Dog psychology tries to understand bad dog behavior from a canine perspective rather than from a human perspective.
Because dogs are such close companions to us, it is easy to humanize them. Many dog movies and television shows including Lassie, 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp, Bolt, and others have encouraged this view.
However, dogs are not humans, and humans are not dogs.
Humanizing a dog causes miscommunication between human and canine, which can result in a variety of dog behavioral issues.
For example, many dog owners attribute their dog pooping on their favorite carpet or eating poop, when they are not home, as an act of vengeance. In actuality, it is just a symptom of stress from having an unexpected change in their routine (separation anxiety).
Dog Psychology vs. Dog Training
Some trainers claim that dog psychology involves pack theory and acting like a dog. According to them, obedience training is not dog psychology but simply teaching a dog tricks.
In particular, a dog who has undergone obedience training may understand training commands such as Sit, Down, and Heel, but may still engage in destructive and aggressive behaviors, such as chewing our designer shoes, or digging up our prize roses.
Is this true?
- Is there a big difference between dog psychology and dog obedience training?
- What about dog behavior modification?
- How do dogs really learn?
In fact, this separation of terms is unnecessary and only creates confusion.
Dog behavior modification, dog training, and dog tricks are ALL based on operant conditioning.
Operant conditioning forms a big part of what we understand of dog psychology and animal psychology. Therefore, dog behavior modification, dog training, and dog tricks are ALL based on dog psychology.
Based on these dog psychology principles, we know that dogs learn by repeating behaviors with good results, and stopping behaviors with bad results.
Operant conditioning consists of aversive methods and reward methods. Both aversive and reward methods, can be used to modify dog behavior, train a dog to follow commands, and teach a dog new tricks.
Misunderstanding of Dog Psychology
- The claim that dog obedience training, and dog tricks are somehow not based on dog psychology is false.
- The claim that food only works for obedience training and dog tricks is false.
- The claim that using food in dog training is bribery, and somehow ineffective is false.
- The claim that using food is humanizing the dog and therefore inappropriate is false.
- The claim that reward dog training is only based on food is false.
- The claim that aversive dog training, particularly physical force training is more effective at behavior modification than reward training is false.
- The claim that physical force is required to modify dog behavior is false.
- The claim that physical force is an integral part of dog psychology is false.
Both aversive and reward techniques, can be used to “train” our dog to sit on command, to sit instead of dig on command, to drop whatever he is chewing, to chew his toy instead of our shoes, and to dig in the sand pit instead of in the rose-bed.
The divide between dog psychology, dog behavior modification, and dog training simply does not exist.
Many of these supposed behavior modification techniques, including leash jerks, alpha rolls, and finger pokes, are aversive conditioning techniques.
Dog Psychology and Dominance/Pack Theory
Dominance theory is based on the observation that wolf packs and wild dog packs are ruled by an alpha male and an alpha female. This alpha pair controls all of the pack’s resources and sets all of the pack rules. There are also rituals that pack members must follow including letting the alpha pair have access to the best food,best sleeping area, and best resources.
The theory is that when dogs come to live with us, we become part of their pack and must assume the alpha male and alpha female positions. Part of assuming this position, is to follow similar pack rituals including eating before our followers, not letting our followers have access to beds and couches, always walking in front of our followers, and using physical force to establish and maintain our pack leadership position.
However, recent studies have shown that wolf packs and also wild dog packs are a lot more complex than this simple alpha-pair model. Leadership tends to be more dynamic in nature, and the alpha dogs rule through the control of resources rather than through physical force.
Therefore, even dominance theory cannot be used to support the false claim that physical force is a necessary, or even an effective part of dog behavior modification.
While dominance theory and dog pack dynamics are interesting areas of study, the argument of whether they apply to us and our domesticated dogs, is actually a moot point.
Just as dogs are not humans, humans are not dogs.
Contrary to common belief, dogs know that they are dogs and not human. They also know that we are human and not dogs. It is us humans who frequently get confused on these matters.
Since we are human, we are not expected by our dogs to act like dogs. We must communicate with them in a way that they can understand, but that does not mean that we should try to act like them. Not only would we be poor imitators, but however well we pretend, we would still be human, and our dogs will always know what we are.
Because our dogs live in our very complex human world, it is necessary for us to assume leadership and teach them our rules. We must provide for them not just in terms of food and shelter, but also in terms of their health and safety.
To properly manage the safety of a dog (to himself, to other dogs, and to the people around him) it is necessary to institute certain human rules, and to train him to follow those rules. Training of these rules can be achieved through aversive methods or reward methods.
It is as simple as that. No dominance theory required.
Dog Behaviorist vs. Dog Trainer
By using operant conditioning techniques, we can shape behavior to prepare our dog for obedience trials, or agility competitions. We can also modify behavior to make our dog into a good citizen at home.
A good dog trainer or dog behaviorist is someone who –
- Understands classical and operant conditioning theories,
- Has good technique (i.e. good timing, execution, redirection);
- Can quickly and accurately read a dog’s body language; and
- Is a good and patient teacher.
There are dog trainers, like Cesar Millan, who mostly use aversive training. There are dog trainers, like Victoria Stillwell, who mostly use reward training. And there are dog trainers who use both.
Reward dog training and aversive dog training have their own advantages and disadvantages, so make sure to pick a dog trainer that uses the style of training or behavior modification that you feel is most appropriate for you and your dog.
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a great resource for finding professional dog training help in your area.
Which is Better, Which is Right, and Which is Dog Psychology?
Many arguments arise in the dog behavior modification or dog training arena because many want to claim that their way is better or that their way is right.
To do this, they must first differentiate their way from all other ways. That is why there are so many terms, including dog psychology, dog behavior modification, dog training, dog tricks, and many more, describing essentially the same thing.
Moral judgements such as dog cruelty, dog bribery, evilness and goodness get thrown into the same pot and what results is a whole lot of smoke and not much else.
When we boil dog training or dog behavior modification down to its basics, we are always left with conditioning. And all of us use either aversive operant conditioning methods or reward operant conditioning methods to shape our dog’s behavior.
Both are dog psychology. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages.
I cannot say that one is absolutely better than the other, or that one is absolutely right. I can only say that I personally use reward dog training because it is more effective and less risky than the aversive methods I have tried.
dominance technique should be illegal!
I trained my dog with an e-collar to stay out of the high grass. My thought was to make him think something in the grass was “biting” him. My question is, Would a shock to the paw be better training than a shock to the neck when approaching say a street? I have heard some dogs will be “good” when the collar is on and then lose all training when its removed because they know it is the collar.
I considered using a shock collar for my Shiba Inu, during his younger days, but ultimately decided against it. Here is why.
I have a 11month old husky mix. She definitely is quite the character, she is becoming somewhat dominant in the household, with getting off of furniture she will growl or hesitate, when asked to sit or anything she barks. Almost as thought shes a teenager arguing with me lol, I worked with a behaviorist for a bit and he said just not to acknowledge her at all, is there other methods i can take? Shes a rescue, and i will admit I do tend too spoil her a little bit. Walking on the leash shes right beside me, no pulling, more just distracted by everything and sniffing the ground for food. With dogs shes very submissive, but really doesn’t want much from people. Is this her taking on an alpha role with humans only? It seems shes confident sometimes and then very insecure at other times. I love my dog, but overall I want us to be able to have fun instead of getting frustrated with her all the time.
Hello Linni,
In terms of pack leadership, what has worked well with my Huskies is to follow the Nothing in Life is Free program. This teaches them that the best way to get what they want is to do what I want first. 😀
At home, I set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules. In this way, they know exactly what to expect from me, and what I expect from them.
Here is a bit more on my understanding of dogs and dominance.
Here is a bit more on how I trained my Husky puppy.
During my difficult times with Sephy, I visited with several professional trainers. Timing is very important in dog training, and a trainer can be very helpful with that. Our trainer also helped us understand Sephy better, by reading his body language, and observing what things trigger stress and gets him reactive.
Hugs to your Husky girl!
the small problem we are having with our young (13 month) Ibizan Hound is that she seems afraid to go out when it is approaching dusk. She heard a loud firework 2 weeks ago at dusk and any noise outside (which she cannot understand appears to frighten or startle her. She does not like the dark now and we do not press her. I know you should try to distract them etc. but this is easier said than done.
What has worked well for my dogs are desensitization exercises. My Sibe puppy Lara used to be afraid to go out in the backyard at night. She also got very fearful when the coyotes started to sing.
I would play with her and get her to do fun commands (with rewards) close to the backyard door. I leave the backyard light on. Then I slowly move the game into the backyard – where the light is. I keep sessions short, fun, and engaging. I also make sure that I stay positive and do not get worried, frustrated, or stressed. My dogs are all very good at picking up on my energy.
When she is comfortable playing with me in the light and gains some confidence, then we very slowly, start playing farther away, then a bit farther away and so on. I go very slowly and keep things positive. The key is to help her build confidence so that she feels less fearful, and ultimately, she feels safe in the backyard even though it may be dark.
I do a similar thing with the coyote singing-
Sound desensitization exercises.
In my opinion there are a lot of dog trainers that make up their own terms in order to sell themselves and their particular take on dog training. Dog psychology is one of them, this term is often used by Cesar Milan.
But there are various others like “Amichien bonding” and what not. This leads to a very messy idea of how dog training actually works. All you really need is a set of tried and tested ‘laws’ of animal learning, and you will be able to properly explain and analyze most if not all training methods instead of relying on vague stuff like ‘intuition’ or ‘alpha dog position’ etc… It’s not that complicated!
It is very nice to see that you present a much more balanced and informed view on dog training on your site. I do think you are too mild on some the famous trainers. These trainers should be more responsible and present a much more detailed view instead of obfuscating the training process with sloppy terminology and sometimes plain nonsense that has been disproved decades ago.
Love your website. Very informative. While I have trained 3 dogs,all fox hounds and they are well behaved and very loved, I am having a problem with the Beagle I found wandering in the local forest her in Plymouth,Ma. She is very sweet,mellow in the house and house trained but minute we get outside she pulls and pulls on the leash. I have leashed trained my other dogs to the point I dont need the leash anymore, just a quick “heel” is all thats needed to make them walk by my side. She is very different and the training I used with my other dogs only makes her pull even more and seems like she ignores me. She is a beagle and was trained to hunt rabbits….like I said I found her in state forest, starved,covered in ticks/fleas and cuts all over. Its pretty obvious shes a hunter. Do you have any suggestions to help me out?
Yeah, a Beagle that is already used to hunting will be a challenge to leash train. What leash training methods have you used with her?
Some things that have helped with my Sibes-
1. I start leash training them in my backyard. Very little distraction there, they know it well, so I can just focus on getting them used to the leash and learning walk commands.
2. Once we are doing well in the backyard, then I start by taking them to very quiet areas in the neighborhood. Having a lower stimulus environment really helps a lot with initial leash training. Then once we improve and they get accustomed to walking in more quiet areas, I slowly increase the environmental challenge.
3. My Sibes have high prey drive, so they will still sometimes lose it when they spot cats, squirrels, and deer, especially if there is quick motion. I have found that desensitization exercises can help in those situations. It doesn’t remove the instinct, but it helps to raise the instinct threshold.
Here is a bit more on my leash training experiences with my dogs.
Here are some of my thoughts on what I call the “Squirrel Instinct”. 😀
Hugs to your furry gang! I am so glad that the little Beagle girl found a good and loving home.
We recently adopted a 2 year old Shih Tzu from a rescue facility. The dog has been with us for approx. 4 weeks. He is a wonderful little guy, is housebroken and seems to have had some training at some time — and we love him — but, whenever he is startled, and very often when he awakens, he barks furiously and growls. He continues for some time until we can get him calmed down. We calm him by calling his name and saying “No, no” in a sharp tone, sometimes while stroking him. We have a 5 yr old Shih Tzu as well, and the two dogs seem to be adjusting well to each other, at times — but at other times our new adopted dog seems to direct his barking/growling at our older dog — even if the older dog isn’t even near him. Our older dog is non-aggressive and does not appear (to us, anyway) to present any challenge to the new dog. We would like to know the proper way to train our new dog to stop the aggressive growling and barking when he awakens or is startled.
Yeah, my Shiba Inu also gets really stressed out when he is startled awake from a deep sleep. If I need to interact with him when he is sleeping, I usually make some noise while I approach and make sure he is awake before I play with him or touch him. That way, he doesn’t suddenly feel like he is under threat and vulnerable.
When Lara was a puppy, I would also call her to me when I want to interact rather than going to her. In this way, she doesn’t suddenly have someone big looming over her, which can be scary to a puppy or small dog.
Some things that have helped my dogs with barking-
1. Teaching them the Quiet command.
2. Redirecting them into doing something else.
Here is more on my experiences with dog barking.
Thank you Shibashake!
My puppy can go outside, but he need to pee in the potty pad at night when his small puppy bladder can’t hold it.
He makes so many mistakes that the house floor is swelling up due to the liquid.
Sincerely, Winnie
Hi!!!
I just had a few questions and problems with my new shiba.
Hope you can help.
My shiba isnt peeing on the potty pad( we don’t have time to take him outside).
And when he sleeps, he sleeps on the potty pad.
What do I do?
Thanks
P.S: I love your website
Hello Winnie,
Yeah, my Shiba also disliked doing his business inside the house. We got him at 10 weeks old and since then he only wanted to go outside to do his pee and poop. I found that it was easiest to train him to potty outside, otherwise, there would just be a lot of messes in the house and cleanup time. Here are some of our potty training experiences.
Also, Sephy really needs his daily walks and exercise. He had a lot of energy as a puppy and the walks help to redirect his energy into doing something positive. If not, he would just figure out his own Shiba-activities, which usually are not very furniture friendly. 😀
My male, 4 month old, border collie, curls up his upper lip and shows his teeth when I correct (using Cesar Millan’s ‘Tsst” and touch method) him when he tries to eat the other dog’s food. How do I handle this?
When I was training my Sibe puppy Lara, I would leave a drag-lead on her (only with a flat collar and *not* an aversive collar). When she tries to go near my other dogs during meal times, I would no-mark her (Ack-ack) and then lead her away using the drag-lead. Then, I would engage her in something else, usually doing some fun obedience work for me where she gets rewarded well. In this way, she not only learns what not to do, but also what to do instead.
My dogs work of all of their food. I use their daily food rations for training, grooming, play, etc. Whatever is left over, I put in interactive food toys. In this way, they don’t get any free food and they also don’t gobble up their dinner in 2 seconds. After they finish working on their interactive food toys, they will usually come to me for their short and rewarding training session. They know that that is the best way for them to get additional food. 😀