Summary: From November 16, 2010 - Audio edition of the article Selling Snake Oil: Stopping Behaviour Doesn’t Make a Good Dog from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. It never ceases to amaze me each time a dog trainer tells me how good they are by showing me how long their dog will "Stay." In essence, they are showing me what a good dog they have by demonstrating how long the dog will refrain from doing something. Is that really a skill or is the fear of being reprimanded if they DO try to act? It could be either or it might even be a bit of both. Defining our dogs by what they don't do seems backward to me. Shouldn't we be proud of what they WILL do if asked? This article explores some of the psychology behind non-behaviour and shows that it's not always a good thing! [tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZekx1P1g4&feature=player_embedded[/tube] The green musical note shows when the warning tone is sounding. The yellow lightning bolt indicates when the shock is delivered. NOTE: Text articles at Life As A Human include embedded links and videos that provide additional information. Some links from this article are listed below: Dr. Murray Sidman - Author of Coercion And Its Fallout This article shows that even professional dog trainers are split on this issue. This week's recommendation is the book How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey. This is a great reference book for all dog owners. It's well laid out and explains the basics of behavioural training. Also included are helpful troubleshooting tips and a look at how punishment may be affecting your training. Probably the most helpful book I own.
