The Doubtful Evangelist

Yep, it was my intention to provide readers with a guide to selecting a harness, but you know what? First of all, I need to talk about something. 

About why I am doing this. 

And, just in case you were wondering, as much as I love it, it ain't easy. 

Deciding to sign up to the IDTE was one thing. That took a leap of faith and a sense of commitment which was easily carried along by the exciting buzz of the first module. Bubbling with the thrilling dread of being under Turid's steely gaze; bouncing off the enthusiasm of the other students. Then, homework done, observations made, set-reading devoured (along with any other article I could get my hands on) I packed my spotted hanky for module two, up in Durham.

Then it hit me. And has continued to hit me every day afterwards. 

I have opened my eyes so wide to the extent to which people casually abuse and misunderstand their dogs on a daily basis, that I can no longer ignore it anymore than I can walk around with a blindfold. It happens when I see the Pedigree Crap in the cupboard, it happens every time I see someone tugging on a leash, or forcing a breathless arthritic dog into a trot to keep up with their loping stride. At worst, it happens if I see someone hit or punish a dog for a perceived misdemenour.  I choke on words I'd like to say, my gut twists with the anguish of recrimination.  It's a physical sensation, like a chronic sickness that I know I'm helpless to cure. 

A sense of helplessness is dangerous. It acts like a slow venom. You start feeling a bit numb, then slightly paralysed, before you know it you are hovering on the brink of apathy. The task seems so huge, so momentous, it seems downright fucking impossible. Just what's the point?

I feel like an evangelist for a radical challenge to mainstream dog training. And it feels like taking on the whole world. 

Fortunately, having a peer group at hand is a great support. One of my fellow students gently warns me about the dangers of taking on people who simply aren't interested - a waste of energy that will leave me too depleted to help those who are genuinely motivated to learn and evolve their own dog skills. 

I know she's right, but for the last couple of weeks, I've felt my confidence gradually slide to a lower and lower ebb. Then a couple of small things happened that gave me a huge boost. 

A client remarked that she couldn't believe how calm her dogs were whenever she came to collect them. "What do you do?" she asked.  Then, the same day, a runaway dog (workmen in the house had frightened her) approached me as I was sitting in a park, tucked her head under my arm and pressed her head against my chest. 

When I shared this, another IDTE colleague remarked, "Even when you doubt yourself, animals always have a way of showing we should trust ourselves, and you have certainly been shown that."

So, I remind myself - as I do when people remark that Turid is a harsh, uncompromising teacher - we are doing this, not simply indulge ourselves in our passion, but to make real changes.

One dog at a time.

A Pain in the Neck

Believe it or not, I didn't pick this photo just to grab attention. 

Just look at it - what does acting like a dog with a collar and lead actually mean?

 Submission? Masochism? Debasement of dignity? Maybe even pain?

Whoever wants to play out those fantasies, does so for their own reasons, with consent (one hopes), but it does make certain questions sit up and beg.  Just why did someone come up with the idea to put a collar on a part of a dog that contains sensitive vertebrae, ligaments, blood vessels, glands, not to mention the trachea and oesophagus, and why do we so rarely question why it's okay to do so?

Physiotherapist, Els Vidts, and myotherapist Julia Robertson can offer plenty of reasons why we should abandon attaching leashes to collars for good.   

They point out that a single whiplash injury to a human can result in lifelong pain and complications. Even waking up with a crick in the neck is a miserable experience, whether sitting, resting or standing we are keenly aware of how our neck comfort is compromised. Think on this, then - potentially, a dog wearing a collar and lead can suffer neck trauma on a daily basis. 

Long term collar pressure on the neck can result in bone spurs and thickened ligaments, damage to tear glands, sweat glands, salivary glands - even the heart and lungs. 

I hope no one reading this post would ever contemplate using a choke-chain, but choke-chains work because they cause pain on the tongue bone (hyoid). This bone is small and easily damaged - break or bend this bone and you have a dog who no longer enjoys the fundamental pleasure of eating and chewing. Believe it or not, the tongue is even involved in balancing the motion of the body! Further evidence of how a holistic approach to canine well-being is crucial. 


Research by vet, Jean Dodds, and covered in her book illustrates how collar damage to the thyroid gland can be severe enough to result in hypothyroidism. Such a multi-functionary master is the thyroid that this can mean not only physiological, but behavioural problems. It's not hard to extrapolate that if a dog was suddenly unable to tolerate an everyday situation, such as children playing noisily, it could result in him being rehomed or put to sleep.

Personally, I've my own guilt to shoulder. My dog, a huge former racing greyhound, pulled a lot. When we collected him from the rescue centre we were provided with a classic long-dog collar, leash, muzzle and even a raincoat. We'd only ever seen greyhounds marched along on a short leash. It was a long time before I realised a harness was an option. 

Too late. 

His trachea was already so damaged that his breathing was impaired. Every time I hear a dog straining on a leash, huffing and gasping, I remember my own dog and the ignorance he endured!

So, have I convinced you to put your dog in a harness? And, if he pulls, what about a correction harness or a halter? In the jungle of giant pet stores and online shops, how does one choose the perfect gear? 

Thanks to Els Vidts' research, we can look at the ideal harness in detail next time. 

If you want to spread the word, download an information pack here.

An Education: Training Humans to be Better Dog-Owners

At college I was fortunate to have one of those amazing teachers that turns your mind and your life right around. I vividly recall him reminding his class of A-level English literature students: "Don't forget that the original meaning of eductation is to lead forth, not to be spoon-fed facts to pass exams!"

It's tough in a culture of target-driven, results-obsessed education to think and act upon this idea. Fortunately,  the Turid Rugaas' International Dog Training Education (IDTE) I am currently engaged with is a vivid reminder of how to take this approach - both in terms of being a student; and in terms of being a dog 'trainer'. Use that term, though, and Turid shakes her head and sighs. "I don't like that word, 'trainer'," she says. "Really?" I thought, initially. Now I understand why. 

When I explain to people what I am doing the word 'whisperer' and the idea that I will have complete command of a dog spring to most people's minds.  The Education is not about that. There's no gypsy mystique or a goal of total compliance. It's simple enough for anyone to learn and apply, if they choose to, and it's about giving dogs choices as often as we can; respecting them and treating them in an ethical manner. Turid's answer to so many of my dumb questions about techniques and equipment was simply: "So, would you do that to a person? No? Then why do it to a dog?"

Turid Rugaas is outspoken in her contempt for the misunderstanding and misapplication of canine behaviour in mainstream dog-training techniques. She views it as a phenomenon that reflects a human obsession with power and control and our compulsion to view animal behaviour through this lens. We might use the phrase 'dog-eat-dog' to describe a ruthless power struggle, but in fact this is how people choose to operate - not dogs!

Turid's book, 'Calming Signals' was my entry-level introduction to the foundation of her approach. We can never truly understand and communicate with dogs unless we make the effort to understand their language, instead of arrogantly foisting our commands upon them. How many times do owners impatiently interrupt a subtle greeting-dance, thus teaching their own dog that a friendly greeting to another dog will be punished with a tug on the neck and a harsh or nagging command. Conversely owners will sometimes try to force an interaction between two dogs, who would prefer not to interact, the equivalent of, "Hey, come over here and talk to this strange man you've never met before. Go on! He looks nice! Go on! Speak to him!"

Understanding how profoundly our mistakes affect the quality of life of our pets can be painful. We do our best, and there are plenty of self-professed experts shelling out advice and criticism, not to mention selling us horrible devices and products that sanitize unethical training shortcuts.  How are we to know any different? But we used to think nothing of wearing real fur, of forcing animals to fight for our entertainment, or shooting wild animals simply for fun. The world is changing its attitudes to such activities, and it's high time we learned more about the best way to treat the animals in our homes. 

The only time Turid Rugaas would insist on not giving a dog a choice, would be when obliging him to wear a harness instead of a collar. 

Why?

Well, that deserves a blog post all of its own.
 

Cave Canem

Beware of the dog. Only because anyone who loves a dog will know how much there is to know, learn and enjoy from a relationship with a canine of whatever breed or background. And, when you commit to a line of work involving these fascinating creatures...well, you can get a bit carried away.

Luckily for my friends, since I began studying to be an International Dog Trainer of Europe with pioneering Norwegian,Turid Rugaas, I can spare them the downpour of my obsession by turning to my twenty dog-geek colleagues.

(Anyone who crosses me will be subjected to a video on loop of dogs doing treat searches.)

After a mere three days into the course, my brain is struggling to assimilate all the new knowledge, and every dog I encounter is a subject for observation and rumination.

So much that we accept as normal and good for our dogs is so misunderstood. The ones holding the stakes in massive media presences such as Cesar Milan, or in selling us products like toys, chews and gear, profit from our ignorance.

 In  many respects we go from extremes - one moment misinterpreting behaviour because we mistakenly impose our human view on a behaviour, the next moment abandoning this to treat the dog in a way we would never dream of treating a person. Education - based on research and facts, not some half-baked theory - is the only way forward in improving our relationships with dogs.

For example, just why are we so hung up on obedience? Yes, we need to manage behaviours to keep our animals and the public safe. But this doesn't mean we have to turn a dog into a command-driven automaton or a clown to amuse us with tricks.

We know full well how intelligent dogs are. How much they are capable of feeling. And yet how often do we give them the opportunity to nurture their brain development? Their emotional well being? It's time we learned their language, their ways. It's time we learned to truly respect them.

One of the first things Turid distributed to her eager students was a short poem by Chief Dan George, summing up her founding belief:

The Song of the Wolf

If you talk to the animals

They will talk to you

And you will learn

To know each other.



If you do not talk to them

You will not know each other

And what you do not know

And feel safe with

You will fear



What you fear

You will try to destroy