Ian Dunbar – Dog-friendly training

That’s an interesting title of Dunbar’s Ted video because it means that there is training that is not friendly to dogs.

Some cases of Cesar Millan’s approach to dogs can certainly be seen as not dog-friendly. But take a look at Google Search Trends and we find that Cesar Milan’s popularity is such that he has such an overwhelming mass of people searching for him it’s mind boggling. I’ve watched Cesar Milan on TV many times because TV is just so accessible a medium.

But when it comes to training Donna, I’ve gotten more effectiveness using positive training. So I think Ian Dunbar deserves some airtime on my humble blog. Some would even say Dunbar deserves a lot of airtime everywhere.

Dr. Patricia McConnell, author of “For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in Your Best Friend” and the animal behaviorist on Animal Planet’s “Petline,” goes as far as to say that Millan has put dog training back 20 years. “Dunbar is a world authority,” she says, “and he should be the one with the celebrity.” – SFGate

Unfortunately for Dunbar (not that he cares since he wouldn’t know I exist!), Kikopup has more influence on me since she has more specific positive dog training videos that are easily accessible on Youtube. (What can I say? I’m part of that demographic that surfs mindlessly and learn better visually and by doing it.) So I can understand why Dunbar isn’t the one with the celebrity. :P

But I just happened to see Dunbar’s Ted video and it summarises so succinctly the points about why a dog behaves the way it does and how that should inform our approach to training our dogs. The ideas certainly helped me make sense of Donna’s behaviour early on. So I thought it’s a good thing to share.

So let’s put a face and voice to Ian Dunbar on this blog because until today, I’ve never actually seen a single one of his videos despite being heavily influenced by his and others’ ideas of dog behaviour and positive training. OMG!

Who’s Ian Dunbar? 

(Vet, behaviourist and dog trainer – Dunbar) didn’t know it at the time, but Dunbar introduced a concept so revolutionary he’s credited with launching what is now commonly regarded as the modern era in dog training: Train puppies before six months of age–off leash (the way they live at home)–and use rewards rather than punishment to teach proper behavior.

Today, the notion that very young puppies can not only be trained, socialized, and handled, but that doing so actually prevents most problem behaviors from developing, is a founding truth of modern dog training. – dogtime

Here’s a humorous Ted talk from him.

Force-free training can be so easily integrated into your lifestyle. Give the dog treats or other rewards when the dog is doing behaviours you like and she will be encouraged to behave in ways which you have rewarded her for.

It gets harder to distract her from existing behaviours you don’t want to encourage. For example, how do I positively influence her to stop peeing on the kitchen floor during thunderstorms when she is already frightened out of her mind to even remember training?

That’s when it just seemed easier to vent frustrations by scolding her or telling her “no” or some other action that will deter her because it makes her uncertain, anxious or fearful and hopefully not dare to do it next time. But of course she does, because she was frightened out of her mind by the storm already. And then because she did on the kitchen floor, she becomes twice as horrified because she knows she’s not supposed to do that.

Honestly, I haven’t found the answer for that kitchen conundrum yet so what I can’t positively train, I manage. Put a baby gate at the kitchen entrance. Kitchen peeing stopped.

But that’s sort of where the fun lies in as well. It’s like a puzzle you work at, have to think about to discover what sort of rewards work for your dog and what doesn’t. What makes him learn faster and what slows down the learning.

Of course some things take time, we’re been working on her thunder phobia for a year and a half and it is still work in progress. Other things take a shorter time, like learning to shake paws or high-five or to follow my hand or weave through my legs.

But mostly, I just prefer this self-image of me as a dog human who doesn’t need to scold or use aversive actions on my dog. It makes me happy when Donna looks relaxed or happy rather than uncertain, nervous or fearful because she has done something wrong. She already spends too much of her time in fear from the frequent thunderstorms we experience.

Now, go see this smartest 10-week-old puppy perform amazing dog tricks trained using positive training! I’m sorry Donna knows peanuts compared to him : (    :P

References

– The effect of training method on stress levels in dogs
– The dog trainers’ trainer