I’m always interested in listening to people share their views, concepts, and theories regarding their dog-related issues. As a trainer, this insight helps us better understand and address the problems between people and their dogs.

I’m also keen on observing the opinions of those who publicly make assertions about dogs—especially when those assertions may be inaccurate.

My staff and I conducted extensive research on every person and topic we covered in our PBS series, The World of Dogs. We exercised the same level of diligence on Dog Talk, and our radio show, SPEAK, was diverse yet always grounded in fact-checking the issues presented by our guests.

Recently, I read an article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about dog attacks. There is truly nothing more tragic than incidents of vicious animal aggression.

However, I am deeply concerned—almost to the point of contention—about the demonization of specific breeds.

I’ve included a copy of the Arkansas article for your reference, along with an article written by HSUS representative Cynthia Armstrong. Her strong, authoritative perspective was logical, yet I found it to be quite critical of the Arkansas author’s objectivity—perhaps due to a lack of more thorough research.

Hi Pat,

I read the article you texted me yesterday. I noticed right away he didn’t cite which study he is referring to, but I think I know where he is getting his information. It’s obvious the writer is ignorant of the facts that lead to dangerous encounters between dogs and people. As you know, declaring a particular breed dangerous is a very simplistic and uninformed ‘solution’. His call to action to initiate legislation should be targeted at human caregivers rather than their dogs. I’ve attached an article I wrote for OKC Pets Magazine for their September/October 2018 issue. These are the arguments I would use in any Facebook post or op-ed to the Arkansas Democrat challenging his assertions that certain breeds are inherently dangerous. Fortunately, in Oklahoma we still have a state law that prohibits municipalities from enacting ordinances or policies that discriminate on the basis of breed. The law has been challenged several times by legislators who held a bias toward pit bulls, but we successfully lobbied against those attempts and the law still stands!

Good to talk to you yesterday and thank you for sharing the newspaper piece with me. It’s important to educate this writer. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know!

Cynthia Armstrong

Many dog owners believe raising a dog is similar to raising a child. Therefore, when I hear an owner mentioning this subject about training issues, I always ask them to clarify their specific methods for handling human baby behaviors. In most instances, puppies are not allowed the same considerations and latitudes we let our kids. So does having good human parental skills make a dog owner a better dog raiser?

When you give birth to a baby and bring them home from the hospital, that baby requires 24-hour continuous care. The baby pees and poops and has to be changed. A feed schedule is necessary, and a cuddling constant is a must for the baby to accept touch.

Caring, intelligent parents understand the need to teach their infants to love and trust. So when an owner brings a pup home, in the best-case scenario, this baby dog will have had all the nurturing experience they initially need from the mother dog. If she has done her job, the pup’s mom and the breeder have given the puppy an open mind and a trusting attitude.

However, because behavior issues come to dogs at different times as they mature, the challenge for dog owners is to recognize the need for a pup’s behavioral management in a way that won’t prohibit their curiosity and ability to make good decisions on their own.

This fact works for kids too! So we can acknowledge that there are similarities in raising dogs and humans. The difference is pretty stark, though, when it comes to discipline. For example, the human parent can be legally incarcerated if harsh physical force is used to correct a child’s behavioral problems. Pets don’t have that kind of protection in many areas.

Since dogs develop and mature physically and metabolically much faster than humans, they quickly experience adolescence. This is when pups need to learn social boundaries and the consequences of bad choices.

Here is where it gets interesting. Training through positive reinforcement can teach a dog social correctness quicker than a human adolescent. If we could hold a treat above our teenaged kid’s heads and say sit or stay or even listen and have them immediately respond well, that would be super, but that is not going to happen.

Conversely, dogs learn to manipulate their owner at a younger age than human kids. This could be the dog’s advanced maturity. We know that every body movement you and your dog exhibit to one another is information more salient than any human yelling or dog barking combined. Dogs learn to read their owners quickly and well. For dogs, interactions with their owners are necessary to fulfill their survival needs. So they know the certain body, head, and eye movements in a language they can understand. We, as owners, do learn to interpret our dog’s language and comply. It makes living with a dog easier.

Is that a dog’s genius form of communication? Or manipulation? It is, my dear friends, the application of manipulation! My friend Brenda Aloff says that women are more easily manipulated by their dogs than men. When I asked a couple of my psychologist friends, they told me that women probably are more influenced by their dogs, and men are more inclined to be swayed by their kids, especially their daughters. However, dogs jump into 1st place for manipulation if they don’t have kids. Especially if they’re female dogs (imagine that!)

So if our dogs and kids take advantage of us occasionally (probably daily), research shows that we don’t seem to mind. We love them anyway! Maybe it’s because it’s the way we’ve raised them. Yep, I concede. We’ve made them who they are, and I’m glad.

Give your dogs and kids a hug for me!
Pat

Psychiatrists tell us that when raising our children, consistency is a very important factor. In successfully promoting good character as our offspring reach adulthood. When a child is consistently being given bad information about himself and the world, he forms an insecure attitude that can manifest in harmful ways. Unfortunately, we see that outcome too often.

Conversely, being consistent in giving kids positive guidance builds confidence and strength of character. Lord knows sometimes it isn’t easy, but those of us with enough good nature of our own understand the importance of compliance with this sort of approach. Well, guess what? Animal behaviorists have spoken about the issue of consistency in training pets since the turn of the century.

So let’s talk about some of the issues of consistency in dog training. Whether a puppy or an adopted older dog, they can be taught to be good citizens if everyone involved in the dog training follows the same approach. In my years of working with dogs and helping people understand them, I’ve found some similar issues which some pet owners have that can confuse and frustrate a dog, ultimately causing a shut down for any success in basic communication with their pet.

Women and men sometimes disagree on the correct process of training their dogs. This is why I prefer if a couple or a family are involved in working with both or all of them. People seem to have some basic conflicting concepts stemming from the information they were given at an early age or a misguided experience that became hard-wired. So, what are the differences between a woman’s and a man’s approaches? Well, let’s take a minute to talk about that!

Some women demonstrate a weakness in their approach, allowing their dogs to take advantage of them, and teaching unsociable behavior. For example, this type of woman will ask her dog to sit, maybe seven times, hoping they will comply eventually. This type of woman will moan, groan, whine and empathize with her dog as she leaves for work each day, then wonders why her dog has anxiety issues and destroys another item in their house while she’s gone. This type of lady rationalizes her dog’s bad manners “Oh look how glad he is to see you!” or “please don’t mind his jumping up on you; bend down and give him some loving!” This type of woman may not realize that her anxiety rules her life. Instead, she may relate to the animal’s status and wants the kind of attention and enablement she gives her pet.

Men? Well, now that’s a whole other issue. But, from the beginning of our existence, man has been saddled with the hero image. He must be the defender, the liberator, the successful money maker, and the reproductive expert in his family. He works hard and shares his earnings hoping his contributions are sustainable and appreciated. From the beginning of time, men could not afford to look weak. Therefore, control of their basic environment has always been very important to them.
Consequently, men don’t enjoy being told they are wrong. Being wrong is not a viable tool to make them feel secure. Trainers who want to stay in business learn to resort to direct diplomacy when teaching some men to train their dogs.

Here are some examples of errant training skills concerning some men’s efforts. The good old boy approach: “Dang it, sit means sit!” For this man, his image is reflected in his dog. He wants total obedience, respect, and devout loyalty. He needs as manly a dog as he sees himself. The dogs are not my priority kind of man: acceptance of ownership because the kids want a pet. This man is distantly kind to dogs but wouldn’t one if he were single.

The “I love dogs; I’ve had them my whole life, I don’t need help training them” type of man. This man will have a conflicting ideological approach with every professional trainer he encounters. Some trainers say, “why do they even bother coming to class?” Frankly, I think they honestly believe they will prove their skills and challenge the modern methods of being taught by professional trainers.

We’ve discussed the basic psychological difference between how women and men relate to dogs and how, when applied to training, it can confuse and delay, and shut down the dog’s ability to learn. The bottom line is that everyone needs to be on the same page. Please, folks, for the dog and peace at home, have a heart to heart to mind discussion with every member of the family, agreeing to attend a dog training class given by a certified trainer. Make sure that all family members understand how to read your dog’s body language and how to communicate with them.

Being consistent with positive training will produce a dog you will be proud of! In addition, the knowledge you gain and the success you witness will help you pass along vital educational information on dog training to someone you know or someone you meet!

Hugs!
Pat Becker

Understanding dogs requires learning their body language. Human methods of communication are complex. Since dogs don’t verbalize the same as they can’t easily communicate their thoughts and responses, they rely on body language to speak with us. Your dog studies the physical movements and the energy level of your vocal activity and puts it together to respond to your interaction with them.

Trying to understand you and how to please you are the necessary efforts that ensure your dog’s survival. Sadly people who are inconsistent in their behavior make a dog’s job harder. So your dog will attempt to connect with you through body signals. Pay close attention to their movements in response to your communication.

Please learn to read your dog’s body language. It’ll make your’s and your dog’s lives together awesome! Remember, each time you interact with your dog, you’re teaching that dog something about you, him or herself, and the world around them; please make each day of communication with the pet member of your family one of patience, compassion, and love.