I recently attended the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s Conference. There was an interesting lecture that discussed ways that humans control dogs and dogs control humans. The lecture also discussed the concept of allowing dogs to “choose” in some situations. I was thrilled to see somewhat of a shift in philosophy by experts attending the conference because I have introduced the concept of canine choice into my own life for many years!
Do humans ever ponder the ways they “control” dogs in great depth? The answer is probably a strong “no” because achieving some level of control is required, desired, and expected. But I think this topic goes beyond the surface. Humans control dog behavior using various tools, such as obedience training, crates, leashes, baby gates, etc.; however, humans may not take pondering to the next level. For example, humans also control laws (vaccinations, use of leashes, definitions such as “vicious dog”, etc.), breeding, even which dogs live or die at times, etc. All in all, humans in the United States have a great deal of control over dogs (much of the time – rightfully so). With that said, according to the expert speaking at the recent APDT conference, the percentage of street dogs (dogs with complete freedom on the street and not owned by any human) is 80% of the world’s population of dogs? Wow. I had heard similar statistics for many years, but no matter how many times I read or attend a lecture on that topic, it always surprises me. I’m not sure why. More and more studies of free roaming dogs and their evolution in different societies are being conducted by a variety of organizations, including universities, all over the world. Why would that be? One reason may be that in countries where free roaming dogs is the norm, free roaming dogs, over many generations and years of evolution, learned how to set and communicate boundaries and rules with other dogs, find shelter, and find food for survival without any human intervention. Free roaming dogs are 100% in charge of their choices.
Why is the understanding and study of street dogs outside of the boundaries of the US so important to this discussion? Well, the reason is primarily that street dogs (free roaming dogs) do not have a good life in the US. The lucky ones end up in shelters and are successfully adopted out. The unlucky ones, for example, die on the street for one reason or another or they are euthanized. Humans in the US do not like to see street dogs approaching them, and for good reason in most cases. In the US, dogs need humans for survival in most cases. In the typical family, humans make almost all choices for their dog.
The questions of the day are – are there safe ways to sprinkle a bit of choice vs. control into a family dog’s daily life? What would the impact be? Would the impact be positive or negative for the dog? Can trainers help humans find ways to give their dog a sprinkle of choice for a few adventures? Yes!
Two easy examples come to mind for demonstrating where giving a dog just a sprinkle of choice coupled with a pinch of human understanding may increase the value of an activity for both the human and the dog:
- Dogs that sit and refuse to go further on a walk: This is such a common problem, and humans tend to be a bit, well, angry about this. Most humans have so many balls in the air at one time, it can be exhausting. Humans may want to rush through a walk because they have other obligations. On the other side of the coin, some humans may rely on their nightly walks to relax from their hard day at work. When their dog stops and refuses to go any further, humans may believe the walk is ruined, and the humans return home more stressed than they were when they embarked on their walk. Human frustration is very understandable in both examples. But in cases like this, I typically ask a few questions that shine light on a different way of looking at things. What if humans embarked on the walk thinking so what if my little doggie wants to stop? Does the dog’s stopping really have to ruin the walk? Can the walk be relaxing and enjoyable even if the walk included sitting on the edge of the sidewalk allowing the dog to “choose” to sit down? If a dog sits down and refuses to go any further on the walk, what is the dog trying to communicate? The questions can go on and on. The key is – would the level of frustration change if the human allowed the dog to choose – walk or sit? In other words, would the frustration level change if the human understood communication and looked at the choice a bit differently? Most of my successful clients with a similar situation have been very successful learning canine behavior and sprinkling a bit of choice into the mix! When it comes to a dog just sitting and refusing to go any further, there is typically a reason! Humans will not understand the reason without observing the choices the dog makes along the way.
- Choices on walk routes: Many humans that walk their dogs frequently have a consistent route. Some humans have more than one consistent route, depending on how their day went. Dogs love routines. Dogs love to know what to expect, so many dogs are quite happy with consistent routes. The assumption for this example is that the dog’s daily walk routine involves two routes. Let’s assume that if the human turns right on the sidewalk when leaving home, the walk will be short. If the human turns left on the sidewalk, the walk will be much longer. The human may choose the short walk because the human is in a hurry or just does not feel like walking that evening. The human may choose the long route if the human feels guilty for choosing the short route so often. The long route may be chosen because it is a beautiful day, and a long walk would be relaxing. What would happen if the human allowed the dog to choose right or left? Why would the dog choose a short walk over a long walk and vice versa? Just like humans, dogs have stressful days too. Just like humans, dogs may not feel well. The dog may not want to go on the long walk or may not want to go on the short walk that day. Without shifting the choice to the dog, how would the human know which route their dog prefers that day? Sometimes humans think they know the reasons dogs do certain things on a walk, but do they? Without observing, can they? Believe it or not, I have practiced what I preach for this topic. My grand dog is very challenging on a walk. I chose this example because of her. She was very aware that if I turned left, we were going on a short walk to a green space just down the way and quickly returning home. If I turned right, we were taking a long walk down streets with lots of trees, birds, and critters. I will say that when I started allowing her to choose a long walk or a short walk when it was possible, I noticed a happier dog and a dog more willing to follow cues. Believe it or not, she chose the short walk often. I’m not saying this will be a truly positive experience for every dog. I will say that for many dogs, it may be fun to see what happens! I work with my clients to understand canine behavior and be open to a dog’s communication. I also work with clients to have fun watching the dog make choices and figuring out the “why”!
Humans must be very careful choosing opportunities to give their dogs “choice” vs “control”. All humans are different. All dogs are different. All lives are different. Finding opportunities for “choice” is not a one size fits all. A trainer can help humans find safe opportunities to sprinkle a bit of “choice” into human routines to make certain adventures more fun!
Until next time!
Dawn
