Dog training …. so many philosophies and training methods. Dr. Ian Dunbar recently gave a talk on TED and I feel it’s worth sharing. Click here to view his TED broadcast. Dr. Ian Dunbar believes in dog friendly dog training.
Training is so critical for all new dog owners however it can be confusing as to which philosophy to follow and its often hard to find the time to take your dog to a regularly scheduled class. People are busy. Another challenge… not all family members can attend and it is critical all family members follow consistent effective methods of communicating with their four legged family members. Why not attend an on-line training class… although you may sacrifice the dog socialization of attending an in-person class – it’s a great alternative for busy people and offers flexibility to meet your needs.
Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and writer. He received his veterinary degree and a Special Honors degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University) and a doctorate in animal behavior from the Psychology Department at the University of California in Berkeley, where he spent ten years researching olfactory communication, the development of hierarchical social behavior, and aggression in domestic dogs. He is well known and well respected in the field of dog training around the world. He now offers on-line video training courses on a variety of topics to focus on the specific areas your dog needs help with or you could take a general course for the basics. He offers on-line video courses through Udemy on-line courses. Here is one on dogs who are aggressive towards other dogs. The courses are very affordable as well.
There is a direct correlation with dogs who are able to stay in homes and live happy and fulfilled lives with the owners who invest the time and money to properly train their dog. That is why we require our adopters to take their dog to training after adoption. I often say it is as important if not more important for the owners than the dogs. Why? Because in America we tend to treat our dogs as “kids” and family members which is the way it should be and a wonderful aspect of pet ownership in America. However, an unintended consequence is we tend to humanize them and think that they think like “us” humans. They are DOGS not humans and these techniques often times don’t work and have dire consequences for humans and their loved dogs. Dogs are pack animals and process information very differently than humans – they act on instinct vs cognitive thinking. So unintentionally we often times do the wrong things that can lead to behavioral issues and undesired behavior in dogs. Sometimes this ends up in a dog needing to be rehomed. A dog that now needs behavioral training before they can be replaced in a home. This is the hardest and saddest thing I have had to deal with in rescue…. the dreaded call. And most times it could have been avoided if the owner had taken the time to train themselves as well as their dogs.
If you are looking for a good trainer and need the flexibility of an on-line course you may want to consider Dr. Ian Dunbar’s on-line courses.