{"id":13062,"date":"2022-05-19T05:00:47","date_gmt":"2022-05-19T03:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=119787"},"modified":"2022-05-19T05:22:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T03:22:09","slug":"the-5-biggest-dog-training-myths-debunked-by-science","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/the-5-biggest-dog-training-myths-debunked-by-science\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 biggest dog training myths debunked by science"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Jules Howard\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 19 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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As the fields of animal behaviour, ecology and veterinary sciences continue to evolve, traditional ideas we once had about how best to train dogs<\/a> are beginning to wobble. Pulling on the expertise of a range of scientists, here are five of the biggest dog-training myths, busted\u2026<\/p>\n

Dogs want to dominate you <\/strong><\/h2>\n

The idea that dogs spend every waking moment trying to usurp their human masters and become \u2018the alpha\u2019 in the house is one of the most pervasive myths in dog-training lore. The idea, first introduced by a wolf ecologist<\/a> in the mid-20th<\/sup> Century, was later debunked after ecologists realised that the original observations of dominance behaviours were based on captive wolves (unrelated to one another) kept in a zoo enclosure.<\/p>\n

By the time ecologists had righted the error, the idea was firmly rooted in dog training circles, many of whom continue to promote so-called \u201cdominance theory<\/a>\u201d when working with dogs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to know how long it will take to wash out of the dog training community,\u201d wild carnivore biologist Gabi Fleury<\/a> told me in my book on the subject, Wonderdog<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Treats are bribes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m especially irritated by the idea that treats are a form of bribery,\u201d says Madeleine Goumas<\/a>, animal behaviour researcher. Misgivings like these are based on the hard-to-budge idea that dogs should follow requests out of respect rather than by seeking rewards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy should we expect our dogs to repeat behaviours without reward once they have learnt them?\u201d say neuroscientist (and dog-lover) Alice Gray<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m paying my dog for their hard work \u2013 with treats or play or praise!\u201d<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t teach an old dog new tricks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Even I fell for this one. Once our pup reached adulthood, I considered his training regime to be somehow completed. Not at all. The truth is, training is a long-term thing \u2013 something that needs reinforcing again and again. Thankfully, through games on walks, we have made training part of our daily routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is especially important for recall and walking to heel, which are important for the safety of the dog and other people, as well as wild animals,\u201d says Dani Rabaiotti<\/a>, wild dog researcher.<\/p>\n

You have to be the bad guy sometimes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cMany dog trainers still rely on punishments to get the behaviours they want, but positive rewards work much better,\u201d argues Nicola Clements, animal welfare researcher. Indeed, reward-based training can correlate with greater obedience<\/a> and a closer human-canine bond<\/a>, when compared with punishment-led training. It can also help dogs learn new tricks more effectively.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this popular belief that you need to act like a really mean person when training your dog,\u201d says evolutionary biologist (and dog-lover) Ben Garrod<\/a>. \u201cYou don\u2019t. You just need confidence and continuity, with lots of patience.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is only one way to train a dog<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the 1950s and 1960s, long-term behavioural observations of dogs reared in different conditions showed how their personalities in adult life could be influenced both by genetic components (linked partly to breed) and through life-experiences, particularly during puppyhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means that there is no \u2018one-size-fits-all\u201d when training dogs,\u201d says ecologist Charlotte Dacre. \u201cWithout wishing to anthropomorphise, every dog has a \u2018personality\u2019 that every trainer needs to be mindful of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those seeking specialist advice on how to train their dog should turn to their vet for advice or seek help from an accredited animal behaviour expert<\/a> (www.abtc.org.uk<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Wonderdog: How the Science Of Dogs Changed The Science Of Life<\/em><\/a> by Jules Howard is out now (\u00a317.99, Bloomsbury Sigma).<\/p>\n

Read more about dogs:<\/strong><\/p>\n