Should I train my dog?

IS TRAINING A DIRTY WORD? Apparently, according to some! I believe this reflects a misunderstanding by some dog professionals of what the term means and the range of experiences it encompasses. Here's a great explanation from Wlodarczyk et al. 2024.

""In everyday English, “training” implies the intentional imposition by one individual of a program of discipline or instruction on another in order to change their behavior. One of the insights of behavioral psychology is that individuals may become trained (their behavior becomes more adept) without the need for conscious application of any instruction by another. Behavior followed by positive consequences is more likely to be repeated in the future; that which is followed by unattractive consequences is less likely to be repeated, and similarly, initially unimportant stimuli may come to alter behavior if they are reliably followed by important consequences. Since the application of these stimuli and consequences can follow unconsciously or even be provided by inanimate objects (as when a stove burns the finger of a too-inquisitive child), it follows that there is no need for an individual to intentionally act as a “trainer” for another individual to receive “training”.

Many contemporary canine enthusiasts associate the term “training” with the imposition of human control on a dog’s behavior and with the performance of behaviors on cue. Consequently, many contemporary dog owners, interested more in developing interspecies bonds than in the dog’s performance of specific actions, resist the word training and prefer to refer to their interactions with dogs as socialization, behavior modification, the teaching of life skills, etc."

I distinguish between what I call 'formal' training - the teaching of cues or default behaviours (cued by the environment or situation), and 'informal' training - everything that happens in between and is happening 24/7. Every time we interact with our dogs, we are potentially 'training' - making some behaviours more likely or unlikely to occur again. It is unavoidable - unless we are entirely irrelevant to our dog and their emotional state and behaviour!!! Most 'training' goes on in this grey area when we are not deliberately intending to teach anything, which is why we need to be aware of the messages and feedback we are giving our dogs, and the messages and feedback they give us. Because, let's face it, training goes both ways, and realising your dog has used their clever and subtle ways to alter your own behaviour is one of the greatest joys in your relationship with them!

Reference: Włodarczyk, J., Harrison, J., Kruszona-Barełkowska, S. L., & Wynne, C. D. L. (2024). Talking Dogs: The Paradoxes Inherent in the Cultural Phenomenon of Soundboard Use by Dogs. Animals, 14(22), 3272. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223272