"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"

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.
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