Eric Brad challenges some commonly held belief about dogs and says good training is not about being a pack leader or gaining respect.
I’m a dog trainer. I love dogs. I have loved and enjoyed the company of dogs for most of my life. For a long time, I thought I knew dogs and how to live with them. Then I read some things that both shocked and enlightened me to the realities of dogs. From their origins and biology to their behaviour and integration into human society, I found I was tragically under informed about the realities of the dogs all around us. Perhaps I have seen too many websites or watched too many dog trainers on TV, but I’ve just hit the wall on one issue I feel I need to address. The squeamish among you may wish to stop reading now.
Your dog is a captive. A hostage. He has precious little hope of escape unless you are careless or deliberate in getting rid of him. He is a domesticated animal, considered by most municipalities a piece of property to be treated like an appliance or piece of furniture under the legal system. He resides in your home at your pleasure and through no fault or choice of his own. Such is the state of existence of most dogs. That’s just the reality of the situation.
How we, as caretakers of our charges, choose to deal with them is a fascinating study in diversity. Do most dogs suffer horribly? Certainly not, although some do. Most dogs are treated as cherished family members and others are treated with great care as working members of our society — as assistance dogs or working in law enforcement or other jobs. Regardless of how well or poorly a dog is cared for by humans, the one option generally not open to them is to just up and leave.
Getting Respect
In preparing to write this column each week, I search the web and read sites of other dog trainers to get different viewpoints and information. One recurring theme on many of these websites is “gaining your dog’s respect.” In her article How To Gain Your Dog’s Respect, author Danielle Niesz makes the assertion that owners must gain their dogs’ respect and “The only real way to go about this is to become your dogs’ pack leader.”
Niesz goes on to claim that “if you establish your dominance, your dogs will not question your position as pack leader, making your life easier and your dog’s more fulfilling.”
Establish my dominance over my dog? Seriously?! I have the power to starve her to death! Virtually everything in my dog’s life comes through me — toys, treats, food, water, exercise, companionship, a place to live, everything. Perhaps I don’t have a proper definition of dominance, but being a captive audience as she is, I would say that my dog is completely dominated by me in every important material way. I could, on a whim, deposit her at a shelter to be euthanized.
“But we love our dogs!” you may protest. Apparently this isn’t enough. Dog trainer and radio host Kevin Salem says, “sure, it [using food treats to train] builds trust, love and affection, but never respect!” So it’s not about whether you love your dog or not. It’s not even about whether your dog loves or trusts you. It’s about “respect”, a concept described by psychology professor Jonathan Haidt as one of the five fundamental moral values in his Moral Foundations Theory.
Are dog trainers who insist that the dog must “respect” the owner really suggesting that our dogs have a moral compass? To date, nothing even remotely close to this level of complexity has been proven to exist in the cognitive abilities of dogs.
Respect? Who Needs it.
Even famous TV dog trainer and author Cesar Millan refers to “respect” when talking about dogs and their owners. One website quotes Millan as saying, “Dogs enjoy having a leader who they trust and respect, and who routinely fulfills their needs: exercise, discipline and affection.” Millan is often seen providing “discipline” to misbehaving dogs on his television show, as shown in this video. But a post by New Yorker magazine author Malcolm Gladwell — who has viewed hours of unedited video of Millan and written about him — paints a different picture.
According to a blog post by Gladwell, the use of physical “discipline” on the dogs in Millan’s TV show is greatly exaggerated by selective editing for airing on the television program. Gladwell writes, “…over the course of an hour or more with a particular dog, he [Millan] might only “touch” the dog once or twice, and only in response to very specific behaviors.”
So, questions about the wisdom of using physical force to earn “respect” aside, the producers of the show are choosing to over emphasize the importance of “respect” in working with dogs. Do we really need to see the dog “respecting” Cesar so much that the editors take out the non-confrontational stuff and leave us with Millan showing the dog who’s boss? Given the popularity of the show, the answer seems to be yes.
So where does this need for outward signs of “respect” in dog owners come from? In 1954 psychologist Abraham Maslow published his book Motivation and Personality in which he suggests that a need for respect from others is a basic need in humans. Is our need to see outward signs of “respect” in our dogs’ behaviour towards us about the dog’s behaviour or is it really about our basic human need to feel “respected” by those around us? Our current understanding of the limitations of what dogs can comprehend suggests that they can’t conceptualize “respect” much less deliberately choose to demonstrate that “respect” in their behaviour. Could it be that we are simply projecting our own needs onto a captive audience in our dogs?
The Power of Words
To be fair on the issue, I’ve also noted that most of the websites that talk about “respect” and “discipline” with regard to dogs are really getting at an important (and much more benign) point. The authors emphasize structure and consistency in working with dogs whether they advocate reward-based or punishment-based training. Those of us who use behavioural science to train our animals refer to this as using “contingencies” to manage behaviour. It’s a simple “If-Then” equation; IF you do this, THEN this will happen. The outcome is contingent on the preceding behaviour or situation.
I just need to provide a clear and consistent structure for my dog to understand our life together. This would be what some dog trainers call “setting the rules” or “defining the boundaries”. But it has nothing to do with “getting respect” and everything to do with educating my dog about how to operate successfully in my home!
But what of the dogs that have their owners “wrapped around their little paw”, the ones that can get what they want when they want? You know, the dogs you see on TV shows; the worst of the worst-behaved dogs. Along with the power to starve or abandon your dog also comes the power to create the most bizarre behaviours so the dogs get what they want. That dog that barks incessantly at two in the morning is likely doing it because someone lets her out when she does. The dog that jumps all over mommy is likely doing so because it’s a sure-fire mechanism to get attention from mommy who probably feels guilty for her busy life and gives her “baby” a cookie in response to that jumping.
Pack of Lies
Meanwhile, back at our “Pack Leader” scenario, it has been proven through scientific study that the dog is NOT a pack animal like the wolf or coyote. Dogs have evolved into lone scavengers and are now a far cry from their pack-hunting ancestors, the wolves.
Once in our homes, dogs do have a need to understand the “rules” of how to be successful — how to avoid the punishments and how to earn the rewards. Do I need to establish myself as a “Pack Leader” in order to do this? No. Do I need to use “calm assertive energy”? No. Do I need to get my dog’s “respect” or show my dominance over her? Of course not, and there’s one simple reason for this: people have thumbs. Thumbs allow us to use can openers, door knobs, water faucets, gates, and cars. In short, they allow us to provide for or abuse our dogs at our discretion.
Where is This Going?
So the debate rages on. Positive training? Calm assertive energy? Spare the rod and spoil the child? Treats are good? Treats are bad? Show them who’s boss? Teach them how to be successful? Remarkably (to me, anyway) the debate seems to turn more on which human being is the better trainer and the clever application of whatever training philosophy they espouse. It’s all about results and sometimes about “respect.” Look what my dog can do (or in some cases, won’t do).
What of the dog? What about the hostage that has to put up with whatever comes at him? The choice is simple — put up with whatever it is or lash out at the human. That second choice is always a last resort for the dog and it never ends well for him. So the captive has to figure it out to survive. As I have said many times “all dog training works — eventually” and it works for a simple reason: if your dog cannot figure out what your want from him, the outcome is unpleasant so the hostage is very motivated to do it your way.
Without the structure that many trainers allude to (but don’t always clearly articulate), it can be difficult for my dog to figure out what the heck works in this crazy place. I just need to communicate effectively. No poking, no kicking, no confusion, no inconsistency. Yes is yes and no is no.
It’s time we stopped putting the blame on the dogs, the hostages that are just trying to survive in our quirky, complex, sometimes inconsistent human world. We need to place full responsibility on ourselves. We are the ones that have the big brains. We are the ones who make the rules and enforce them (more or less consistently). We are the ones who can kill them or abandon them at any time we choose to do so.
Respect? Leadership? Dominance? I have thumbs. Everything else is just excuses.
Photo Credits
Captive – Jeffreyw 2010 from Flickr
Outside – Scubadive67 2005 from Flickr
The Bars – Brett Samuel 2006 from Flickr
Dominated? – Elvissa 2007 from Flickr
I’m a dog trainer and I believe ..we need to build respect but in the way you have to build respect with your friends and family. colleagues, etc.
We need to become “pack leaders”? yes.. but not related to dominance.. we have to be leaders just to take care of our friends.. dogs need us to learn to behave in some scenarios, to face unknown things, people, sounds, etc.
Simple!
I’m on the same page, but, I really am baffled by your use of the label “hostage”. Holding another against their will? How does that fit in with force free? And choice? I can’t see my dog as my “hostage”. I do wish you had chosen a different term….
Hi Tamandra –
And I wish the term “hostage” were not as technically accurate as it is but we can’t really change that. Our dogs are simply not free to leave if they don’t like the way we are treating them.
How does that reality fit in with “force free?” I don’t know. I have always had difficulty with that term and I don’t identify myself as a “force free” trainer. This might be an interesting discussion to have with people who do identify themselves as “force free.”
Personally, I have come to terms with the limited choices my dogs have in their lives with me. While still technically not free to leave, I like to conduct myself with my dogs in a way that they would prefer to stay with me if given a choice (although they don’t actually get to make that choice).
There are lots of facts about dogs that some people find inconvenient and uncomfortable. I choose to face them head on and deal with them as they are and make the best life I can with my dogs. Not everyone makes that choice. To each their own.
Thanks for reading and thanks especially for your comments.
I thought it over some more, and it’s true, we make most of the decisions for dogs, and they didn’t choose us. The word just has a negative connotation I suppose. (Especially when one is thinking about their own relationship with their dog) And it’s true, there are lots of facts that people find uncomfortable.
I think the dialogue on respect is important, and challenging the prevalent belief systems about dominating being the way to “respect”, when that’s such a human construct.
Thanks Tamandra,
I very much appreciate you sharing your thoughts. For me, I see the situation as one that places a burden on me as a caretaker instead of a challenge to me as a “captor.” Like a toddler, my dog is not equipped to make many of the decisions that are necessary in a human-centric world. All the more reason to work very hard on creating a safe, comfortable, and easy to navigate life for my dogs. In large measure that means I have a responsibility to teach them what they need to know in as helpful and kind a manner as I am able.
I agree with you. We do not need to dominate in order to educate.
Thanks again,
Eric
Interesting argument. I live in a small pacific island country (Tonga). Each and every house has at least four dogs, sometimes up to six. There are no fences. They sometimes get fed, sometimes not. Most are not neutered. The only way the dog population remains under some sort of control is that most puppies die of parvovirus. Very few dogs are vaccinated. There is no full time vet. It is a sad state of affairs (which I plan to do something about). But my point is: these dogs are not hostages. They can and do go wherever they like. But they seem to stay within a mile of their ‘homes’. Why?
Hi Catherine –
Thanks for your comments! And your question is crucial to what I am trying to say about dogs in this article.
The environment you describe in Tonga is actually what biologists would consider the “natural habitat” of dogs. Dogs have evolved as they have by hanging around human settlements and scavenging off of our waste products. Let to their own devices, dogs prefer to scavenge from humans rather than hunt live prey. This is, in fact, the way more than 70% of the world’s dogs live! It is only in “western” or “cosmopolitan” countries where dogs are kept under more strict reproductive and behavioural control.
To more fully answer your question as to “why” dogs hang around humans even when we do not force them to do so, I can highly recommend the book “What is a Dog?” by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger as a great exploration of the ecological, biological, and behavioural evolution of dogs and why they depend on humans so heavily.
Thanks for reading!
Eric
Your article was great well done, if only we could convince humans(well we are working on it)
Thank you Eric for having the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the dog whisper fans (speaking of blunt instuments). If you’ve not already done so, you have to read The Culture Clash, which expands exactly this thesis – right down to opposable thumbs and the power of life and death over our dogs.
Meagh
Eric, I really like the way you put things into perspective. I am not a “crossover” trainer, as I only discovered dog training about 5 years ago so I was mostly “raised” with positive training. I use a lot of analogies to help clicker training make sense to my clients, and some of the comparisons you’ve made are incredibly useful. I have great respect for you and other crossover trainers who have opened their minds enough to learn about R+ and utilize it well.
Thank you for sharing your insights!
Excellent article Eric, I can see why you have had hundreds of hits on it!!! I hope it will go a long way into debunking the dominance and respect myths. Well done.
Ummm…
Respect? Dominance? Leadership? I have a pre-frontal cortex. Everything else is just excuses.
True as it is the zing is gone lol!
Well-written Eric. Thanks for letting me post the link on my website. I may need to hand this out to nearly every beginner in my class to de-cult them from the TV trainers.
Beautifully written – nice and clear, and not confrontational. I hope it continues to spread (I got it fed into my Facebook newsfeed from 16 colleagues already!).
H Pate has a good point, too – lots of animals have thumbs, but we don’t see opossums ruling the world. It’s our cognitive abilities. (But @dogcatcher is right, too – it’s catchy!)
I wanted to add one thing – the whole dominance theory is very attractive to humans because *we* are pack animals (in primates the group is usually called a troop). Humans’ natural social structure is probably somewhere between wolves’ (a family group, with juveniles dispersing to found their own family groups at adulthood) and that of many other primates (a true hierarchy with obvious rules about who gets access to which resources). But as long as those genes are still in our genome, we will find dominance theory very attractive and natural.
Thank you for writing about something I consider every day when I am doing adoption counseling at our shelter. As someone who decides who goes home with whom, I am painfully aware of the power I have over each dog’s future. It is a scary responsibility and one I take very seriously. As you so effectively pointed out, dogs have so few choices and it’s all up to us,. I intend to share your words with others.
Cathy
Best end line ever!! Please, make bumper stickers and T shirts.
Thank you to everyone who has shared your comments here and for passing along a link to this article. It’s a subject near and dear to my heart and I’m glad it has struck such a chord with all of you.
Your comments mean a lot to me and I’m grateful for you taking the time to both read my thoughts and share your own.
All my best to you and your dogs.
Eric
P.S. – @Dogcatcher – you have my blessing on the bumper stickers and T shirts…just make sure you quote me on it! =)
Thank you.
Dogs have been so successful because most of the time they are able to learn despite how we train them, not because of how we train them. Pity the poor dog for whom the ‘how’ matters.
I agree with much of what Brad wrote here in terms of how to relate and live with dogs, with one major exception. First, it’s not thumbs that make us who or what we are as humans. It’s the ability to think about thinking. So far, there is no clear ongoing proof that any other creatures can do that with the consistency and level of complexity that humans do. With this special capability comes, I think, a responsibility to use it. Please, think. Use your reasoning abilities to find, examine, compare and analyze. You can do this at a level that your dog cannot. YOU can plot to take over the world, one couch at a time. but your dog can’t. He just likes to be comfortable and on a surface that continually reminds him that you share his space.
Which brings me to a major agreement with Brad – dogs are not humans. We share a lot in common but in some ways we are in different worlds. My dog does need to know how to get along with us because that’s what all social animals have to do to share space. Why should we expect her to have the same reasons for following the rules we all have to use to get along? Why do we have to think alike? I love it that my dogs are so different from me. That’s is a huge part of their charm and my delight in them. Isn’t enough that you get a pay cheque and the dog gets a biscuit? It’s a reward, right?
For the record – I use my pay cheque to buy biscuits and the occasional couch to replace the worn out ones the humans and canines share at my house.
Who was it who wrote that dogs just know ‘Safe’ and ‘Dangerous’… if they can get that food off the counter when you are not there, because it’s safe, they will! Forget morals or respect, they don’t exist in the dog world. 🙂
For many years I have said that dogs’ lives are completely subjective to humans. Our whim. Every aspect of their lives… what they eat, if they go out, if they stay home, their medical care, whether we are going to change their bodies physically by removing tails with surgery… EVERY aspect of their lives are because of us humans with thumbs…
I try to give my dogs as many options, and as many choices, as I can. Dog sports like agility and flyball are part of it, so is going to the park, sitting on the couch.. of course they have to learn the rules of living in a human house, but so do human children. And so there is balance.
It was Jean Donaldson in “The Culture Clash.”
Bravo Brad. Like you, I”m a crossover trainer – from more “traditional” methods to +R and -P and clickers and respecting the dog’s – well, dogness.
Beautifully said, good for you. Wish YOU had a TV show.
Nicely put. Dogs ARE hostages (this simple statement of fact infuriates many people-why, I do not understand). WE choose to bring this different species into our homes-therefore we are obligated to teach them using methods that are as fair to the learner as possible. Anything else is inexcusable.
Well said, Brad.
Thank you for this honest picture of how dogs live in our world. My dog training work is centered around helping dogs feel safe and know how to cope in our crazy and stressful human world. Your article so clearly states the reasons we as the humans are the ones who need to respect our dog’s rights to fair, consistent, and humane treatment. We have a choice, they don’t!
Nice article Brad. It’s so easy to anthropomorphize and attribute human moral characteristics and emotions to our dogs (and other animals). That notion of “respect” is a prime example of that. And funny how ingrained the myth of the “alpha dog” concept is in the modern psyche that we can’t seem to let it go.
Great article!! Now how to get this across to the trainers who believe this whole thing about respect etc! They believe the only way to train is to BE THE PACK LEADER no matter what and no matter what method you need to use. They have huge followings. I don’t get the whole respect thing as it comes to dogs, I guess mine does though, I can sleep with her, play with her, take her toys, push her around when we’re playing (she loves that game) and she doesn’t try to rip my arms or legs off!!
If we could get through to a 1/4 of these trainers, it would be a great day for dogs!
Wow. This one made me cry. So powerful. “I have thumbs. Everything else is just excuses.” How true. Time to go hug my dogs and thank them for sharing their lives with me. Thank you for writing this.