They say that a picture is worth a thousand words,

but just like words, pictures can be very deceiving; even when they are authentic.

For example, in the picture below it may look like I am doing an alpha roll on my Siberian, and she is showing me some serious aggression.

Doing an alpha roll on Siberian Shania?

The truth is I was giving her a nice scratch and she was grinning.

She doesn’t usually show such a wide grin so it was truly a Kodak moment. If we zoom out and show the picture in context, it is clear that everyone is being goofy and having a good time.

Look at goofy Shiba Sephy in the background!

Below, I flipped the first image and it looks like Siberian Shania is about to kill me!

Run away!!

Siberian Shania about to kill me! Save yourself!

Seeing is not always believing,

and we often misinterpret what we see. This makes it risky to follow dog training techniques seen on television especially physical techniques such as leash jerks, alpha rolls, and finger jabs (otherwise called the ‘no-pain’ magical touch).