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RECOMMENDED reads and valuable topics pertaining to our canine companions.

HARNESS INFORMATION

Many guardians are using harnesses as a safer and gentler alternative to collars when walking their dogs. But are these harnesses as gentle as we think they are? One size or style definitely does not fit all! Full article: Effect of harness design on the biomechanics of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

Not only is the Harmony Harness a great design the TTouch website is a great resource too! TTouch Harmony Dog Harness Complete System

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OR AVERSIVE TRAINING METHODS?

Aversive training methods:

In training, especially reactivity, aversive equipment is not the solve all. It’s a bit of a Band-Aid fix, it can work quite quickly and that is why most people turn to this way of training. Instant gratification. What is important for us to recognize is when we use corrective equipment, we need the dog to be over threshold to get the reaction from them, then correct that behavior. It does not change the way the dog sees the trigger; the stimulus is still a very bad scary thing in the dog’s opinion. All we are doing by hitting that button or pulling on that collar is stopping the dog’s physical reaction in the moment, the dog is still having an emotional reaction. That association of anger or pain with a dog’s trigger can increase the dogs dislike of other dogs or people and again to correct them we must push them up above threshold and that’s not ideal, nor fair to the dog.

If we are verbally scolding or popping on the leash to correct our dog(s) around their triggers, then that’s going to associate that trigger with a negative experience, that we’ve provided!

Here’s an analogy! Let’s say that spiders makes you anxious, you’re afraid of spiders and every time you see a spider you scream “I don’t like spiders”!!! Now imagine, every time you scream for seeing a spider the police show up and give you a $100 ticket for disturbing the peace. Is that going to make you like spiders? No, you’ll probably stop screaming because you can’t save up for your trip to Mexico but you’re probably going to absolutely hate spiders even more!

The use of aversive training is controversial because it can cause or heighten fear, anxiety and aggression in dogs if not used carefully. Many trainers recommend focusing on positive reinforcement methods which reward desired behaviors to achieve long term humane training results.

Positive reinforcement or force free training:

While it takes longer, desensitisation and counter conditioning when performed correctly can change the dog’s emotional response and physical reaction when confronted with a scary stimulus. Conditioned emotional response (CER).

Counter conditioning in dog training involves changing a dog’s negative emotional response to something (like fear or aggression) into a positive one. This is done by association associating the trigger (e.g., another dog, loud noise) with something the dog loves, like treats or play. Overtime, the dog learns to feel good instead of stressed or scared when encountering the trigger.

When counter conditioning is happening correctly it looks like nothing is happening at all. Your dog doesn’t have a problem.

It’s important for us to recognize counterconditioning usually works in conjunction with the sensitization and desensitisation. This is the treatment or process that diminishes emotional responsiveness to a negative or aversive stimulus after repeated exposure to it. It is important that our exposure to that trigger stimulus is very gradual. Exposure to that scary thing starts at a low level and we’re building up slowly both in space and in time, it should be systematic which means you have a plan in place to build the exposure gradually and every step of the way the dog should be under threshold, comfortable and calm.

A DOGS OLFACTORY SYSTEM

The sensory system used for smelling is known as the olfactory system, dogs have a remarkable capability to detect analyze and store information with this sense. A dog’s entire world is made-up of scents, approximately 12% of the dog’s brain is dedicated to analyzing smell, this is important and imperative for survival, hunting, mating and for fight or flight behaviors. Dogs will also associate positive, negative experiences and consequences with odors.

Most dogs have over 200 million scent reception receptors while the average human has about 5 million!