Recently, my dog Lila and I encountered a group of three Australian Shepherds, out for a walk in the park with a man and woman. As we approached, I thought I noted signs of discomfort in the humans, and, I admit, I have my own expectations about the stability of Aussies. The group appeared to move off when we entered their visual distance, but, apart from some leash-pulling, not the total chaos I expected. I decided to ascribe my feeling to my own stereotypes about the breed.
As we continued our walks in opposite directions, and the trail is a circuit, we re-encountered each other again a short time later. Unlike the intial moment, where the angle of approach put our dogs facing 180 degrees away from each other, this approach put us nose to nose.
I trust Lila to not hurt any dogs, no matter how nuts, and I will stop any dogs from hurting her, if need be. So, as we approached, the group didn't move off the trail. "Oh, good," I thought, "I'm just wrong. They're just wild and out of control. That's about right for "normal" Aussies."
Their dogs began a chorus of barking. Lila, on a retractable, able to escape, fight, or do almost anything else she pleases, dropped to her elbows, sprang, and dropped again and again. Play is frequently offered by well-adjusted dogs to diffuse tension.
"They can sniff," I said to the woman. "Oh, no", she said, wrangling her single dog by the collar. "He's aggressive." I brought Lila to my side, and placed her in a sit to calm the woman.
"Aww.... Do you have a dog trainer?" I asked, knowing she had no clue who I or Lila are.
"Yeah, we did."
"Oh, who did you use?" Remember, the woman still thinks there is a dogfight about to happen here. I know there isn't, because I'm not afraid to stop her "aggressive" dog. But didn't get off the trail? I'll never claim to completely understand humans.
"Some guy the Humane League (a local rescue organization) gave us. He's a rescue. He's deaf, and he was attacked by a puppy," she says, starting to walk away from us.
"Deaf? Awww.... is he a double merle?"
"Yeah," over her shoulder, as she walks away.
"Well, nice meeting you. Enjoy your walk," I say.
So, a few questions:
- If the dog is that "aggressive", why is it not muzzled or moved off the trail on our approach?
- Why is the professional help not continuing?
- Does she believe that what she sees is maximum improvement?
- Has labeling the behavior put her at ease enough to not continue work?
- Has "training" the dog left her without the requisite skills to actually work through greetings?
I shouldn't be surprised. But I always am. The effects of a labeling or "diagnostic" focus are evident in so many of the cases I work with. Since I do only in-home cases, I see dogs who are perceived as the "worst of the worst", by their owners, and even some trainers (not all trainers specialize in "problem" behaviors, nor should they be expected to).
I frequently work with other trainer's or training schools "drop-outs". Blame is often misdirected at often excellent trainers and schools. Owners often don't realize that "trainer" is as generic a term as "teacher". Would you expect the English teacher to instruct in calculus? They also don't know that standard group obedience classes shouldn't be intended to provide specialized remedial work. Practice, controlled exposure, yes, instruction? No. While I encourage all my clients to shoot for group class participation as a goal, the reality is that the situations I see need some basic skills before even stepping foot in a formal training situation. No instructor of a group class should be expected to attempt to teach that material AND conduct a group class at the same time!
Because I get dogs who have been seen before, the vast majority of my cases have some label. In one extreme, the labels become excuses or explanations of behavior. In the other extreme, they become self-fulfilling prophecies. (In the encounter I described, the woman actually chose a nice balanced approach of both extremes!)
The labels are tempting to all of us, trainers and owners alike, because they give us something to cling to. They simplify what is, in actuality, a very complicated situation. It's a reassuring thought that if there is a diagnosis, there must be a prescribed cure. NILIF, more walks, 20 minute down-stays. If you do enough of the "prescription", voila! Cure.
If you put enough of the "right stuff" into the box (the dog), the "right stuff" (good behavior) will come out. It's so close to true, it's agonizing to realize it isn't quite true! Yes, if you meet the dog's needs, generally, the right stuff will come out. However, there is no guarantee. It's only probable. There's no way of successfully predicting a single outcome for a given situation. Good, humane, effective training is being dismissed because it "fails". It fails because the owner misunderstands "training" as a prescription, when it is more like nutrition. Training is part of a complete balanced healthy lifestyle that also includes meals, games, socializing, outings, walks, romps, hanging out.
Oh, and if you see me and Lila? Bring your little monster over for a sniff. I won't let anything bad happen to either one.
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2 Extremely Good Points
Actally, the entire post is excellent, but I'd like to focus on two things. The idea of training being more like nutrition than a prescription - something that is necessary and ongoing for good behavioral heath. Very good analogy, one I think most people can understand. Also, the problem of labels! It seems that once a dog is labeled, training simply stops. That is absurd. If a problem or syndrome has been identified why not take advantage of the diagnois and train all the more? No need to throw your hands up in the air and claim there's nothing to be done. Odd, isn't it?
Kelly Gorman Dunbar Editor, Dog Star Daily
I have a couple of queries
"Play is frequently offered by well-adjusted dogs to diffuse tension." My dog frequently 'tells' other dogs he's not interested in greeting them by turning away from them (unless I'm misreading this), but often they keep trying to play with him anyway, then he has to snap at them to make them go away. Is this the same as 'offering' play, or just dogs who don't understand him?
"Has "training" the dog left her without the requisite skills to actually work through greetings?" I found this, my dog was trained to within an inch of his life, but he was still bad tempered and not a very good dog. Could do a nice bit of close heelwork though... What taught him how to meet and greet was meeting and greeting, constantly, frequently, under careful supervision. It would be nice if some trainers/training classes could advise owners that sometimes their class isn't meeting the needs of the owner and refer them on.
Meeting dogs
Unfortunately, Sheba and I won't be meeting you and Lila, because we're across the Pond.
Sheba has always had difficulty acting correctly (according to human definition) around other dogs. I suppose the label used for her has been anti-social. That hasn't stopped me, and in fact I've been focussing a lot on getting her to relax around other dogs. In terms of relaxation around dogs she's the best she's ever been. But she still isn't right. If we met Lila, she might be able to have a quick sniff, but it couldn't last too long. At the times in the past that she wasn't this good, I wouldn't have let her have a sniff at Lila because it would have ended in a lungey growly thing, and I don't see that it would have done either dog any good. What's the point in letting something happen that we know isn't good? Maybe the lady just knew that her dog wouldn't be nice to Lila. However, I put Sheba's improvement down partly to me being much more relaxed. I would have made a point of stopping and chatting to you about her, so that Sheba could learn to accept this.
My first thought when you said this lady wasn't still seeing the pro was that he maybe didn't do any good. There's a lot of trainers and behaviourists out there that I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. I saw a client today who'd had a very bad experience with one of these. And I try not to label dogs too much. I tell other dog owners that the dog just can't cope with dogs too close. This warns them to try and keep their dogs away, and I hope invokes more sympathy than saying it's aggressive.
And I'm the handler with muddy trousers and boots because I do get off the path so the dog can cope. I guess some owners just don't know what to do.
Isabel
Isabel Towers (MAPDT 00806)
For dog training and behaviour work around Leeds and Yorkshire please visit http://bouncenpounce.bounceme.net
Rescue and labels
What a great post and it named that emotional bump where people label and give up!
I'm feeling a bit sensitive regarding some of the recent comments about rescue groups. Having spent the last two decades creating rescue groups who have established quality standards for rehabilitating and rehoming springers, I understand that some groups don't have the volunteer/employee numbers and financial backing to support the overwhelming numbers of animals needing help. It was a daily effort to satisfy members, potential adoptors, shelter employees and the general public who all dust us with negativity.
But I'll tuck in my lower lip (grin) and offer these comments:
The best work I've done as a trainer has been with rescue/shelter/disaster dogs.
My best
Donna Toews, CPDT-KA
http://reflectionpetservices.wordpress.com/
labels
I work with human children, often in the contexts of teaching them some more prosocial behaviors. With them as well, I must combat labels to get to the real problem. A client, a young girl, the other day, someone new to the case said she has separation anxiety. She cries, and whines, kicks things, when her mom leaves, or if I walk out of the room. I explained that, "we do not have separation anxiety in my field," behavior analysis. Redefined in terms of what it really is, I could come up with a plan to get her started into enjoyable activities as the person was leaving, and give attention for doing the activity instead of having to try to calm her down. With a new outlook on it, I went to the bathroom for the first time in a few months without a stalker at the door, and mom left for 80 minutes before she realized it. Much like some dogs with "separation anxiety," can be helped by being given something to do instead of flip out, so was she. It's not "cured" right now, but we have something to work with, instead of she has separation anxiety, and this is what we have to deal with.
Has "training" the dog left
Has "training" the dog left her without the requisite skills to actually work through greetings?
Echoing Isabel, I think there are different understandings of "working through greetings". I've had a lot of more experienced dog people tell me that my dog just needs to sniff enough butts, but I find that if she isn't interested in greeting (99% of the time), it doesn't need to take place at all. If I can tell that she isn't going to like your dog, (Lila sounds playful, while my dog almost exclusively likes the standoffish type) she's thankful when we don't have to interact. My dog looks to me for direction and comes when called away from an approaching dog quite reliably. I'm mostly satisfied that that's about as "healthy" as she's going to get. Am I missing something here? Also, is a snarly display towards a rude, unfamiliar dog ever warranted, or are strict management (stepping off the trail) or a behavioural fix the only acceptable options?
Labels are never good.
You make a good point, labeling dogs can really affect the human-animal bond. I recently worked with a woman who was told her perfectly normal and I might add lovely little German Shepherd puppy was aggressive and had high prey drive because she wanted to play with the cat. She was advised to get rid of the dog immediately. The advice was given over the phone without having seen the dog, because all German Shepherds are aggressive, right? The woman fretted and tried to be 'dominant' to control her 'high prey drive' dog. Result? Life wasn't very nice for either of them. After a few gentle training sessions and owner education, they are doing well. Point? We have to be very careful about what we say to people about dogs. What we say can have consequences we didn't expect.
That being said: "OUCH!!!!" Did you really say: "My expectations for the stability of Aussies?.........just wild and out of control, that's about right for "normal" Aussies?" I have two, both are deaf, both are rescues and both are friendly and very well-behaved. I also do Aussie rescue, and have had the privilege of working with some extremely lovely dogs. They are a wonderful, loving, and versatile breed. Labels don't help and are best avoided.
Liz Catalano, MA, CPDT, CDBC www.thelittlewhitedog.com