We have been advised that the hierachy type training is based on flawed studies as they are from wolf packs in capitivity, thus not reflecting how they behave in the wild.This goes against the grain of the traditional advice but actually seems to be a much easier way of training a dog can anyone give be a link to anyone who supports this idea
I don’t know of any sites, but here are some hints about dog training:
1. It’s not rocket science
2. Dogs, like children, learn best by realizing there are consequences, both good and bad, to their actions
3. WAY too much though gets put into the “correct” way to train your dog when, in reality, the correct way depends on both you and your dog
Research some training methods, and see which fits you. And if it isn’t working, then change to a different method. And as for “positive” training – google “operant conditioning” – that is what “positive-only” trainers are actually doing, even though they either deny it or don’t know enough about training to realize what method they are actually using. Also google “nothing in life is free (NILF)” training.
Good luck.
I feel that there is some sense of ‘pack’ for dogs… just as there is with humans and wolves and most animals. Dogs are social and have a way of dealling with eachother which is where their ‘pack mentality’ comes into play. It is not as structured and strict as a wild pack of wolves, but there is some tendancies there… just as we tend to be family and tribal in our society like chimps, yet we are very different in our reasoning.
If you want to find a great source of info on behaviorism of a dog without the pack concept to intergrate into your training (or replace all together) I would suggest Jean Donaldson and her books and dvds. She is awesome, and I use her and Pat Miller as my base for training. I have had great success with two well behaved dogs that attained their CGC and TDI quickly, are a joy to have in public, and even people who ‘don’t care for dogs’ tend to really enjoy my pups. I get complimented often, and work hard to stay on top of training and finding what works for each of my dogs.
Yes, there are definite flaws in the ‘pack therory’ for dog training, but there are a few good concepts in it that do fit dog society as a whole.
As they say… between the two extreems lies the best way somewhere in the middle.
There are some good trainers who can help you with learning how to train your dog using positive kind methods which are also up to date. The following link is for the association of pet dog trainershttp://www.apdt.co.uk/
Clicker training is another good method of training.
remember to socialise your dog really well as this helps to prevent a lot of problems.
The pack behavior model is popular because it works with most dogs. What dogs “would do in the wild” is irrelevant. Dogs are not, and never have been, wild animals. They are “related” to wolves in the sense we are “related” to chimpanzees. Similar DNA, but ignoring the obvious differences.
Kip nailed it.
Don’t worry about the method as much as achieving the intended results. It’s not that complicated.
i train using positive reinforcement