It’s Not Science, It’s Dog Training!
There was a time when the tabloids beckoned anyone standing in the grocery checkout line to take them home! And I used to wonder who the heck would believe headlines like, “JFK alive and well on a remote island” or “Famous actress is carrying alien baby”?
In those days, the rag magazines seemed harmless, mostly because the people who believed in such nonsense were not a strong vocal group, and more importantly, it appeared that back then we actually admired critical thinking and higher education!
Flash forward and the Internet happened, which made it very easy for every card carrying member of the Flat Earth Society to join the flock of likeminded followers.
This caldron of conspiracy theorists, anti-science, and self righteous zealots who are the ingredients in this poisonous stew in our society, is not only rearing its ugly head in politics, but also in the unregulated industry of dog training!
Imagine a physician, for example, not being required to adhere to a rigorous standard; yet for the dog profession, there is no standard! Although a group educated dog trainers are pursuing legislature to license the profession, it seems to me that this is going to be an arduous task, because at the crux of the matter is science versus anti-science. And while you’d think it would be easy to weed out those who lack a science based education, however we are now seeing a small numbers of fringe physicians who are speaking out against life saving [science] vaccines during an unprecedented pandemic!
Now a days, anyone holding the other end of the leash can call themselves a dog trainer. The only time their ignorance comes to light is when they are charged with animal cruelty, and then it’s too late!
Even though canines and humans share a history that dates back many thousands of years, the sad truth is that until recently, dogs were not considered interesting enough to research. By ignoring the current studies, any self-proclaimed expert can dispense misinformation designed to put fear into the minds of the unsuspecting dog owner, by equating our domestic dog to their wild ancestors, thereby having the owner convinced that their dog is likely to steal the car keys and go on a murderous rampage while the family is asleep!
Of course this sounds as silly as the “newsworthy” tabloid headlines, but remember that today’s uneducated dog trainer does not understand the science of behavior change, and the danger lies in their ability to use social media to call the science fake, and fast-talk the average dog owner into building an arsenal of tools in order to feel safe from their companion animal that sadly, according to science, has the brain of a human toddler!
Some time ago, a favorite client of mine joined a German Shepherd Facebook group. When one of the members spouted off with some faulty information about dog behavior, my client replied with, “Where’s your scientific evidence?” The writer’s response to my client was priceless, “Um, this isn’t science, it’s dog training!”
And there you have it.
The problem is that for this industry to have credibility, it is important to motivate trainers to seek out science-based education, to weed out those who would harm our companion animals and to change the laws that would recognize our dogs for what the science has shown, and that is dogs are sentient beings who aren’t capable of stealing the car keys, because they have not developed opposable thumbs :)
My wish for the new year is wellness, more critical thinkers among us, and that you run from those who wear their ignorance like a badge of honor!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
© Fran Berry CPDT-KA, UW-AAB all rights reserved 2021
