Behavior Myths: Busted! Part II
Another week, another set of myths to bust! If you haven’t yet, make sure you check out Part One.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Learning is not age specific for any species! While it might take some older dogs a bit longer to grasp new concepts than young puppies, or to undo old habits they've had years to rehearse, there is no age limit on training! In fact, while your senior dog’s physical abilities start to decline, they can benefit even more from the mental enrichment and mental stimulation that training provides. Training your older dog helps keep their minds sharp. Check out this workshop all about training senior dogs called The Gift of a Gray Muzzle: Active Care for Senior Dog by the incredible Kathy Sdao for more information!
Cassie’s own dog Rugby is 13 years old and still loves to train! You can see him in action @training_rugby on Instagram.
Only bad/mean/aggressive dogs can bite.
We know you believe in your heart of hearts that Sparky would never ever bite, and we certainly hope he never does! But here’s the harsh reality: if it has teeth, it can bite.
A dog who bites isn’t a “bad” or “mean” dog. They’re more likely than not a very scared and stressed dog whose warning signals have been ignored. Biting is the last resort to get the scary thing to go away. Us humans tend to react strongly to displays of aggression (there’s still a part of our brain that sees big sharp teeth and thinks “oh no, a predator!”), but growling, lip curling, and snapping are all normal parts of dog communication.
The keys to preventing dog bites are learning to read your dog’s body language, respecting their space, and reaching out to a professional trainer for help if you’re ever concerned your dog may be close to biting. Check out this resource page by the AVSAB on Dog Bite Prevention and Stop the 77 for information to share with children!
If you train with treats, your dog will always expect them.
Food is an incredibly valuable tool to use in dog training. Dogs are inherently motivated by food, they require daily allotments of food, and it’s convenient to deliver bit by bit. It’s a no brainer to incorporate treats into training! When carried out correctly, treats and other reinforcement should appear after the desired behavior has been completed. A dog who can only “only perform for a treat” has either learned that the treat is a cue for the behavior, or could benefit from further training to help clarify the criteria. Food can also be faded out of training once the dog has thoroughly learned the task!
You have to be physical with dogs to communicate with them.
Many of the most skilled animal trainers on the planet never lay a hand on their learners. Zoos and aquariums train all kinds of species to do complex behaviors using protected contact, meaning a barrier separates the trainer from the animal for everyone’s safety. Through the use of luring, capturing, and shaping, we can humanely and effectively communicate with our dogs without ever having to use physical force, just as exotic animal trainers do with hyenas, elephants, cheetahs and more. Just because we can push our dogs around, that doesn’t mean we should!
Prong/shock/choke collars don’t hurt.
If they didn’t hurt, they wouldn’t work. Simply put, these types of equipment are literally designed to cause discomfort that the dog seeks to avoid. Can these collars effectively stop and suppress behavior? They certainly can. But they do not address the underlying cause of the unwanted behavior, they can inhibit learning, and there is a significant and well-documented risk of injury and behavior fallout. Check out these studies for more information:
The Use of Choke and Prong, Common Fallout, Multiple Scientific Sources
The Use of Shock, Consequences of Shock, Multiple Scientific Sources
The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs- a review
Harnesses teach dogs to pull.
Harnesses don’t teach anything! A back-clip harness doesn’t teach your dog to pull, and a front-clip harness doesn’t teach your dog to heel. Harnesses get a bad reputation largely thanks to the design of some back-clip harnesses that allow dogs to really dig in and pull without restriction (which is perfect if you want your dog to pull sleds, carts, or skis!) For strong dogs who are still learning their leash manners, we typically suggest a non-restrictive body harness that clips in the front and back such as the Balance Harness or Freedom Harness. Ultimately, it’s all about building a strong reinforcement history for the behaviors you want to see on walks.
Spaying/neutering will change behavior.
We’re going to say talk to your vet about this one! It may depend on the behavior you expect to change, how long it’s been rehearsed and your individual dog. The research and data is inconclusive on either side and contradictory.
Do you have any more myths you’d like to see us debunk? Send us an email at clickstartdogacademy@gmail.com!