Save the People, Too

Invite people to learn through observation and  volunteerism

 

I read this MinnPost article (Joys and Tribulations of Doggies in the City), thought a couple vague thoughts in my head, and promptly forgot about it. I didn't find the author to have much of a purpose in her writing, and didn't find the article very compelling one way or another.

This article hit some in my rescue family a lot harder. Reading their words, I understand why they are emotional, and angry. They deal with suffering on a daily basis, often caused by carelessness, selfishness, and willful ignorance. It's hard to see the good in people sometimes. I know this, because it happens to me too.

But in reading the responses, I worry that we missed an opportunity to educate people. I can easily write off the author as a silly woman who made her choice. If I attack her, I'm certainly not changing her choice. But I have the opportunity to change future choices of those who read the comments on her article, or engage in a similar discussion in another forum.

Although some of my rescue folks saw "woman unfit to own a dog" when they read the article, there are plenty of less-in-the-know folks who will simply take her word for it that it was needlessly difficult to adopt. We have the chance to encourage people to do their own research, to invite them to check out our rescue of choice, to get familiar with the how-and-why. But if we attack the author... well, who do we really make look bad?

Most of you advocate positive reinforcement for your dogs... and I know sometimes you just want to slug someone, but it might be better to pretend they're a dog. They don't know anything (I bet you can at least agree on that point!), and to teach them they'll learn best if you show them the light and give a little R+ to increase the frequency of the desirable behavior.

After all, the more people we save, the more dogs we can save.

 

See Through the Rhetoric with Common Sense

Yesterday, The Today Show featured a clip with Cesar Milan. He brought four rescue dogs, presumably with little training, into the studio. He then had the four anchors each take a leash, and after a couple minutes he gave them a 'training lesson'.

The clip was designed to show unruly dogs in the hands of new adopters, and to highlight how Cesar Milan can calm the dogs quickly with his techniques. I am not going to discuss his methods, and whether I agree with them or not. 

View The Today Show clip with Cesar Milan

What I do find worth discussion was that he willingly set these dogs up for failure - to say nothing of the people. The anchors were not given any handling instructions prior to receiving the leash. They were only told to 'control the situation', but not given any directions about how to accomplish this. Thus, the handlers were also set up to fail. The setup then highlighted the calm that took over when Cesar started calling the shots. (This also coincided with the disappearance of two dogs from the set, who returned to their experienced handlers - but that is beside the point.)  

But what kind of failure happened? Within 60 seconds, two dogfights had occurred - one drawing blood. This is a terrible experience for these dogs, and may have lasting consequences. Although he probably did not intend for a dog to get hurt, Cesar's omission of basic safety-first handling instructions put these dogs at risk. All for a TV segment. Whether or not one agrees with his methods, I do believe that most people would agree that this was at best, poorly executed, and at worst, unethical.

There is something for the pet dog owner to take away from this. You may not know all the theories, or understand the lingo, and searching for a trainer can be daunting. But a bit of observation and plain ol' 'gut feeling' can guide you.

A trainer worth his or her salt will let you observe a training class before paying - take advantage of that! Will you and your dog be safe? Does the trainer have control of the class? Are unruly dogs given extra help - or even excused from class until they are developmentally ready? Does the trainer speak and act kindly toward the people and dogs? Is the trainer able to clearly communicate? Are both the people and canine participants learning and enjoying themselves?

Chat with the trainer after class. Is the trainer willing and happy to answer your questions? Do you think his or her philosophy and methods make sense? Dogs and their humans should always be set up to succeed. In fact, appropriate challenges cause growth and learning to be quick! And dog training absolutely does not have to come at the cost of an unhappy dog - or worse, at the cost of irreparably damaging the dog's confidence in you or the world around him. You and your dog are going to have a long-term relationship with the trainer, so you should feel comfortable with both the trainer and the methods. 

The rhetoric of the dog-training community can be overwhelming, but you have the power to make a great decision for your dog. Charge through charm and marketing with the simple tools of observation and common sense. Your dog will thank you.