#training philosophy

[millenniallust4death]

That’s worth repeating. Can you accept your dog as he or she is? What if all your efforts to make Buddy be different is making you both feel exhausted and lousy about the relationship? Can you stop demanding that the dog be different and accept the dog as he or she is?

Heather Rolland, “Acceptance”. Yoga Pants, Hiking Boots (3 February 2020).

[logan-maya]

E-collars, also known as "shock collars" are used in dog training. [...] Their use employs learning theory and the principles of conditioning: positive punishment (if used after an undesirable behaviour) and negative reinforcement (if maintained until a desired behaviour is shown). Their use is controversial and several European countries have decided to either ban or restrict their use, in the interest of dog welfare, which is at risk. Having researched and compiled current available scientific articles, our working group edited the following lines as a position statement to inform the public and to take a position regarding the possible use of this technique as an educational tool for dogs.

In conclusion, e-collar training is associated with numerous well documented risks concerning dog health, behaviour and welfare. Any existing behaviour problem is likely to deteriorate or an additional problem is likely to emerge, when such a collar is used. This becomes an even greater risk when this aversive tool is used by an unqualified trainer (as training is largely unregulated throughout the EU, it appears that a large number of trainers are unqualified).

Additionally, the efficacy of these collars has not been proven to be more effective than other alternatives such as positive training. Hence, ESVCE encourages education programmes which employ positive reinforcement methods (while avoiding positive punishment and negative reinforcement) thereby promoting positive dog welfare and a humane, ethical and moral approach to dog training at all times.

Members of ESVCE position strongly against the use of e-collars in dog training, using the above argument as a basis for our position and urge all European countries to take an interest and position in this welfare matter.

[fitfriendruns]

Happy Friday all! It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve updated the blog. I’ll try to provide some small updates soon so it’s not too overwhelming. 

Today I was featured on a runner’s blog who I know from Instagram. Amy aka @thecoreintention is one of those runners that I think makes social media so great! 

She recently ran a great marathon with an 11 minute PR, and today I’m thankful that I’ve been featured on her blog with an interview. I answer questions regarding training thoughts, diet thoughts, and race history. Check out the blog here and follow her journey. 

[millenniallust4death]

How do you get started in dogs and dog training? Go out and do it. It will be a struggle; it will cost you. You will fail. You will fail yourself, and you will fail your dog. But keep doing it. Love the struggle; love what you learn from each failure and each success, from each dog. Love the journey, because there is no destination. Love the dogs, because they are why you’re doing it.

Christine Kemper, “Fall in Love with Dogs”. Blackthorn Working German Shepherds (22 January 2020).

[millenniallust4death]

As a rule, dogs will always revert to their foundation, and holes in that foundation will always show themselves eventually. We can choose to rush or cut corners to make it to the "fun" stuff a little sooner, but it will very rarely come without consequence in one form or another. There's a quote from Archilochus, a greek philosopher, that remains entirely relevant in the world of dog training: "We don't rise to the level of our expectation, we fall to the level of our training."

“It’s Not a Race.” Elite Obedience Training (24 January 2020).

[millenniallust4death]

There's a phrase that I think perfectly encompasses the way a lot of us feel after spending too much time on social media: "comparison is the thief of joy." It truly is. All too often when we watch other teams work, we spend that time comparing our dog or our training to their's, whether it's intentional or not, and it is the fastest way to suck all the joy out of training. We allow one minute videos on social media to dictate the way we feel about ourselves, our dogs, and our training, with no real context as to what that person's session actually looked like outside the confines of that video. Of course, it happens outside of social media too. It's just as easy to watch a team work at club training or at a trial and feel the same twinge of jealousy you feel when watching an Instagram highlight reel.

“What It Really Means To Work The Dog In Front Of You“. Elite Obedience Training (17 January 2020).

It’s well-worth reading the entire blog post.

[millenniallust4death]

Amen!

I am so over dog training method debates and tool banning. Fuck your quadrant.

That's right. I said it.

[millenniallust4death]

I see a lot of heeling photos on my FB wall and IG feed. But it makes me uncomfortable to see so many young GSD heads cranked up high like Mals or a bully breed; then people complain about the sudden trend of spinal injuries in GSDs. I understand the appeal of a straight head in heeling - the straighter the head, the straighter the body. So, straight out of motions, correct basic position, no wrapping, etc. But I think it’s an uncomfortable position for GSDs and that’s why they naturally want to tilt their heads sideways. It’s a chore to hold criteria so that you don’t end up with a GSD head wrapped around your leg (eye contact is very self-rewarding) or a crabbed body. Alternatively, I have too many friends with young GSDs that are retired from IPO due to spinal injuries.