Sunday was the first time I've picked up a newspaper in months (aside from our local community news - I always check up on the Humane Society's column). I don't usually like the dog training columns in the paper because they don't generally give advice that I agree with. The unfortunate thing is that other people will read the article and then apply whatever advice given to their own dog(s). Usually it's the total opposite of what you should do or it's only partly correct. I couldn't believe it on Sunday ... I read the article
Dog Bites Family and actually
agreed with the columnist!
Holy Jumpin. It's a day for celebrations. Here's the quote that I ABSOLUTELY love ...
"I class all truly abusive and positive dog trainers in the same category. They both hurt dogs. The former does it in an obvious way and the latter an insidious way." Beautifully written. I couldn't have said that better myself. If you have time, check out the article. There's some good info in there.
Then I get an email about this article,
Biting Dog Needs to be Desensitized from a different paper and a different columnist. I read it and couldn't believe what I was reading. Basically the article said not to use punishment (positive or otherwise) because it doesn't work or if it does, it is only temporary. Check out what this columnist published ... The
blue is her published work, the
Red and Black are my comments:
"
Leash corrections are in the same category as spanking"
WTF?! Are you serious? That's one broad statement. So if a person has a dog on the leash and the dog is aggressively charging the TV (the example given - what if it were another dog or a child??), you should not use the leash to correct? What the heck do you suggest the person do? Let go? Do you even know what this "correction" is that the person who wrote in used?
The most interesting thing is that by using the word "
spanking" as the comparison, the columnist has half the readership already nodding in agreement
not because they disagree with leash correction but because they disagree with spankings.
Watch what you read.
Most good writers are taught what's called
persuasive writing ... In fact - did you know that most grade school children are learning
persuasive writing?? I have the pleasure of sitting in on some of these classes during my day job - interesting stuff ... wish I could learn some of it! HA.
Then she wrote this "
Research indicates the effects may be temporary unless the punishment is immediate, consistent and severe".
What research? I would like to read some research studies that prove this - it would be interesting. I don't agree with this statement. (This is where I'm going to have all sorts of readers up in arms about what I've written) Again, it is far too broad and doesn't explain spit. What does "severe" mean? Each dog will view punishment as different so you really can't make such a statement. I also don't agree that punishment needs to be immediate for everything ... while I have many examples I could use, this is the best and most recent one I can think of ...
You better believe that the day I walked in the door after work to see my nice new cat pillow shredded all over my livingroom floor, my dogs knew exactly what was going on when I picked it up and said "What is THIS?! Who ate my pillow?!" (I knew exactly who it was because only one dog was new to being out of the crate throughout the day and she is a "destructor dog".) (Granted ... living with 5 dogs I really should have KNOWN that a CAT PILLOW would not be on their Top Ten List for decorating our house but I think of it sometimes as MY house). I didn't catch them in the act. I did give them trouble about it - all of them. They haven't done it again (I have a matching pillow with a DOG on it and they seem to think that one's just fine). It's all part and parcel of training. If I had expensive crap, I wouldn't have dogs. What's the point of this story? My dogs received verbal correction, then got the cold shoulder until dinner time. The punishment was not immediate (it was possibly even hours after the behaviour), consistent (it didn't happen more than once) or severe (not physical in the slightest; all they got was me tossing my arms around my head in frustration, a bit of yelling and then the ignore button) but it worked.
"
Although punishment may work for some, it can be ineffective and even has the potential to backfire"
At this point in the article it sounds like this columnist is lumping all punishment in the same box. You have to think outside the box when you're training dogs. Punishment is different for each and every dog and when you find out what works for that dog, it is quite effective. You sure wouldn't use the same template on every dog. Not all dogs are the same. For some, I could use verbal. For others, I could put them on ignore. For others, I would put into isolation. For others, I can use a leash correction. For others, a time out where they aren't isolated but are limited in movement works. You can't assume that the thing that works for dog number one will work for dog number two and if you have assumed this than of course you would make a statement as above.
While this columnist has some good points ("
Systematic desensitization is one effective choice. Instead of waiting for the dog to fail and then correcting it, the dog is set up for success"),
these shining rays of hope are overwhelmed by the huge amount of crap she has written. It honestly sounds like she picked up a Behaviour Modification book and cut, copied and pasted certain key phrases to be interspersed with the crap. That way it sounds like she actually knows what she's talking about. She uses key phrases like "
positive punishment", "
learning theory", "
Systematic desensitization", and "
anxiety-provoking triggers" but then puts in the sentences as outlined above.
Here's what really bothers me ... when you get someone giving advice in such columns and they have no idea what they are talking about. The scary thing is that people at home will take that advice and apply it to their own dogs, often making the problems worse.
If you have a dog at home that exibits any aggressive tendencies (or other negative behaviours) you wish to resolve - PLEASE go to a trainer! Don't just read an article in the paper and assume you can fix it yourself.
It's Black Dog Monday and you know what that means ...
I had a dog named Frank when I was small so I have a soft spot for any dogs in shelters by that name. Hence today's featured rescue - Frank. The first thing I noticed on this guy was his hound-ears. I love them; so soft and floppy. The second thing I noticed is his pink collar. I wonder if potential adopters will notice? I wonder if that is the sort of thing that would speed up or slow down an adoption?? 
I recently had the opportunity to review a book called Saved Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform by Karin Winegar. I said I would write a review and I am doing so today. "Saved is a beautifully illustrated tribute to rescued animals who have deeply affected the people who saved them"
Things are heating up in Brampton as the battle rages on over the lives of Brittany and Rambo, two dogs who were seized in January for being born after Ontario's Dog Owners’ Liability Act, 2005 was instated. Read Part 1 and Part 2.
Anyway ... Check out this one! What do you think she is? First prize, as always, is a little link love ... Ready? Set? GO!
Anyway, today's Featured Rescue is a Shiba Inu. Dante is 3 years old and already looking for another home. The rescue describes Dante as "king of his castle and expects humans to follow suit". He is currently in the care of Shiba Rescue GTA
Today's Black Dog is Xena (click for Petfinder link). She is 5 1/2 months old and is listed as an Australian Kelpie / German Shepherd Dog mix with Buffalo Humane. What a cutie! She is beginning to nip at the feet of people when she gets excited and will need a home who is willing to take her to Obedience Classes.
having a canine companion to play with as an outlet for her herding tendencies" Otherwise, a good ad; if informative but a little wordy.
In light of the situation in Brampton (please check the link if you don't know what's going on), I have decided to feature a Boxer/American Bulldog mix today. Her name is Amber. She is located at Camp LotsaDogs which is in Ontario ... I heard about this place last March - so far haven't heard much about them through the rescue network. If anyone has experience with them, please pass it on!
This lady gets today's Dogs Deserve Freedom Asshat Award. 
On January 13 Brampton Animal Services seized two dogs, siblings, for violating the province's pit bull ban. The dogs are 2 years old and are brother and sister. They are Boxer/American Bulldog mix. Now, if that picture of Rambo doesn't SCREAM Boxer, I don't know what would. 
Today's Black Dog is named Corey. He is a big ol' Black and Tan Coonhound (with more black than tan as you can see). He is 5 years old and is reportedly good with other dogs. He looks gorgeous ... I love hounds; with their "froppy-ears" and "a-roo-roo-roo" ... my heart melts.