In Mom's experience training Enzie and me, she says she's come across two types of obedience theories...
1) Dominance Theory:
According to Mom, this is the approach the d.w. and Cesar Millan (the d.w.'s idol) use with dogs. In this approach, the human establishes herself as "pack leader" or the alpha. This is done through strict commands, submissive holds, and leash tugging/choke collars/etc.
(Um, I don't mean to be bias, but I don't like this theory much...)
This is a very hands on, corrective approach. On Saturday, when the lady took me on a walk past the neighbor's dogs, I lunged at the Chihuahua. To correct me she tugged at my leash, used a "gentle leader", and even held me to the ground (right beside the Chihuahua's pen) to calm me down. I stopped moving, but only so she'd let me go. I was NOT having a good time, nor did I feel calm... Unfortunately, Mom and Dad were asked to watch from afar.
Inside the house the d.w. put me on a leash and forced me to walk behind her, changing directions or giving a tug on the leash if I tried to pass her. I got the hang of this pretty quickly and it was fairly painless. Another thing the lady told Mom and Dad was that they need to "own" everything in the house (i.e. the window, the front door, the couch, visitors) so that I don't think that I can bark or jump at that stuff, unless the "pack leaders" give me permission. I guess this makes sense? Now Dad makes me sit before I can go outside, and Mom makes Enzie and me wait to jump on the bed.
Mom said she agrees with the "control" part and will continue to make me sit and wait for food, but she refuses to man-handle me. I totally concur!
[Mom and I tried to find unbiased articles on sites other than Cesar's, but we had little luck... Here's a story from the New York Times about this type of training: Pack of Lies ]
2. Clicker Training or Positive Re-enforcement
Before dropping out of school, Mom and I were working with clickers (as Enzo is doing now). Just to be clear, I didn't leave school because I wasn't learning. I left because I couldn't stand how closely I had to be to other dogs in the class. (Mr. Millan probably would've flipped me on my back and made me stay, hehe.)
This type of training is done with a weird little box that makes a quick "click" and yummy treats. As soon as I perform the command, Mom clicks the box and gives me a Pup-Peroni! Enzo and I learn tricks by following Mom's hand signals or solving the problem ourselves (with guidance from Mom). Come to think of it, I don't think Mom has ever touched us while teaching us a new trick or command. Also, whenever we mess up or get distract, Mom doesn't yell. She calls us back and gives the command again, praising us when we figure it out.
I like this training because I LOVE to problem solve, plus we get treats and praise! This is the preferred method of many trainers, including Ms. Leslie- Enzo's comfort-dog-guru at PetSmart!
[Here's some information from the Humane Society on this type of training: Positive Re-Enforcement Training]
...
Be smart when it comes to picking a behavioralist for your fur-baby. Research different methods of training and keep track of how your dog is reacting and learning! It's ok to mix methods, so long as you're being consistent and NEVER EVER strike your dog as discipline!
Mom found a Wikipedia article that better explains the types of dog training!
Wikipedia Article
Alright, off to walk the neighborhood with Mom and Enz!
-Lylee the Self-training Expert
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