Below are some of the most common myths about dog training and behavior.
MYTH #1: DOGS ARE PACK ANIMALS
![By Biswarup Ganguly (Own work) [GFDL (<a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html" class="external free" rel="nofollow">http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html</a>) or CC-BY-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](images/800px-Stray_Dog_-_Kolkata_05907.JPG) Original beliefs about dogs as pack animals was based on their descendance from wolves. However, recent observations of free-roaming dog populations throughout the world have revealed that dogs are more scavengers than predators, and therefore live much more solitary lives than wolves. After all, it does not benefit a scavenger to share small amounts of food with a large group of other animals.
Dogs are social animals and will gather in groups (generally around available food sources such as garbage dumps), however, the groups are loosely structured with animals joining and leaving randomly and frequently, a trait not found in wolf packs. Further, unlike wolves, male dogs do not stay with the female after mating and do not assist in the care and rasing of the pups.
In wolf packs, the individuals are related, most often being the breeding pair (formerly called "alpha") and their offspring. The pups stay with the pack until 2-3 years of age, at which point they leave to find mates and form their own packs. Any wolf that survives long enough to mate is an 'alpha'.
It is because of their social nature that domestic dogs fit so well into our families. However, all evidence indicates that dogs are not, in fact, pack animals.
This common misunderstanding has been used to justify force, fear and pain as "training" methods, which is why it is so important for dog owners to understand the difference between myth and fact.
Social Behavior In Dogs
What Ever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf? PDF
Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution
MYTH #2: POSITIVE TRAINING DOESN'T WORK ON DOMINANT DOGS
 Back when we didn't have the understanding of dog behavior that we have today, people used the word "dominant" to describe a number of behavior problems. Here, we will address the most common uses of the word and why they contributed to this myth.
a) Dominant = Aggressive.
This common myth stems from a lack of understanding of stress in dogs. When a dog is in a situation where the fight or flight response is engaged, all non-essential functions, including the digestive system, shut down to divert all energy to the muscles for immediate survival. This is what animal trainers call over-threshold. So, if one tries to feed a dog treats while it is over-threshold, the dog will not eat. This does not mean that reward-based methods are not effective, but that they are being applied incorrectly. This often happens when owners or inept trainers expose the dog to a problem situation, wait for it to react and then attempt to train, either with punishment or reward.
Experienced behavior professionals understand the importance of keeping a dog under-threshold, exposing the dog to the person, dog or object that triggers the problem behavior at an intensity at which the dog does not react with fear or aggression. This allows trainers to build the dog's tolerance and train the dog to perform a different behavior, such as look at the owner, heel or even choose to turn away from the situation. By rewarding the dog for doing these alternate behaviors, the dog is given another option in that situation, which is highly rewarding, changing the dog's association from negative to positive.
b) Dominant = Stubborn.
Some breeds were previously considered too dominant or stubborn to train. These breeds include most terriers, hounds and northern breeds, such as Huskies and Malamutes. These highly intelligent dogs just didn't respond well to forceful training methods. With the introduction of reward-based training methods, these dogs are now competing in obedience, agility and other competitions. Whether the reward is food or play, these dogs are learning that working with their owner that gets them the good things in life.
Dogs have also been labeled as stubborn by inept trainers or who only have one or two training tricks in their bag. When those tricks fail, rather than adjust their training method, they label the dog as stubborn or, in some cases, blame the owner for not being "pack leader."
In 10 years of training, I have yet to meet a stubborn dog. I have met dogs that were anxious, fearful or just confused due to incomplete or inept training. I have, however, met my share of stubborn owners!
c) Dominant = "Aggressive" Breed
Thanks to media misrepresentation and urban legend, some breeds of dogs are assumed to be more aggressive than others. This leads to the assumption that these dogs are more "dominant" than others and require more aversive training methods and equipment.
In reality, dog trainers LOVE working with Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans and other so-called dominant breeds because they are so easy to train with positive methods! Pit Bulls learn the same way Poodles do. In fact, anyone who has ever trained a Toy Poodle will tell you that training a small dog is often MUCH more difficult!
In each of these cases, this myth is perpetuated by those who have never used positive methods or are unskilled at the application of positive methods.
MYTH #3: POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS BRIBERY
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| Dogs that have been bribed lack self-control - a skill necessary to practice Stay while surrounded by hot dogs! |
Positive reinforcement is the act of giving the dog something he wants to reward a behavior you would like him to do again. This reward can be anything - food, toys/play, access to the backyard or the fire hydrant on the corner.
Recall training (somtimes referred to as coming when called) is a perfect example:
If a dog recalls to the owner on hearing "Buffy, come!" and the owner gives the dog a treat after they arrive, the owner has positively reinforced the recall.
If, on the other hand, the dog will only come to the owner when the owner shows the dog she has a cookie in her hand, that is bribery.
Trainers skilled in the use of positive reinforcement know the difference. Those who claim that training a dog with positive reinforcement is bribery lack a basic understanding of how dogs learn.
MYTH #4: FRIENDLY VS. AGGRESSIVE BREEDS
This myth, alone, could justify its own website. When it comes to dogs and behavior. In reality, breed is never an indication of bite probability. Golden Retrievers are as capable of aggression towards humans or other dogs, as Pit Bulls are capable of working as therapy dogs and search and rescue dogs.
There are many causes for aggressive behavior in dogs, including lack of early socialization, traumatic experience, genetics (fearful behavior is passed from parents to puppies), stress and fear due to illness or injury, and more.
The only indicator of bite probability is the behavior of each individual dog and, more specifically, the dog's body language. Most dogs will give numerous indicators of their discomfort well before biting.
The leading cause of dog bites is human ignorance. To classify dogs as friendly or aggressive solely on breed is to promote that ignorance.
MYTH #5: STARTING WITH A PUPPY PREVENTS PROBLEMS
 Hooo, boy is this a big myth!
Raising a puppy is not a beginner's task. Sure, some people manage to do just fine and raise happy, healthy, well-mannered pets. But a large majority of our training business is changing problem behaviors in dogs that could have been prevented.
Learn More!
MYTH #6: PUPPIES SHOULD BE ISOLATED UNTIL THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR VACCINATIONS
One of the most detrimental myths still being perpetuated today. Puppies that are not exposed to the world until 16 weeks or, worse, 6 months of age, are significantly more likely to be fearful or aggressive. More dogs die due to behavior-related euthanasia or in shelters because of lack of socialization than all other communicable illnesses, combined.
Early socialization can be accomplished without unnecessary risk to the health of the puppy.
Puppy Information
MYTH #7: DOMINANCE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF AGGRESSION
Hundreds, if not thousands, of websites still promote this outdated belief. Much like the "pack animal" theory, this is what was considered conventional wisdom.
Fear and stress are now known to be the most common cause of aggressive behavior in dogs. Aggression directed towards the dog's owner is considered conflict-related, as the dog is conflicted about something the owner is doing and has learned to use aggression to stop the owner's behavior.
Rethinking the Causes of Canine Aggression
Canine Conflict Aggression
Canine Conflict-Related Aggression
MYTH #8: TUG-OF-WAR CAUSES AGGRESSION
 Not only is this not true, but in addition to being an excellent training reward, tug games teach dogs self-control and bite inhibition! A recent study showed that owners who played tug games with their dogs did not experience any problem behaviors.
This myth very likely stemmed from trainers who believed growling, no matter the context, was an indication of aggression. A dog who is really enjoying a good game of tug may growl, but their playful body language - the most accurate indicator of a dog's state of mind - tells another story.
To Tug or Not to Tug: Seriously? That's Still a Question?
MYTH #9: GROWLING DOGS ARE SEEKING DOMINANCE
Aggressive displays, such as growling, barking, showing teeth, etc., are normal communicative behaviors in all dogs. Growling is a normal form of communication in dogs that means “I don’t like what you’re doing, please move away.” Between dogs, growling often diffuses tense situations and prevents fights, as another dog will often avoid a growling dog. Dogs have the same survival instinct as most other animals and avoiding conflict means increased chances for survival.
Punishing a growling dog may stop the growling in the moment, but it does not address the underlying cause of the growling, itself. Further, it can teach a dog that growling is not safe, and so they will skip that step in the warning process. The dog may learn that growling does not work, and may feel the need to escalate to more obvious forms of communication, such as biting. Now the dog has learned not to waste time growling, because biting achieves the desired results. Dogs that bite without warning are very dangerous animals.
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| Does this look like "dominance" to you? Parker frequently growls while in this position as a way to get attention and initiate play. |
Growling can also occur in non-aggressive contexts, such as during play. The body language exhibited by a dog who growls during play will be vastly different than that of the dog that growls as a threat display. Punishing a dog or puppy for growling during play is sure to cause confusion and distrust.
Working with a qualified professional can help you determine what is causing your dog to growl and how to change your dog's behavior for the better.
MYTH #10:ONCE A DOG TASTES HUMAN BLOOD, IT WILL WANT MORE
As stated in Myth #7, when dogs bite it is in reaction to a perceived threat. Dogs do not bite humans because they are testing them out as a potential meal.
Once dogs learn that biting works, they may use it more often if growling or even avoidance doesn't work in specific situations, especially if the owners fail to address the cause of the biting. However, this is not because they have developed a taste for human blood any more than humans who accidentally eat a bug start craving spiders for dinner.
MYTH #11: SHOCK COLLARS ARE THE LAST RESORT
This myth is generated by the pet supply industry which lists shock collars under "Training Aides" and advertises higher-voltage collars for "stubborn dogs."
The fact is that, for most dogs, a shock collar may temporarily interrupt or suppress a problem behavior. If the dog is barking, a shock collar will interrupt the barking. The difference is that problem behaviors are a symptom. Suppressing the symptom does not cure the dog's behavior any more than cold medicine cures the common cold.
Shock collars seem to offer instant solutions at first, but eventually will fail as the dog either becomes desensitized, requiring greater and greater levels of shock to achieve the same results, or the dog's association to the situations that caused the problem behavior in the first place become so negative that the problem behavior increases.
At least 25% of all aggression cases we see have tried a shock collar on their dog before calling us. Almost all of them report an increase in aggressive behavior within 2-3 months.
Review of Current Research on Shock Collars
Training Dogs with the Help of a Shock Collar: Short and Long-term Effects
MYTH #12: THERE'S A HOME FOR EVERY DOG
I work with a lot of behavior problems, from fear to aggression. Every once in a while, a dog owner will decide they just can't live with the problem any longer and want to find the dog a new home.
In some cases, they've recently adopted the dog, unaware that it had a serious behavior problem. They have bonded with the dog and want to do the right thing and they can't stand the thought of returning their pet to the shelter where, in many cases, it will be euthanized. Then there are the dog owners who were unprepared for the challenges of raising a puppy and have created problems either by neglecting to train and socialize the dog early on or through the misguided application of harmful training methods and/or equipment.
Regardless of the cause of the problem, these dog owners all want to find a place where their dog will be safe and happy.
In reality, the shelters are overflowing with wonderful dogs waiting for adoption. Dogs that don't have serious behavior problems and are still euthanized for lack of space. The chance that there is a dog owner waiting to take in a problem dog is, unfortunately, slim to none.
Even the most wonderful, loving pet can develop a serious behavior problem. Sadly, when the owners are unable to devote the time or financial resources necessary, adoption is rarely a realistic option.
For that reason, 4Paws University is dedicated to educating dog owners and potential dog owners on how to prevent problem behaviors before they start and to giving dog owners realistic and achieveable training and behavior modification plans that keep dogs in their homes.
MYTH #13: PETTING A FRIGHTENED DOG REWARDS THE FEAR
While there are things that some owners do that can contribute to a dog's fear, petting has not been shown to be one of them.
Can Fear be Rewarded?
We're Not Rewarding Fear
MYTH #14: GUILTY DOGS
Whenever there is some infraction by the dog when the owner was away, a housetraining accident or chewed items, owners often claim the dog "looks guilty."
When a dog owner reprimands their dog, especially with loud, deep tones, the dog will attempt to calm the aggressive behavior of the owner (note: aggressive does not necessarily mean violent) with appeasement gestures: lowered head, ears, tail and body and squinty eyes. To the owner, this looks "guilty."
In reality, the dog is only reacting to the behavior of the owner in the present moment and not associating the owner's behavior with the actions of the dog that occured hours before. The owner, however, is gratified by the dog's appeasement gestures, taking it as evidence that the dog has learned he's "bad."
If this cycle repeats itself, the dog will learn to associate the owner's aggressive behavior with their homecoming and start offering the appeasement behaviors as soon as the owner comes in the door.
But wait! My dog only looks guilty on days he's done something wrong! Dogs learn by association. This means, they can learn that their owner behaves aggressively only on days there are eviscerated pillows on the floor without learning that it was the act of destroying the pillows that is being punished. Punishment must be immediate in order for the dog to learn - if the punishment comes even 5 seconds after the behavior, the dog won't learn from it.
So, next time you want to punish your dog or puppy for chewing up a shoe while you're away, pick up the shoe and hit yourself three times over the head, repeating "Bad owner, Bad! Don't leave shoes out for my dog to chew!" Chances are, you will learn the lesson more quickly than your dog.
MYTH #15: DOGS TRAINED WITH LOVE AND AFFECTION
There are some trainers out there who claim to train a dog with positive reinforcementwithout the use of food rewards, using only praise and affection. While this may sound like a great concept, the methods and equipment used by these trainers fail to fall under the definition of positive reinforcement.
Here are two examples of techniques that some trainers claim are positive reinforcement:
Example #1: Trainer uses the leash to pull the dog into a down position, then releases the pressure on the leash and praises the dog.
Example #2: Trainer commands the dog to "Leave It" then uses the leash to administer "corrections" until the dog stops looking at forbidden item. The trainer then stops administering corrections and praises the dog.
Both cases are examples of the use of negative reinforcement - the trainer administers something that is unpleasant to the dog, then removes the aversive to reward the correct behavior. While negative reinforcement is not punishiment, it does involve using aversive methods in order to get a dog to perform.
The problem is that not all dogs respond favorably to aversive methods. For decades, certain breeds were considered too stubborn to train for obedience, including Siberian Huskies, Beagles, Mastiffs, Bulldogs and others. In fact, all of these breeds do quite well in training when reward-based methods are applied.
While positive reinforcement does not have to include the use of food rewards and is most effective when other types of rewards are integrated into the training program, the vast majority of dogs are not motivated enough by their owners' praise to work for that, alone.
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