Ottoman, rescued from traumatic circumstances and adopted by a bulldog rescue board member. Otto’s life up until rescue, starting with breeding practices that resulted in lifelong health issues, was a testament to the need for us humans to do better by dogs. It was also a testament to the incredible resilience of dogs. Despite all he struggled with, he claimed a life of joy with the support and deep love of his best lady.

We think a lot around here about the relationships and dynamics between humans and dogs. We think too about the amazing, and heartbreaking, resilience of dogs. And that, despite how incredible they are at overcoming and moving forward in so many instances and ways, it sure would be nice if humans didn’t create the circumstances that force dogs to be so resilient in the first place. And when they aren’t as resilient as we think they should be, it would be nice if we could meet them where they are with compassion and appropriate support instead of condemnation.

It is a testament to dogs that they adapt to us and navigate our human dominated world as well as they do. But the epidemic of bad information is causing them unnecessary, often preventable, stress and suffering. Sometimes, it costs them their lives. It’s hurting humans too. From disappointed, confused, frustrated, and sometimes frightened & heartsick owners to qualified professionals inundated with cases that didn’t have to go the way they have, to shelters and rescues carrying heavier loads than they should need to. In some cases, good information can turn things around without too much trouble but it’s also far too common for the damage to already have occurred, creating a much steeper uphill battle than should have ever been necessary. The amount of struggle and first & secondhand trauma, at both ends of the leash, does not have to be this high.

We touched on this in our post on dog bites and what we can do to prevent them. Bad information is perhaps the single biggest foundational issue when it comes to safer, happier relationships between humans and dogs. We can do better. The dogs we love need us to choose to do better.

*Smudge, the sweetest of hearts who does not want to be friends with every dog she meets and doesn’t have to be.*

Embrace What’s “Normal” for Dogs

In many ways, certainly here in the US, humans have lost the plot quite a bit on what’s normal for dogs. If a dog doesn’t love every dog they meet in every situation they encounter them in, there must be something wrong. We expect them to peacefully tolerate invasive and inappropriate behavior from humans without asking for space, and may even punish them if they appropriately request that space or have them killed if they are one day pushed too far. If our dog isn’t comfortable on busy bar patios or navigating crowds at concerts or parades or the farmer’s market, we assume they are flawed. And of course, they are often expected to know where to pee and not pee, what to chew and not chew, how to walk at our pace on a leash and only in a straight line, and all manner of other not natural or inherent to dogs skills without us ever having taught them. And if we do attempt to teach them, they are often cut very little slack and given very little patience or benefit of the doubt.

Whew.

Here are just a few examples of behavior we need to normalize:

Puppies are adorable. They are also A LOT of work. If you are getting a puppy because you think it’s the easier path, please revisit those expectations. Puppies are canine babies. They potty a lot and don’t know you want them to go outside without you patiently teaching them. They are teething and act like tiny sharks with very sharp little teeth. They need a lot of your time and attention and developmentally appropriate socialization, support, and guidance.
Adolescent dogs are a handful (and they’re the next stage your puppy will grow into!). It’s not that they are acting out to be jerks. Just like adolescent humans, their neurobiology means they have less behavioral and emotional control at this age and more hormones flying everywhere and impacting stress responses, sensory processing, risk taking behavior, and sensitivity to fear.
Dog/dog sociability exists on a bell curve with most adult dogs falling in the center of the curve where they prefer the company of some dogs some of the time. Their social preferences are individual and it is absolutely normal, especially as dogs reach social and sexual maturity, for them to not love going to dog parks with a bunch of unknown dogs and for their social preferences to evolve with age.
The majority of dogs are not going to have a great time on a crowded bar patio or at a loud concert. It is totally reasonable - and great even! - that so many of us want to go places with our dogs. But some of the places we go are not places most dogs are going to enjoy, and others may not be places your individual dog enjoys. And while we can often help a dog learn to cope and “behave” in these settings, it’s also important to ask whether that’s always a fair or necessary training goal.
Dogs are allowed to communicate, have preferences, ask for space, and say they do not like something. They should not have to tolerate inappropriate behavior by adults, children, or other dogs, even when it is unintentional. And they should not be punished when they ask us to help change a situation for them.
ALL dogs require regular enrichment, companionship, and the opportunity to engage in species appropriate behaviors that align with their individual needs and preferences. All dogs, at every life stage, in all living situations.
Long-term, sustainable, healthy behavior change often takes time. There are absolutely cases where management and/or the right approach can create what feels like a quick fix or very rapid progress. But often, learning a new skill or working through significant behavior change rooted in emotion, genetics, and learning history is going to take some time.

More Empathy, Less Power Struggles

Outdated ideas and misunderstandings about what our relationships with our dogs should look like and about what does and does not produce happy, healthy dog behavior die hard. If you are still operating under the notion that it’s your job to be your dog’s “alpha” or “pack leader” or that your dog’s behavior issues are caused by not being “tough enough” on them, please take this moment to let all of that go. Not sure you believe us? Check out this excellent and well sourced excerpt from Linda P. Case’s book on the topic.

We do not need to live with our dogs in a state of faux conflict or self-created power struggle. It’s no fun for either side of the relationship and it’s not just wholly unnecessary, it’s damaging. Once we let those misconceptions go, a much less stressful relationship with our dogs opens up. Want to dive in? Zazie Todd, PhD. has an entire book dedicated to the science of making your dog happy and in this wonderful post from My Fantastic Friend, behavior professionals give you permission to discard all the false shoulds and should nots.

*Tanner, a smartypants rescued from a hoarding case who finds his bravery through training that respects his needs, treats him with kindness, and never uses fear or pain to manipulate his behavior.*

Training Without Fear & Pain

The majority of dog owners would never hurt or frighten their dogs intentionally. When they seek training help or attempt to find DIY training information from resources like books and the internet, it’s to make the life they share with their dog better. Still, with the glut of misinformation to wade through, dog owners often come away feeling like it’s all just a matter of opinion. It’s not. Reputable leadership bodies and industry standard credentialed experts in the field unambiguously recommend against the use of fear and pain to manipulate behavior.

They are not recommended because they are harmful to a dog’s well being and because they carry significant risk of making behavior worse and less safe. The impacts are well studied across the animal behavior field, not just within the dog training industry. Anecdotally, the single most common factor in human aggression cases we see, in particular human aggression cases where there is an escalating injurious bite history, is use of fear and pain to manipulate behavior.

Take Qualifications Seriously

Though there are efforts towards change, the dog behavior field as of this writing remains unregulated in the US. We hope very much that this changes. While regulations should be thoughtful, inclusive, and grounded in best practice, the consequences of a behavior field without them are dire enough that we are in favor of legislation. Doctors, nurses, veterinary professionals, electricians, plumbers, hair stylists, therapists, social workers…they all need to have industry standard credentials to practice and dog behavior professionals should too.

Are credentials going to be a perfect barometer of someone’s expertise and ethics? Of course not. But they demonstrate a minimum standard of knowledge for different levels of practice. They matter. They are not the only thing that matters but those of us engaging in professions where we influence the behavior and quality of life of sentient species other than our own owe it to them to ensure we are genuinely qualified to do so, and to do so ethically, effectively, and compassionately. That means at minimum seeking industry standard credentials (as in, not made up by a “trainer” or organization trying to skirt industry standards and best practices by making up their own certification or title) and regular continuing education that matches our level of practice.

Just because everyone thinks they’re an expert on dog behavior does not make it true.

Where can you find those industry standard credentials?

Finnegan, a dog of a lifetime and a shelter behavior case, adopted by one of our trainers who is and will always be over the moon for him. The smartest, the most ridiculous, and the most perfect fit for his mama.

Prevention and Positive Change

What’s true about the majority of significant behavior cases we see in dogs is that they are preventable with changes at the human end of things. That does not mean every dog owner could have prevented the issues their dog has before they reached them and there will always be a percentage of cases where we did everything right, or as close to it as we could get, and still there are challenges. But boy do we have a lot of room for growth and improvement on getting things as close to right as we can. The better we can do on that front, the better it will be for dogs and for those of us sharing our lives with them. Just as our dogs can learn, so too can humans learn. We can work to shift our mindsets and our behavior. We can get better information out there and choose to act from a place of understanding and compassion.

Where are our biggest opportunities to affect change?

Healthy breeding practices. It is not realistic to believe that we are going to ban breeding altogether nor do we want to. We love dogs! We want to continue sharing our lives with them and that does not mean zero birth. But abusive breeding operations, overbreeding, inbreeding, and breeding without regard to lines carrying significant health and behavior issues are still rampant. Breeding practices must prioritize physical and behavioral health, both with breeding and with rearing. which means getting good behavior information to ethical (or would/could be ethical) breeders so puppies are raised appropriately and the advice given to those bringing dogs home is helpful, not harmful. It also means dogs are being placed into appropriate, well-matched homes, another area with serious room for improvement.
Ethical, informed, welfare driven shelter and rescue practices. It is well past time to normalize progressive behavioral programming at animal shelters that supports welfare and ensures dogs do not leave the shelter with more difficult behavior than they entered with. Quality of life matters just as much as live outcomes. It is just as important and must be prioritized and treated as such. Shelters need appropriately credentialed and qualified behavior staff just as they need appropriately credentialed and qualified vet staff. Dogs in shelters and rescues deserve ethical, effective behavioral care and providing it can ensure we have a behaviorally healthier population heading into homes and staff and volunteers better able to facilitate appropriate matches.
Getting good information to the public and facilitating the changes in mindset and practice to go with that. In some cases, the behaviors we see as issues are very normal dog behaviors that humans simply need better information about. Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations or practices creating problems where none need to exist. Whether it’s understanding and appropriately supporting the easy stuff or the hard stuff, we desperately need to get good information to people that makes their lives with their dogs, and the lives of their dogs, easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
The behavior field carries much of the responsibility here but we need the help of our colleagues in other fields to make this a reality. We need the leadership bodies in our field to be clear and forward facing on issues of ethics and practice and to proactively engage in public outreach so clients know where to go for good information and qualified help. Veterinary professionals, pet sitters, daycares and boarding facilities, breeders, shelters, rescues, pet stores and brands - we need you! Please partner with us, please ensure the information you’re helping put out is accurate and grounded in industry standard best practices and the trainers you are referring to are ethical and appropriately credentialed. We need you too, clients and friends and members of the community. And we need the media to help stem the flood of misinformation and replace it with information that helps the public find appropriate training and better understand their dogs.
We also implore our colleagues to seek industry standard credentialing and continuing education that meets their level of practice and to support thoughtful, inclusive regulations that are grounded in best practice. Those of us choosing to work in the behavior profession are responsible for ensuring that we are genuinely qualified to do so and to do so ethically and effectively.

*Monkey, another shelter behavior case saved from the euthanasia list way back when who went on to become his trainer mom’s helper dog for many years. A friend to all and a specialist in joy.*

If In Doubt, Look for the Joy

In our lives with dogs, in all we do, looking for joy is a great gut check. Look at your dog. How is their experience? How is yours? How can we change it to be more joyful? Is what we’re doing or being asked to do necessary? Is it helpful? Is it fair and kind to ourselves and our dogs? If it’s necessary but the way we’re going about it is causing stress, how can we change our approach?

Training should not look like miserable, repetitive drill set ups and it should never intentionally hurt or frighten dogs. Our lives with our dogs should not look like power struggles. The outings and activities we choose to do with our dogs should not fill either end of the leash with fear or frustration. The behaviors we choose to train or work to improve should be chosen because they improve our lives with our dogs, not just because we feel like they are things we should do. Our expectations for our dogs should take into account who dogs are and who the individual dog in front of us is.

Our lives with our dogs can and should be full of joy. We can intentionally choose the paths and the actions that make shared joy possible. Let’s choose to do better for dogs. In return, we will get to live safer, happier, more joyful lives with them.

In Defense of Dogs…