There are so many myths out there about dog training. Go to Google and type in anything you want to learn about training your dog, and you’ll see plenty of advice that is just… not correct. There is a lot of good advice, too, but you have to wade through a lot of garbage to get to it.
Today, I’m only going to talk about a few of those myths! These are probably some of the most common ones that I run into from owners on a regular basis. (Note: It’s okay if you believed these myths at first, too! There’s no shame in believing something that a lot of people believe.)
Myth #1: You have to be “alpha” or “dominant” over your dog
Truth: You’re not a dog. So even if dogs had linear hierarchies (hint: they don’t) they wouldn’t think you’re a dog part of their pack. And yes, it is important to listen to their body language and respond appropriately, but using dominance-based beliefs and ideas just isn’t the correct way to do that. I’m not saying I know everything, but I am saying that using these techniques have been shown, time and again, to cause fear and stress. Often, the body language that is called “calm” is something closer to Learned Helplessness, which basically means the dog stops fighting, but is NOT feeling safe or calm. (Here is an excellent body language video)
I want to reiterate that it’s okay if you once believed in this myth. It’s sooo prevalent! It’s not that dominance doesn’t exist, but a lot of the techniques that are used to address true dominance-based behaviors are more harmful than helpful. On top of that, most behaviors labeled dominant aren’t dominant at all! So using dominance theory definitely won’t work there.
Myth #2: Your dog should obey you “just because”
Truth: Your dog is a thinking, feeling creature. Yes, it’s important that your dog listen to you, but your dog isn’t going to listen to you “just because.” Verbal praise and petting can be good rewards, but they will rarely be as reinforcing as food.
Myth #3: You shouldn’t use food in dog training
Truth: As I mentioned above, food can be so valuable in a training plan! If your dog isn’t food motivated, that’s okay, but don’t just abandon food because someone told you to. (Also: There are any reasons a dog may not be taking food; it’s rare for a dog to actually not be motivated by food. Often, the dog is over-threshold – basically, the point at which they are comfortable or can think, depending on the dog. If your dog is too afraid, or is too distracted, of course they won’t be motivated by food in that moment!) Food is useful for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is that most dogs really like food. You can use that! It’s also easier to have multiple repetitions if you can give multiple rewards quickly. That means more opportunities to practice!
Dogs are great, so many will work for other things than food. You don’t have to use food. I don’t use food with every single dog I work with. But at the end of the day, it makes training so much easier!
If you need help with your dog…
Espresso Dog Training 