Diamond in the Ruff, Calgary Dog Training

Articles

For Swerve Magazine - as answered by Colleen McCarvill
Diamond in the Ruff - 2009

1. Would you say that dog training is inherently political?

Yes and no. I think that politics come into play when discussing what the general public sees as
the two types or trainers out there today. There really is a very large and very supportive
community of professionals who's goal it is to do right by dogs and their owners. They attend the
yearly conferences and seminars, strive to stay on top of the research so as to provide the best
and most up to date information and effective methods to their clients. I don’t see anything
‘political’ going on at conferences with 100’s of professionals using different techniques and
sharing ideas. In our city, we support one another, exchange ideas and refer clients to each other.
The hot button is only ever pushed when the there is such a drastic and obvious lack of
'knowledge' being sold to the unsuspecting public. There are very few of these individuals around
anymore but here is what I see as the issues and the two camps 'politics'. The two groups as
seen by the general public are-

First, the small group of self-taught trainers who makes the conscious decision not to participate
or even investigate where the science behind this industry has taken us. Often times these
individuals have never even attended a professional seminar. Their general philosophy is that
"Treats" are EVIL, the first of many red flags and a huge sign that they don't truely understand
how reinforcements are used. They use horrible fabrications about children loosing fingers
because food was used in training and how canine obesity is on the rise due to +R trainers. All of
this is false and a really inexcuseable ploy to excuse a lack of education in an industry where the
education is readily available.

And the second, a very large and growing community of trainers who have made the conscious
decision to participate in and learn from the research and the results based studies that have
caused such a shift in what is now deemed appropriate, safe, humane and effective ways to train
the companion dog. While we may not all agree on everything, you won't find that this is a group
of professionals who will ever resort to smacking, choking, yanking or yelling in order to achieve
results. And yes, this group has an undeniable intolerance for animal abuse, especailly in the
name of training.

2. If yes, then why?

I think a lot of it stems from the misinformation out there, especially today with the reality TV
personalities and dramatization and nut shelling of human/dog relationships. "Fixes" that seem to
happen in a matter of minutes. The lay person see's a dog has been 'cured' when what is actually
occurring is 'said dog' has shut down or is exhibiting 'learned helplessness'. These miraculous
remedies are actually simply suppression of behavior, usually due to fear or pain, symptoms that
often re-occur with the family as soon as the production team leaves.

All too often these TV personalities also delve into other areas where they lack expertise such as
human 'phychology'. It's reality TV at it's worst and most damaging. People follow along as if
they're watching a cooking show and try what they see in their own lives. It's just such an
irresponsible way to get ratings. If one were to watch these reality shows with the sound turned
off, it may be more clear why there are so many educated and experienced professionals in the
community up in arms over the blatant abuse of power and use of archaic 'theories' towards both
dog and owner. Much of this hype is peppered with false claims about the current methods of
training used by ALL recognized certification organizations, PhD's and educators. Notice I used
the term method(s). The term +R (positive reinforcement) refers to many, many different
techniques for each individual issue/problem. This is not the cookie cutter approach that those on
the 'self taught' camp will have you believe it is. While physical force, pain and intimidation are not
employed, consequences certainly are. Keep in mind that most of these professionals used to use
various forms of physical punishment and have evolved away from these techniques based on
results.... Reinforces/motivators such as food, toys, access to valued activities are most often
used during the learning phase, they are faded out as training progresses. It's is complete and
utter nonsense that dogs are getting fatter due to +R training or that they are learning poor
behaviors due to the use of these proven methods. This is yet another clear example of how little
these self-taught trainers really understand about how reinforcers are used and how they are
then faded out as behaviors become reliable. The second problem is of course the total lack of
regulation in the industry today. There are currently no restrictions or guidelines put in place to
determine who can put up a sign and offer dog training. What‘s even worse is the ‘diploma
factories‘ that have shown up in recent years run by people with no education themselves. These
organizations are selling training certifications at exorbitant amounts of money to people, many
are actually new dog owners themselves, who then go on to spread the misinformation
and cause irreparable damage to dogs and their owners.Buyer beware - if someone says that
they are current, find out where they attained their education, how long they’ve been training and
what their experience is.

3. Can you categorize the range of different approaches to dog training? (Why is this range
important?....as you were saying, all dogs are different). And then tell me which way you lean and
why?

Yes, there is a wide range of approaches with dog training but I have to say that discussing
methods that still employ striking, yanking, pinching, poking, pining, choking, and yelling is simply
not even in the realm of acceptable in this industry anymore. This is not a matter of them VS us
but rather what is or is not considered part of this profession this day and age.It would really be
like discussing how to use whiskey to ‘numb’ a patient for dental procedures at a dental
convention….it no longer makes any sense. Smacking a dog in the name of training is equally as
silly. I really find the misconception that +R based methods are ‘one approach’ quite frustrating.
While dog training and child rearing are obviously different subjects, there is a very valid and
relevant comparison that can and should be made here. We wouldn’t consider all parents who do
not physically hit, shove, yank or yell at their children to be using one approach to parenting. We
would consider parents who do use those methods to be rather abusive. This did not used to be
the case….
Training void of fear, pain and intimidation is multi facetted, certainly not ‘one size fits all’..

4. When I was growing up, life was simple. You got a dog...maybe you took one obedience class...
and then the dog became part of your family. How has this changed, in your opinion?

Life for a dog has changed dramatically. When I was a child, 40 - 50 years ago, dogs roamed
around, hung out in alleys, raided our garbage’s, played at playgrounds with unknown children
and other dogs. Moms were often home, though the dog was usually not afforded the privileges
that they are today, they had more freedoms. Dogs today are often under socialized, lack
exercise, spend far too long in solitude and while they are sharing our homes, they are often
expected to know the rules that go along with that kind of co-habitation without the benefit of
training. Quick fixes are often sought because of how busy our lives have become and as we all
know, the dog is often the ‘task’ that ends up at the bottom of the list. I believe that it’s because of
this ‘quick fix’ oriented society that these punishment based trainers are crawling back out of the
wood work. Anyone can smack a dog and have him cower, not everyone can give a solution that
will teach a do what TO do…

5. Do you think that a dog's life has changed for the better given today's hyper awareness
regarding dog issues? (Now that their kids are in school, helicopter moms are turning their sights
on how to raise the perfect family dog.)

Again, yes and no. Here’s how I see it as a professional going into peoples homes and spending
time with dogs and owners in class. Things have changed over the last several years, I‘d say
mainly for the better. Of the dogs that attend classes, the overwhelming majority of them live with
family’s who really want to do it right…they’re in classes aren’t they? They seem much more
concerned with questions like - “what’s the best food for my dog”, how much exercise do they
need”, “Do you know a really good Vet” ….??? They must have decided that owning a dog came
along with some sense of commitment and responsibility, that speaks volumes for what they are
obviously seeing in return from their dogs. In private training, I see the ‘problem’ behaviors, but
again, people seek help in order to resolve problems so that they can live happily with their four
legged family members. Training isn’t cheap and because it is ENTIRELY about the dog and
owner, not the dog and the trainer, it requires a huge amount of time and work on the owners
part. Most owners that I see are prepared to do what it takes…How many dogs have I trained??
Only the ones that I have lived with throughout my life. I don’t train dogs for a living, I help family’s
train their dogs, but in the end, they do all the work.

One thing that I do find very sad is the number of dogs spending entire days alone while their
owners work and their kids are at school.

6. If there was ever a misunderstanding about dogs out there, today,
what would that be? How would you correct it?

That the old Alpha models and Dominance theories hold any water anymore or that domestic
dogs are ‘pack animals‘. That we have to dominate in order to train is sheer nonsense. Our dogs
don’t want to rule the world as some would have you believe, they just wants to live in it.
Peacefully, safely and with love and respect..something all beings are entitled to. That doesn’t
negate the need and reasonable expectation that they be safe to be with and well behaved
members of the family.

7. Finally, what do you think a dog needs in order to live a full
happy life? Compare this then, with how most dogs fair?

Healthy food, water, mental and physical stimulation, comfortable and clean living environment,
attention and love. I think that most dogs fair pretty well. Again, being ‘in it’, I see both sides. I
would love to see dogs get more exercise and to be alone for less hours/day, but for the most
part, I think that people are trying to do the best that they can with what they know.

8. Why do we care so much about our furry friends? (Something
philosophical here?)

Personally, I have known no relationship in this world less tarnished than the one between my
dogs and I. There is never a time that I’m unsure of their love and devotion. They live 8-15 years
if we’re very lucky. They happily give every single second of those years to us, content just to be
a prop in our lives as long as we give them the bare minimum in return. I honestly believe that it is
our responsibility to treat that kind of selflessness with as much respect and kindness as is
humanly possible. One of my favourite quotes, it’s at the bottom of every page on my website,
pretty much sums up how I feel - "He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You
are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You
owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion"
Author Unknown

I see the joy that pets give their family’s, they enrich our lives immeasurably..

As I’m working on these questions, I’m moving around my house with my laptop….each and every
time I settle on a new spot, four dogs come and settle beside me…

9. To back up a little, can you give me some examples of the approaches that dog
owners/trainers take that drive you crazy? (Are you a proponent of shock collars? Not? Pointy
pronged collars? Not? Do you see people over-treat train? Are dogs getting fat? Are some dog
trainers too rough?What have you witnessed in this respect? Some would say more extreme dog
trainers are actually abusive...thoughts?)

That’s really a fairly easy one to answer. Any approach that a trainer takes that teaches a dog
what NOT to do without the other important part of the equation, what TO do. Constantly waiting
for the dog to slip up so that they can be punished rather than watching for the dog to dog the
right thing in order to reinforce what is appropriate behavior. Add to that, using pain, frightening a
dog into suppressing behavior, and generally bullying their way through a problem instead of
looking at how to actually address what caused the problem in the first place.
Things we know - DOGS LEARN BY ASSOCIATION. What I mean by that it that while it may look
impressive to see a ‘trainer’ stop a dog from reacting to a trigger (another dog/person/bike) using
force, we know that what the dog learns is to associate that force with whatever was in his
environment at the time. We know that we can teach a dog to avoid something if we punish him
hard enough in it’s presence. We also know that we can teach a dog to love something if we
reinforce him when that trigger is present. This is not rocket science but something that eludes
most self-taught trainers simply because they don’t evolve with the science. They don’t even
know what they don’t know….
DOGS DO NOT LIVE IN THE MOMENT ANY MORE THAN WE HUMANS DO - To suggest that
dogs live in the moment is to thumb our noses at evolution. Dogs learn by experiences. The
bonus of the second option (above) and the main reason that training has evolved this way is that
fear and retaliation bites, the two most common reasons for a dog to bite, are drastically reduced
if not eliminated while predictable, life long results are achieved. Why would anyone want to
continue threatening our dogs in the name of training when we know that it‘s simply not
necessary?

10. Imagine now that you have an audience. Someone's just brought their new puppy home. They
don't know where to begin with respect to training. What questions should they be asking??? I
expect that with you, Colleen, in particular, people need to ask themselves just what kind of
relationship they want with their dog?

The specifics of course would be how to address potential problems before they occur. How to
decide on the appropriate training for their new pup and their family. I have this discussion at the
beginning of every class and in every single private training session that I teach. Can we see
‘results’ using physical or emotional punishment? Of course we can, dogs are learning
every single moment their eyes are open. You can absolutely teach a dog to stop doing
something if you punish him hard enough….but what else are you teaching him? Can we see the
same or better results without the use of these aversive? Absolutely, you only have to look at the
most impressive dogs in society and in competition today. Is it ‘good enough’ to have a dog who
will comply out of fear of consequences or do you want something more? If you want a dog who
will not only comply with what you’re asking but do it with joy, as a willing partner in training, find
someone who is current, educated and who will not resort to harsh ‘quick’ fixes. This most
valuable relationship is worth the effort.

Diamond in the Ruff Inc.
Training with our hearts and minds,
not our hands