MY METHOD

In the dog training world, there is a fascination with methods. There's "force-free," "balanced," and "positive reinforcement (+R) only," to name the ones you will hear the most.

Before becoming a trainer years ago, I researched for a year, trying to figure out what all this meant. By the end of that year, I knew dogs required both positive reinforcement (+R) and a consequence.

Once finding my feet, after going to school and continuing my own studies, I haven't spent much time taking notice of the who's who or what other trainers are doing—until recently (who has time?). I have been looking recently to find answers as to why so many of my clients came to me as "a last resort" after spending thousands with no results, or worse.

Sometimes, more harm had been done.

Also, why there was a noticeable shift in the number of dogs being medicated so readily. Then there was the issue of dogs being euthanized for behaviours, and how those trusted to protect our friends are also euthanizing unnecessarily. Why are behaviorists recommending euthanasia for young, healthy dogs who are not only rehabilitatable but are actually affected by relational issues with the owner?

These dogs, more often than not, have no reason to be killed!

I have never been more embarrassed to be associated with such an industry.

I predominantly focus on behavioral issues, my favorite being human-aggressive and very nervous dogs, due to the new lease on life these dogs are afforded. Regardless of the behaviors, 98% of the time, dogs got to where they did due to a lack of understanding of dog language by their owners.

The rehabilitation lies in the relationship between the human and the dog.

Just like in any relationship, we choose how we want to be treated, and we choose how we show up. We reinforce what behaviors we will accept or not. Unlike most other relationships, this one is unique due to the language barrier. Different from other language barriers (e.g., Japanese to English), there isn't a translator—for dogs.

There has yet to be a dog who can speak to give us a true look into their language.

After working with, observing, and living with hundreds of dogs, I do my best to translate what I see, know, and understand. I teach humans the basics of dog language to ensure the message being received matches those intended inside the home. This is where it all begins.

Psychologically, dogs and humans show a lot of similarities, especially in the changing of behaviors. For example, if our emotions are suppressed, eventually, there will be a negative outcome. Dogs are no different. Stopping a bad behavior does not mean suppressing the emotions. Once we remove the action, we can build confidence in the areas required, especially if the behavior is driven by fear. If you continuously avoid the triggers and reward the dog for "look at me" each time the trigger arises, you are not allowing the dog to move through any of their feelings or helping them learn what actual behavior is ideal.

If a dog is not challenged emotionally or mentally, they will not grow.

What is also similar is how different every person and dog is from the next. If you treat your second dog the same way as the first, you will see a very different outcome, just as you do with two kids growing up.

Did you know that a 'rescue' dog acts differently in your home compared to the next? This is caused by the difference in how one human functions in the world compared to another. What is important to you may not be as important to me. For example, whether a dog is allowed to follow you into the bathroom can differ, changing the dynamic in the relationship. It's in the small things, just as it is in human-to-human relationships.

Rehabilitation requires teaching humans dog language so that when we create the shift out of undesirable behaviors, they don't return due to incorrect messaging.

In the dog world today, there are people making thousands, sometimes six-figure salaries, based on methods that don't work or only work sometimes. Or maybe there is some peace gained with certain methods because the owners are told to change their lives, houses, patterns, or plans around to accommodate their dogs' fears and anxieties. All to make sure we don't unnecessarily stress the dog. Blacking out your windows to stop a dog from barking for any reason should not be accepted, but not only is it being accepted, more and more are doing it.

Dogs are more stressed in today's world, with more anxious and fearful dogs and more dogs acting out. We need to change so our dogs can be happy again and experience life fully. Dogs that aren't even comparable to the ones I rehabilitate here are being reduced to fragile, incapable victims who have no ability to process.

Where humans and dogs differ: Dogs do NOT hold onto the story. They have the action or emotion potentially, but they don't attach the past to it. So, the ability to shift emotionally and behaviorally is not as tedious or lengthy as the typical human experience.

Okay, so the humans understand—now what? Now, we use dog language to re-educate the dog.

Clear yes-or-no communication, just as they do. By establishing communication and teaching what is desirable and undesirable without pain or fear. Once we know for certain that the lines of communication are clear and tested, we can then add a consequence that is fair. The consequence is a correction.

Correction does NOT equal abuse. Correction does NOT equal dominance.

The dog has a choice: do it or not. Sometimes, the correction will be high enough to create discomfort, but the level is decided by the dog. Each time the behavior is practiced after they understand, the level of consequence increases. They are choosing, and sometimes dogs have a high pain tolerance, especially if the reward itself may seem worth it to the dog.

There is an obsession in today's dog training world regarding suppressing behavior. Also, dominance.

The only kinds of behaviors I am known to suppress are those that are dangerous to them or me through the process. For example, if a dog attempts to cause harm by biting, yes, I may suppress this in order to be able to work with the dog. At this point, I will be working backward. Meaning, no, you can't bite me, but now you know you are not allowed to, let's look at why you are doing so.

As for dominance, I do not believe this should be used in training or as a tool.

Leadership and dominance are being thrown together in the training world, and I disagree that in order to lead your dog, you need to dominate.

To lead, you need to understand who you are leading— from personality to genetics. You then need to understand what you are communicating to your dog, intentionally or otherwise. You need to respect that they are dogs. Then, you need to establish clear boundaries and expectations, fully understanding that they have no ability to navigate our world.

To lead is to be consistent, to have fun, and to ensure they can relax knowing you have it covered.

If you do not lead your dog effectively, they will not trust you. And if they don't trust you, they will do dog things. And sometimes, dog things come with consequences bigger than what you can correct - having your dog euthanized. It can be turned around though with the right help.

So, what's my method? To educate, advocate, rehabilitate, and do whatever it takes to ensure a better world for our best friends. I hope you will join me.

One day, I hope that I am not needed, because that would mean humans are respecting the needs of our four-legged, toothy friends. That would mean that dogs are not being given choices and responsibilities above their pay grade. That would mean that these beautiful creatures are being honored.

I dedicated my life to my dog so he could live his best life. And to me, his best life was a life full of adventures, freedoms, and more love than he could sometimes handle. For him to live his best life, I had to figure out the balance of his best life, my best life, and our best life.

Leadership, understanding dog language, and building a relationship— that's the key. There is no method.

To say I have a method would suggest I am incapable of helping those who do not fit that method.

Ellie PunchAdvocate, Educator, Translator, Rehabilitator

Science of methods, click HERE