"Positive" Bias?

As most of you know, we are what is referred to as "Balanced" trainers.  This means that we use both reward and correction - much like real life - to explain to dogs what we want and to encourage and enforce positive behaviour.

A properly fitted chain collar,
also known as "choke chain,"
"check chain" or "training collar"

Last night I was enjoying a live online interview and simultaneous chat about emergency care when one of the listeners/chatters started to rant on and on about how horrible and cruel "choke chains" and "traditional methods" were to dogs.  Of course, it only took a few minutes before several members were on board and were immediately decrying prong collars and e-collar use as well.

Their reasoning?  They claim that "traditional" methods (whatever that means) are inhumane and that clicker training is vastly superior in every way.

The facts, however, do not support this.

Not only are "check chains," "choke chains" or "training collars" (all the same thing, in case you were wondering) safe, but flat buckle collars, head halters and front lead harnesses all share an equal potential for causing physical harm.

Pay close attention to a few things in this video, which is actually a sales video for the Walk Your Dog With Love front clip harness.  First, pay attention to the dog's behaviour in the house - it's quite obvious that training has not been attempted here.  Second, watch the leash and the high level of tension involved - the dog has not stopped pulling!  Finally, watch the dog's gait while walking, and the position his front legs take when he finally comes to a sit.  Look comfortable to you?

The reality is that check chains distribute pressure equally around the entire neck - unlike other devices.  Flat collars place all the pressure directly on the trachea.  Head halters can do damage to dogs eyes and muzzle, and put all of the pressure on the neck and spinal cord.  Front lead harnesses alter a dog's natural gait and while their long-term usage has not yet been properly studied, one can imagine how this would cause a negative effect - not to mention the exceptionally low level of control these products provide.  One trainer even commented that she could identify a dog wearing a front lead harness from as far away as she could tell it was a dog she was looking at, simply by the altered gait.

Observe this dog pulling on his leash.
Note that all of the contact pressure
is on the very front of the neck

It is important to remember that check chains be used ONLY for correction, and not for punishment.  Yes, there is a difference! Punishing a dog is pointless.  Beating a dog, screaming at a dog, hanging a dog - all of these are punishments in the eyes of human beings.  After all, our parents punished us all the time, be it with chores or grounding or the ever popular "sit there and think about what you did!"  The problem is that even as children we have an ability to reason that greatly exceeds that of our canine companions.  The dog does not understand punishment - heck, the dog does not understand a correction if given after the fact.

A quick "pop" on the leash is all that is required.  The dog ideally should not move - we are not trying to knock the dog over.  What you are going for is the equivalent of a strong tap on the shoulder.  The leash should ALWAYS be slack, and corrections should be precise and clean.  To learn how to give a proper leash correction, please contact a knowledgeable trainer.  It is important that said trainer doesn't simply use a check chain, but also knows how to use one properly (this is not to say you can't choose to use another tool - but if your trainer lacks the basic skills to properly use a check chain, you need to keep looking).  If you can watch the trainer work with a client and the corrections seem excessive or overly strong-handed, walk away.

This "pop" instructs the dog that what he is doing that exact second is unwanted.

Dog walking done right! Notice the
leash is slack and there is no tension
in either dog or walker

"Purely positive" or clicker trainers would have you believe that the correct response is a verbal "ah-ah" or simply ignoring the behaviour.  This is fine if the offender is a sweet, stable dog who is sensitive enough to consider this a correction - however, if you are faced with a determined breed or individual, who is say... constantly eating things on the walk or greeting Grandma at the door by using his 80lbs to rear up and look her in the face just long enough to get a good hold and go in for an epic hump - well then, things are a bit different, aren't they?

The trouble here is that the behaviour ITSELF is rewarding.  The dog ENJOYS jumping up and humping Grandma.  The dog is REWARDED every time he manages to snag a snack off the sidewalk.  Some dogs have issues controlling their natural instincts, such as herding dogs chasing and nipping, gundogs being destructive, terriers doing whatever they please and hounds enjoying the sound of their own voice just for the hell of it.

Herding dogs were put to the test in one study which proved
that positive training was ineffective against intrinsically
rewarding behaviours. The stance and stare you see here is
pure instinct, and therefore unlikely to be altered using
positive reinforcement

Ignoring this behaviour is not going to make it go away.  To the contrary, it's likely to get increasingly worse.  In fact, the creators of modern "positive" dog training eventually wrote a paper stating that their original conclusions were incorrect - and that operant conditioning broke down readily in the face of instinctual behaviours.  In other words, it wasn't the magical method they first thought.  Of course, you'll never read that little tidbit in a manual on clicker training, will you?

Their other go-to move is "management."  Meaning that Rover has to be put in another room when Grandma comes in, or wears a muzzle on his walks to stop him from eating garbage, or isn't allowed in the yard unattended for fear he/she will dig a hole under the fence or bark until the neighbours complain.

What does this do?  First of all, it teaches the dog NOTHING.  Secondly, it instills frustration.  Third, you are left with a dog who could potentially do any one of these things if not "managed" correctly 100% of the time.

All this to avoid a correction?

I always recommend that dog owners learn to use tools on themselves before using them on the dog.  This gives the owner a full and complete understanding of the varying levels of correction, regardless of the tool.  Again, please seek out professional advice if you need assistance learning any tools' proper use.

This is a VERY dangerous situation - the dog
could injure the woman in several ways,
including simply knocking her over

The dog who greets guests inappropriately for example can instead meet them wearing a check chain and dragging the leash (under supervision at all times!).  When Rover goes to jump on Grandma, a simple foot on the leash will prevent the jump and provide an immediate and perfectly timed correction.  The dog quickly learns to avoid the correction and instead offers another behaviour - sitting, for example.  We like sitting, so we also keep a bowl of treats by the door for guests to reward Rover for appropriate behaviour.  Within a few days we have a dog who looks forward to a knock at the door because with it will come a reward.  At this point, a verbal "ah-ah" is usually enough to remind Rover what the appropriate behaviour is - followed of course by a reward for performing the correct behaviour.

The point is that not only are check chains an appropriate tool when used properly, they are actually superior to flat buckle collars for training purposes (although ALL dogs should wear a flat buckle collar on which to display their license, ID tag and Rabies tag).  Do they have the potential to be abused?  Sure!  But so does ANY tool.

Note the halter digging in to one side of the
dog's face. When dogs pull on head halters
intently, this effect is magnified, sometimes
actually making contact with the eye itself
or wearing away the hair underneath the eye

 Head halters for example can actually cause scarring on the muzzle and around the eyes.  It can also lead to soft tissue damage simply by just standing there.  That's right - you're standing on the sidewalk with the leash in your hand when suddenly Rover bolts after a squirrel.  His head is whipped to one side as his muzzle is pulled back first.  His neck then bends sharply, while his forward propulsion swings his back end around in front of him.  There is a reason that horse people don't tether or tie down horses - many rescues want the practice banned, in fact.  This type of action while tethered by the muzzle is almost guaranteed to cause injury.  Think about sprinting a few yards - and then realizing your nose is tied to your stationary friend's arm.  Imagine the physical movements that would follow, and see if you think you would survive such an event without injury.

That's not to say that head halters don't have their place.  When dealing with dogs who are simply unmanageable any other way (particularly lunging dogs or difficult dogs with physically restricted owners) they can be a godsend.  They can allow you the ability to manage the dog WHILE you train it.  Keep in mind, however, that head halters are NOT training tools, they are management tools.  As soon as you remove the head halter, the dog's behaviour will continue unless measures have been taken to instill proper behaviour and the dog understands correction.  Note that a correction can NOT be given on a head halter.  If your trainer attempts to jerk on your dog's lead while wearing a halter, WALK AWAY.

Any trainer  who recommends a particular device and then refuses to try anything else if that tool does not work for that dog is NOT a very well-rounded trainer.  Great trainers understand all methods, not just the "how" but the "why" as well.  Great trainers understand the proper use of all available tools, or are willing to direct you to a trainer who does (there is nothing wrong with simply admitting you don't know!).  Great trainers use what works best for the dog in front of them.

With the appropriate tools and professional guidance
this could be you before you know it!

I have never had a client come to me with a difficult case after seeing a balanced trainer.  Every client who has come to me as a second, third or last resort after using previous trainers all had one thing in common - that trainer was stuck with a methodology that didn't allow for their particular type of dog, and could not provide a solution, only management techniques.  While there are certainly some cases that (for many reasons) will only allow for a management-type solution, these cases are incredibly rare.

Clickers and purely positive methods certainly have their place, and sure there are dogs who will respond well to this kind of training.  However, for a professional trainer to condemn a dog to "management" simply because they are unwilling to apply fair, well timed correction or look outside their own methodology for an answer is what I consider the definition of cruel.  Seek out a trainer who understands many methods and techniques, and you are much more likely to find a solution to your dog's behaviour troubles.

For a full and complete explanation of "balanced training" methods, please check out this .pdf created by Laura G White of Cinnstar Retrievers.

Also, please remember - NEVER leave a dog unattended wearing any kind of training collar.  Every dog should wear a flat collar on which to keep their tags and other important information.  To reduce the potential for injury, make sure this collar is also properly fitted - you should be able to fit two comfortably under the collar.  Too tight can restrict circulation and cause hair loss, too loose and it may get caught on something and cause an injury.