I Love My Mailo

The following statement is a fact:

"Dogs learn how to behave from how we react to them"

Or put another way, dogs learn from living with us which of their behaviours get the most attention. Yet these simple facts seem to be very hard for a lot of dog owners to grasp, let alone understand because, I think, it requires effort and consistency from them to make a change for the better.

When you add to this equation, an organisation and the tiers of management that comes with any organisation, then there is an inherent culture in place that needs to be changed. Anyone who has worked with an organisation, let alone tried to change its culture will know how reluctant members of that organisation can be to even discuss change. Before I changed careers and trained dogs full time, my professional life was spent working with companies and organisations helping them change their culture to adopt different working practices. For any change to be successful it requires the whole organisation to "buy in" to the idea and change has to be led from the top.

If those who either own or run the organisation do not wholeheartedly accept and endorse the changes, their colleagues will not feel the need to follow suit. Change seems to be one of the hardest parts of life for us to accept yet change is the only true constant in our lives, especially in the current climate.

People who are open to change are usually more successful than those who are not so open. If you stick to tried and tested practice, you may miss out on a new idea that works better.

Science has enabled us to understand how dogs learn and why they behave and whilst this is has greatly enhanced dog training, there is a down side, in my opinion. The down side is those who have embraced modern dog training seem to now believe it is impossible to train a dog or teach them how to behave without the use of food or commands.

When the use of food becomes an established practice for training dogs, accompanied with the use of force to get an instant response to a command, it can become difficult to change that pattern of behaviour and training, especially when the organisation does not stick to just one way of working.

When you remove the use of food and force, it is a direct challenge to the people with whom you are working because you remove all they know. It is difficult for them to accept you don't need food or you don't have to rely on force when teaching a dog how to behave because it takes away their little bit of power. The expression "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing" is very true.

I work with a great number of dog owners who all have one thing in common, apart from their dogs. They are all very confused by the endlessly conflicting advice and training they are bombarded with from everyone who thinks they know about dogs.

When training your dog to behave, there is only one way that works and that is your reaction to their behaviour. Change which behaviour you reward the most and your dog will change. Apply that to every dog you meet and every dog you work with and you will make a positive difference to every dog you meet or work with.

That is the hard part, getting people to believe they can make a difference and applying that very simple method to every dog they meet. Coming back to organisations, it is this belief that has to come from the top otherwise it is the old and comfortable ways that will remain and the plight of dogs will remain the same. It is the responsibility of every dog owner and everyone who works with dogs and their owners to improve the lives of the dogs. But to rely on food and force is not improving their lives. There is a much better way, much more natural that is available to all of us because it is all of us who can change the lives of every dog we meet, own or work with.