the last few decades.

The big idea behind "positive thinking" is that in order for you to be happy you must think positively.

All you have to do then is ask the universe to send you a pony (or a low interest rate, pink cadilac, or whatever) and the universe -your personal fountain of fortune- delivers.

What does "positive thinking" have to do with dogs?

I want to focus on the "happy" part of the positive-thinking equation.

We do all this positive stuff to be happy. In fact, I will argue that there has never, ever been any other industry other than happiness.

• If you buy that new flat-screen, you will be happy.
• If you can get a bigger house, you will be happy.
• If you can get that promotion, you will be happy, etc, etc, etc.

In our never-ending pursuit of happiness we've overlooked something obvious.

We are happiest when we can do something for others.

Think about it. All these material things give us temporary elation which dissipates with the next commercial for a newer, shinier toy.

On the other hand, things we do for our kids, parents, friends and neighbors, and the universe in general are in fact quite selfish. Why? Because they ultimately make US feel good about ourselves.

Its easy not to notice this. You really have to pause and pay attention. And I hope that you will if you haven't already.

So again you might ask, what does this have to do with dogs?

There is one, super secret way of making ourselves feel happy. Become a Service Human to your dog.

Work to understand your dog's needs and dedicate yourself to meeting those needs. I must quickly qualify that statement.

It is important to understand that our dogs DO NOT need us for things we think they do.

They dont need us to provide them with shelter and food. They are perfectly capable of providing that for themselves.

• What they DO NEED is for us to love them enough to make a commitment for life (average life span for a dog is about 14 years).
• They DO NEED us to show them compassion when they do something wrong (I really should say that a dog never does anything wrong, we just perceive it as wrong).
• And they DO NEED us to work harder at understanding them.

To that end, what they really need from us is to respect their dogginess, provide them with ample activities, purpose, the right kind of leadership, companionship, the right kind of mental and physical stimulation, and so on.

Keep in mind. Your dog cant go and roam or otherwise meet its real needs on his own. You have to go with him.

After you start noticing how good it feels to be in service of another, you might extend your services to the universe at large. Our dog can be our guide and teacher to get us there.

"I got to get mine, Jack" decade is over. Having "things" beyond basic necessities doesn't make us proportionately happier. But there is one thing that does. Being in service of others. Start with your dog, and work your way up to the universe. Cheers.

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The Issue of Indoctrination 

In this article I will lay out the 3 primary (most popular) schools of thought, explain the pros and cons of each, and talk about that old and very human tendency to follow.

There are three main schools of thought when it comes to dog training.

1. The (William R.) Koehler method, or as it’s commonly referred to “yank and crank” training method.
2. The Positive Training method popularized by Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson and many others.
3. The Pack Structure method popularized by The Monks of New Skete and Cesar Milan.

There are of course other (smaller) factions but these are the 3 big ones.

So what’s the problem?

What I’m about to say is beyond the most dog owner’s radar since most dog owners simply don’t care, but these three factions have been involved in a war of words for decades.

The battle lines are drawn, the positions have been taken, and fox holes are filled with dog professionals preaching only their method as the ultimate, the best, and the only way to train the dog.

I think the method that receives the most criticism is the “yank and crank” method.

Since it’s brutal in many ways and offends today’s sensibilities, it is demonized and punished especially by the Positive Reinforcement crowd. Isn't that the definition of irony?

If we examine methods Mr. William R. Koehler used on Lassie and Rin Tin Tin (yes, William Koehler was the trainer for Disney Productions) we do learn that some methods were very aversive.

Example:
If a dog is digging up a yard, you are to fill the hole with water and shove the dog’s snout in it. He’ll learn.

Do we now know better, more humane ways of dealing with issues such as digging up a yard? Of course.

So is the Koehler method all bad?

I don’t think so.

One of the principles of  Koehler method training is to apply well timed corrections with conviction.

Example:
For people having problems on a walk, they often are pulled by their dog. The person may pull-back on the leash, but the pull-back is only strong enough to slow down the dog. What Mr. Koehler suggest is that we apply one (if you do it right the second correction may not be necessary) correction that the dog will remember.

This is then much more humane than thousands of small, weak, nagging corrections that are ineffective in fixing the “problem”.

This is one small example of Mr. Koehler’s philosophy on training that I believe is very useful and practical. 

Another thing that most dog trainers (myself included) can learn from Mr. Koehler is timing. His, they say, was impeccable.

 

The next faction is the Positive Reinforcement crowd, led by such greats as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor and Jean Donaldson.

They maintain that only Positive methods are sufficient in dealing with every situation. You will recognize them by their use of clickers, the use of treats to shape behaviors, and generally sunny and pleasant disposition.

While I am very much in favor of positive training methods, we must recognize its shortcomings as well.

Positive training methods (clickers and all) were first implemented on dolphins and orca whales. Only then did those methods make their way over to the dog world.

The argument that this camp will make as to the effectiveness and superiority of their training method is that corrections can’t be applied to whales and dolphins; you can’t put them on a leash, so all you have to rely on is positive shaping alone. And so, the argument goes, “if you can train a dolphin in this way, you can train a dog in this way as well”.

While this is true most of the time, there are two flaws in this logic.

1. The behaviors expected from dogs are infinitely more complex then that of a dolphin. Dogs must be obedient, track, protect, fetch, etc, etc. Dolphins on the other hand must jump out of water on cue. 
2. And second -and I think the most important reason- is that at the end of the day, dolphins stay at the Water World, while dogs actually live with us. 

So if I want a dog to jump over an obstacle, I’d be well advised to use a treat to shape that behavior. However, if a dog has a bad habit of chewing on electric cables in the house (something a dolphin is unlikely to do) then the use of a shock collar may be advisable.

Moving onto the third camp.

There is a lot of jealousy (imho) directed at Cesar Milan and The Monks of New Skete.

The Positive method crowd was on a fast track of ubiquitous acceptance when The Dog Whispered swooped in and stole their thunder, audience, and (to some extent) credibility.

This school emphasizes the similarity between dogs and wolves and wolves are used as a model to fulfill domestic dog’s needs for pack structure and alpha dog leader.

If you were to give wolf and dog strand of DNA to a Genetic Engineer, he would be unable to differentiate the two. Food for thought.

The effectiveness of this method is showcased every week on Cesar Milan’s Dog Whisperer as well as Divine Canine (now canceled) by the Monks of New Skete.  

So what’s the problem?

I guess it’s still too rough for the Positive crowd (especially the use of the alpha roll, physical correction, etc.). So much so that The Monks have capitulated and in their later works (books, DVDs) recommended against the alpha roll.

What are the shortcoming of this method?

I think the biggest shortcomings of this method is that most people are unable to apply it effectively.

Cesar Milan is great at it, but most dog owners he works with on his show are wholly unaware WHY it works. This is despite his best attempts to explain the “energy”, posture, attitude, etc.

Another issue I see with this method is its emphasis on Alpha-Dog concept. Not because it’s wrong but because of the way it’s perceived by most people.

When I say “Alpha-Dog” most people think of the “big man on campus”, the boss, the CEO, the quarterback football jock, the aggressive “take no prisoners” type, and all manner of other nonsense.

In dog (or wolf) world, alpha dog is something entirely different. Alpha dog is NOT aggressive, he is not overbearing, he is not angry, mean and nasty.

In dog (or wolf) world, alpha dog’s first job is to keep order and tranquility inside the pack.

He is caring, playful and kind to the young, patient, even loving, and so many other things people usually DO NOT associate with alpha-dog behavior.

What does all this mean to the dog owner receiving instructions from a dog trainer?

Well, this brings us back to the issue of indoctrination.

If I, as a dog trainer, belong to one camp, then I am unlikely to consider other camp’s methods as valid.

Perhaps one of the other camps has a very effective method of dealing with a particular issue, however, if I’m closed off to the possibility that my camp is “wrong” then I’m unlikely to know or consider other camp’s methods.

This in the end harms the dog and it harms the dog owner.

So, stop the nonsense, stop looking for ways to separate from one another, stop thinking you’re always right, and start allowing for a possibility that other camps have something valid to teach.

Yeah yeah yeah...whatever Dino. Thats all find and dandy but where do you stand? 

OK, thats a fair question.

As a trainer, I am committed to doing whatever works for this dog and this owner in this environment at this time. And I promise not to stop looking for a solution (to whichever methodology the solution might "belong") until a solution if found. 

Thats where I stand.

I should add that marketing is a factor as well.

“Positive training methods only” looks really good on a business card. No?

In PART FOUR, we talk about detachment.

Dog professionals are detached from the process of dog training.  

You’ll find out WHY this is a good thing.

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