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It never ceases to amaze me each time a dog trainer tells me how good they are by showing me how long their dog will “Stay.” In essence, they are showing me what a good dog they have by demonstrating how long the dog will refrain from doing something. Is that really a skill or is the fear of being reprimanded if they DO try to act? It could be either or it might even be a bit of both. Defining our dogs by what they don’t do seems backward to me. Shouldn’t we be proud of what they WILL do if asked? This article explores some of the psychology behind non-behaviour and shows that it’s not always a good thing!
Demonstration video referenced in the podcast
The green musical note shows when the warning tone is sounding. The yellow lightning bolt indicates when the shock is delivered.
Some additional links from this podcast that may be of interest:
Dr. Murray Sidman – Author of Coercion And Its Fallout
This article shows that even professional dog trainers are split on this issue.
A transcript of the main text of Selling Snake Oil: Stopping Behaviour Doesn’t Make A Good Dog is available at the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Life as a Human to find this and other articles.
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