I just spent the past couple of days in an Oakland convention center attending seminars as part of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) national conference. Hundreds of professional dog trainers come from around the country to attend this event, which presents the latest ideas, concepts and scientific discoveries in the world of training dogs.
Despite all the progress made in training dogs in a more humane manner, setbacks abound.
Here are the highlights:
Punishment continues to be overused as a way to "teach" dogs to behave.
The concept of dominance is way overstated as in "have to show the dog whose is boss."
Dogs are better at understanding subtle cues from humans than say chimps.
The most critical period in a dog's life is three weeks to 16 weeks. Some say it's even shorter than that in getting a dog to learn to handle the world.
This country's shelters are a travesty in allowing so many animals to end up in them.
Fear is the most common reason dogs bite.
Acupuncture is a recognized medical approach to pet ailments.
I could go on because each seminar broadcasts hope for the future. Yes, setbacks abound but so do opportunities for teaching. I think dogs are going to be in good hands with so many trainers committed to more humane methods.
