Dog Training
Dog training is a process that enhances the relationship between humans and dogs, aiming to modify canine behavior to meet human expectations. This practice has roots dating back thousands of years, when early humans began domesticating wolf-like canines. Over time, various methodologies for training dogs have evolved, shifting from early trial-and-error techniques to more structured approaches that emphasize positive reinforcement. One notable development in dog training was the introduction of clicker training, popularized in the 1980s, which uses a sound to mark desired behaviors and reward dogs accordingly.
Training not only aims to teach basic obedience but also prepares dogs for specific tasks, such as assistance for individuals with disabilities, law enforcement roles, and herding livestock. While techniques range from the widely accepted positive reinforcement methods to more controversial practices like shock collars and dominance theories, the effectiveness and ethics of these approaches often spark debate among trainers and behaviorists. Factors such as breed characteristics and the dog's innate behaviors significantly influence training methodologies, making it essential to tailor techniques to the individual dog. Overall, effective dog training fosters understanding and communication between humans and their canine companions, ultimately leading to a harmonious relationship.
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Dog Training
The relationship between humans and dogs goes back thousands of years, when hunter-gatherers in Western Europe domesticated a wolf-like canine. Many believe that early dogs scavenged the carcasses left behind by hunters, and eventually they worked alongside hunters to stalk prey and provide defense against other predators. Another theory states that orphaned wolf pups raised by humans became socialized, which then led to a tamer breed of wolves that over several generations became domestic dogs.
Early methods of training dogs consisted of trial-and-error and operant methodology, which is based primarily on reward and punishment, and was employed to train various sporting breeds that were then used for hunting. Up until the 1980s, most trainers believed that dogs had to be "broken" in order to then be properly trained. This ideology gradually shifted toward a more positive approach that focused on a dog’s behavioral processes and on using the clicker tool as a way to modify behavior.
Background
The birth of formal dog training occurred in England during the late 1700s, when casual dog competitions spread in popularity. These were primarily held in taverns, and by the 1800s, clubs began to appear based around specific breeds. These clubs led to the first organized dog show in 1859 and the founding of the Kennel Club in 1873. In the United States, the Westminster Kennel Club was founded in New York City in 1877 and was the forerunner of the American Kennel Club (AKC), which was formed in 1884 as the governing body of dog shows around the nation. The Westminster Kennel Club holds an annual dog show with all breeds taking part in the competition.
Dog training was also becoming popular in the United States during the 1700s, when the focus was principally on sporting dogs. US president George Washington had foxhounds, which was a breed prevalent in competitions at the time.
The obedience component was not a part of US competitions until 1933, when standard poodle breeder Helen Whitehouse Walker proposed to clubs that obedience tests be included in their shows. The first US competition was held in October 1933, and within three years, the AKC developed their "Regulations and Standards for Obedience Test Field Trials" for use at licensed competitions.
In the 1940s, Marian Bailey and her husband Keller Breland founded Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE), which used positive reinforcement coupled with operant conditioning methods to train different animals for various purposes. Breland was the first dog trainer to use the "clicker" tool to train dogs.
Military dog trainer William Koehler developed a method of dog training in the late 1940s that stressed rewards. Koehler found that when a dog’s actions were influenced by a reward, the dog would repeat those actions. In 1962, he wrote the book Koehler Method of Dog Training, which influenced training and continued to be a best seller among dog training books for several decades.
The book Training Dogs: A Manual, by German dog trainer Colonel Konrad Most was published in the United States in 1954 and described the basic principles for training service dogs for police and military use. Most was a pioneer in dog training, and his book helped popularize operant conditioning, which stressed rewarding positive behavior. Many consider him the forerunner of service dog training, though most now find his use of punishment, which included heavy tugs on the collar, abusive.
The clicker tool first used by Breland did not become popular until the 1980s, when trainers Karen Pryor and Gary Wilkes developed clicker-training methods for a wide variety of breeds. It is now one of the most popular methods for training dogs thanks to its effectiveness and humaneness.
Overview
From the time they are puppies, dogs are trained to behave in ways desired by their owners and in ways beyond simply performing tricks in exchange for a reward. Dog training incorporates a dog’s desired behavior with its innate temperament in order to change its behavior in order to achieve preferred behavior. All animals have instinctive behavior, and dogs instinctively want to dig, bark, and scavenge for food, and training and conditioning often aim to quell those instincts. Training can also include conditioning a dog to work in law enforcement, livestock herding, narcotics detection, and assisting people living with disabilities or special needs.
In the 1940s, Keller Breland of Animal Behavior Enterprises was the first dog trainer to use the clicker tool, which when pressed creates a clicking sound much like a metal cricket would make. The clicker, which continues to be a popular and effective method of training, is a way to support positive reinforcement while training a dog. When the dog correctly responds to a command, for instance, the trainer presses on the clicker tool to generate the clicking noise. The dog is then rewarded with a treat or a toy. Soon, the dog begins to associate the command with the clicker sound, which is associated with positive reinforcement. Eventually, the clicker is no longer needed.
Additional methods for training have been developed with the advent of research in dog genetics and behavior. For decades one of the most prevalent training techniques was the Koehler method, which was popularized by military dog trainer William Koehler, who also successfully trained dogs for work in motion pictures. Koehler’s philosophy is that a dog chooses its actions, so when a specific action is met with a reward, the dog will most likely repeat the action in order to receive the reward. When an action is met with punishment, the dog will most likely not want to repeat the action. The publication of his book TheKoehler Method of Dog Trainingin 1962 made this method widespread, and it continued to be popular among dog trainers for decades. Many trainers, however, find Koehler’s punishments inhumane and unnecessary.
One controversial yet fairly widespread method of training is the use of electronic devices that deliver relatively minor electric shocks to the dog being trained. A common tool for this method is the shock collar, which jolts the dog when it barks. Many professionals and nonprofessionals consider these tools cruel and unnecessary, and research has indicated that shock training has the potential to cause stress in a dog. Another contested training method focuses on dominance. The belief here is that since dogs descended from wolves who live in hierarchal packs, owners must assume the role of an alpha dog, or pack leader, in order to show dominance over the dog and therefore be obeyed by the dog. Experts argue that this method is irrelevant to the types of behavior dog owners desire from their pets.
Many different factors are considered during dog training, and particular desired behaviors for the dog help shape the choice of the method to use to train the animal. Regular communication between the trainer and dog, for example, is considered an important method, since the more a dog is exposed to a trainer’s speech, the more likely the dog is to respond to commands. The inherent characteristics of some specific breeds can also dictate the manner of training as well as the reasons for training. Labrador retrievers, for example, are the top breed trained as detection dogs because of their ability to focus on a single task without distraction.
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