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By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Over the last twelve years, I've been fortunate enough to have spent time in both zoological and non-zoological training environments, and let me tell you, there's a big difference when it comes to training. This week, I want to talk about those differences in order to stop trainers from feeling guilty about dog training. I know I'm going to make enemies again, but I have to talk about force-free training, AKA positive reinforcement only trainers. 

Training Differences
The positive reinforcement only and Force Free movements have a negative impact on dog training and public education, here's why. Both training approaches are defined as withholding any type of aversive in a training session in order to avoid pain or stress. Pain inflicting tools, words, or physical actions are forbidden. Although I don't use any aversive tools, sometimes I have to say no to dogs, use a no reward marker, or physically restrain an animal because it's too strong. Consequently, we can't compare exotic animal training with dog training because the environment is not the same.

Environmental Differences
Force Free and positive reinforcement only groups say If we can train lions with a purely positive approach, then we must train dogs with the same techniques. This sounds awesome, but there are two important issues with this approach, and the issues are HUGE ones. First, lions (or any other exotic animal) live in captivity; dogs don't. This means exotic animal trainers can control 100% of the lion's environment, 100% for the time; consequently, lion trainers can avoid any negative stimulus and punishment. Second, the positive only approach perpetuates misinformation about science-based learning theories and training methodologies.

Positive reinforcement only is not applicable in the real world where predictability and aversive outcomes are statistical probabilities. During a training session, we teach our clients to set the dog up for success, but the fact of the matter is, we cannot guarantee 100% reliability of behaviour because the environment is not under 100% control. In other words, because I can't control the environment and all living beings within it, my client will undoubtedly fail a significant percentage of the time and use a punisher or no reward marker. The important thing to remember is punishment and no reward markers aren't synonymous with abuse, violence, or aggression. Clients and trainers should not feel guilty if words such as no, stop, or heyhey are used in training.

Training Impact
When I teach a dog check-in in order to decrease the trash eating behaviour, I might say stop to the dog before he picks up another piece of trash. I then reward the dog for having stopped. I might do this because I know the last time the dog ate trash it resulted in 3000$+ operation. Clients don't know about learning theories, differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviours, or stimulus control. People want their dogs to behave, quickly, and somewhat effortlessly.

Yes, I could reward big time for looking at humans and not eating trash. Here's the problem, what if the dog is a stressed-out Beagle who loves trash more than he loves our food supply? What if the Labrador is on the higher end of the anxiety spectrum and eats trash to release his anxiety? What if the trash-eating Great Dane can pull his human to the ground because he's 175lbs?

When the environment isn't under control, punishment from the owner, trainer, or environment itself, becomes a statistical probability. Lest we forget, punishment or reinforcement is from the animal's perspective, not ours. Thus, when I (read we) need to hold a dog-reactive Great Dane down with a body and head harness, is this a punishment? From the dog's perspective, it may or may not be. Is it abuse? No. Is it force? Yes. Is it forceful? No. We aren't using body power to pull him down, we are keeping him from rearing up, running away, and dragging us along. Physical interventions are needed in order to reinforce look at human for info, or simply to ask the dog to sit.

Zoological Reality
Captive animals don't experience the endless variety of unpredictable stimuli our dogs are subjected to. It's easy to control 100% of my lion's behaviour, especially during training; in contrast, I can't predict what the environment will throw at me, or my client, one minute from the next. The probability of using an aversive or punisher during a dog training session, in the real world, isn't impossible, it's probable.

Science has taught us how learning theories and behaviour modification protocols work. Why someone would deny one aspect of science in favour of another, when living conditions are diametrically opposed, baffles me. Zoological institutions don't experience real-world effects, thus, to compare one to the other is as relevant as comparing the moon to an egg. I work in both fields and although I use the same theories and protocols, I can assure you, I don't train the same way. Thresholds are easy to manage in zoological settings; in the real world, thresholds vary from one second to the next. Dogs aren't wolves, and wolves aren't dogs. 

One last word. There's no reason to feel guilty if you need to use a punisher or no reward marker, it's part of life. That being said, make sure you immediately reward the cessation of the undesirable behaviour. This is often the key concept people forget. When you reward an animal for having stopped the undesirable behaviour, you are in fact communicating that the desirable behaviour is to do nothing. As Rush said in their song Freewill If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. 

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Many people confuse lure with reinforcement training. The confusion might come from the fact that both techniques use food to train animal behaviours. My goal this week is to shed light and expose the differences between the two.

Lure training is a technique by which food, a toy, or any desirable object is used to model the dog into the desired behaviour. the lure is then given to the animal as a reward. When you move a cookie or ball over your dog's head and he sits, you have lured your dog into a sit position. The trainer then gives the dog the cookie or toy. The process is then repeated until the behaviour occurs frequently.

Here's the thing. If you don't remove the lure at the right time, the trainer and behaviour become dependant on the lure. In other words, no food, no behaviour. Plus, if you work in an environment rich with stimuli, the value of the lure decreases tremendously which in turn increases undesirable behaviours. This is definitely not a win-win situation.

Here's an example. You use a treat to teach your dog to sit. In your house, the dog performs the behaviour perfectly. One day, you decide to go to the park and let your dog play with his friends. After a few minutes, Fido gets a little excited so you call him over. You ask him to sit, but Fido has his own agenda and refuses to listen. You pull out a treat, dangle it in his face and ask again. Still, Fido refuses to cooperate. The reason Fido doesn't want to listen is that playtime with his friend is way more rewarding than the treat you have to offer.

With lure training, dogs don't really learn behaviour, they simply follow food or toys. Consequently, when rewards of better importance, like playing with friends, become available, the lure loses its reinforcement power. Plus, the lure is used to teach multiple behaviours that confuse dogs even more. Dogs don't know if the lure (food, toy, touch) is the signal to do the behaviour or is the reward. Add insult to injury, sometimes the lure is used as both. Are you confused? If so, you now know how lure trained dogs feel.

With social-cognitive and reinforcement-based training, dogs learn that sit makes treats appear. Thus, by trial and error, treats will appear if dogs sit or won't appear if they don't sit. Again, luring doesn't teach dogs what to do because in the absence of the lure dogs won't perform the behaviour. Plus, when other more interesting things occur in the environment, the lure loses its power. Consequently, lure trainers get stuck in this habit and cannot break away from it.

If you put those lures aside and let dogs think things through for a moment, you'll be greatly surprised with what they can and do learn. Dogs have the capacity to think, we simply need to trust their cognitive abilities. In summary, a lure is a modelling tool, not a reward. Try it out and tell us what happened when you used a lure to train a behaviour versus reward.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

This week I want to talk about a subject really close to home, dog training methodologies. You would think dog training evolved since my childhood days, but it seems, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

When I was a kid, we trained dogs in a military fashion. After all, my father was a military man so what else were we supposed to do?! Punishment was in and tools like choke and prong collars were fashionable. If you didn't train your dog with these tools, you weren't training at all.

Today we know better. A decade ago or so, scientists decided to study dogs; as a result, labs were inaugurated and people started to research various aspects of our canine companions. Discoveries are still being made, and new findings reveal information we can incorporate into our training programs. We now know tools of the past are no longer necessary.

Three years ago, one man decided to create an initiative that is changing dog training once more. Every June, SPARCS presents a weekend conference on canine cognition discoveries. The event is presented free online via live-streamed. The science-based discussion allows information to be shared with the world; consequently, dog training and behaviour modification are now on an upsurge.  

In 2015, there's no valid reason to use punishment or choke, prong, electric, citronella, or other coercive tools. But, I do understand how people believe punishment is the way. Our entire society is based on punishment. Schools punish, jobs punish, the market punishes, and parents punish; as such, dogs should also be punished.

It'll take time before the inner child of punishment-based trainers can shine through and change their minds. Till then, our job is to teach old school trainers that there's a better way, but ultimately, they themselves need to experience the laws of reinforcement. 

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Working with animals is extremely rewarding, but it also yields a dirty secret, people in our line of work burn out. We change bad behaviour into good behaviour, we improve the human-animal bond, we teach, we foster, or rescue dogs, and all his hard work comes with a steep price, we emotionally exhaust ourselves. Today's article touches on human emotional management.

I'm fortunate enough to have learned this very important skill while I was in college. Because of my learning disability, I had to manage my emotions in order to access my memory and train my brain to make a new association between words. I had to manage frustration, sadness, and euphoria all at once, which as you might have guessed, was not an easy task.

Human emotional management is the hardest thing to do because we're super sensitive to the animal's plight and we desperately want to help. Thus, while we address animal issues, we come to realize we are faced with human emotions; consequently, it becomes difficult to manage both humans (ourselves and others) and animal emotions. If professionals can't emotionally disassociate themselves from the situation, they are likely to burn out. To avoid stress which can lead to distress, and eventually burnouts, I want to give you a few ideas on how to manage your emotions. So, please keep an open mind as you read on.

1. You are not the animal you are helping.
2. You can only do your best, beyond that point, let someone else take over.
3. When faced with a difficult situation tell yourself "I'll deal with these emotions later".
4. Don't forget to address emotions as soon as possible; don't sweep your emotions under the proverbial carpet.
5. Your view of a problematic situation is very different than the animal's perception of reality.
6. If you are too emotional, don't get involved and don't train.
7. If you need to address an emergency, use your rational brain, talk yourself through the steps.
8. Voice your emotions when appropriate. Ideally, after an emotionally charged event has occurred.
9. There will always be animals in need, you can't change this fact; you can only change your perception of it.
10. Talk with other professionals, ask them how they cope with their emotions.

There's a fine line between stress, distress, and eustress, and if you don't respect your limits, you will burn out. Working with animals means we accept the challenge of creating a new reality for the human-animal team, beyond that point, you must let go. You're not responsible for other peoples' emotions; you're only responsible for your own inner well-being. I'll end this article with the following quote "The environment is everything that isn't me." - Albert Einstein

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
While we certainly don't encourage people to buy puppies for Christmas, tis the season for thou new bundle of joy to enrol in puppy class. Puppy socialisation classes aim to teach puppies how to communicate as adult dogs in order to live well-adjusted lives amongst the canine and human population. In essence, socialisation teaches an animal how to communicate and socially conduct itself later on in life. Today, I wish to revisit the nature of these classes in relation to the critical period of development known as socialisation.
 
Socialisation Period
The critical period of socialisation was discussed thoroughly in Scott and Fuller's (1965) book Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog. The authors explain "By a critical period, we mean a special time in life when a small amount of experience will produce a great effect on later behavior." (p. 117) Puppy socialisation starts approximately on the third week to end roughly around twelve weeks of age. No need to tell you twelve weeks is equivalent to three months old. This means by the time people acquire their puppies, much of the critical period of social development will have gone by; consequently, pet owners have little time to do a lot of work.  
 
Puppy Classes
Traditional puppy classes were designed to teach basic skills such as sit, down, come,  stay, no bite, and loose leash walking for young dogs between two and five months old. More recently, kindergarten classes, or socialisation classes, began to pop up. These group classes are offered to puppies between eight and twelve weeks of age. Group size varies between four to eight puppies.
 
People take these classes to better train or socialise dogs, but one fundamental key is missing in the process, actual adult dogs. The ability to learn one's language and use it in proper context cannot be achieved from one puppy to another. Comparatively, if two-year-old kids were left in a room without adult intervention, how could we expect them to learn to share, not hit one another, be patient, or any other proper behaviour? The answer is, we couldn't.
 
Two-year-old kids would learn many things, but they probably wouldn't learn how to properly conduct themselves in adult social situations. Kids need adults to teach them the rudiments of social interaction. So do dogs.
 
New Puppy Class Model
In our opinion, each and every puppy class should be conducted with at least one stable adult dog present for every four puppies present in class. Adult dogs teach puppies how to greet, play, cooperate, and communicate. In essence, adult dogs parent puppies, which is how nature intended it to be. Our job is to make sure socialisation occurs in the most positive way possible when puppies go out into the real world. Young dogs need to learn and practice from a variety of adult dogs how to become awesome canine citizens. As dog owners, we simply need to make sure puppies remain safe during the process.

Reference:
- Scott, J.P. and Fuller, J.L. (1965). Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

This post is intended for pet owners and dog training or behaviour professionals alike. It might be a negative read for some, all the while be informative for others. If you are upset about this article, please leave a comment to tell us why.

Today, I want to address the taboo subject of dog training, prices. This article is not about naming names or pointing fingers, it's about instilling professionalism in an unregulated occupation. How do we standardize prices when dog training or behaviour consultation is not a recognised profession? How do clients make sense of the sometimes nonsense fees? I have been secretly debating this topic with many friends and find it necessary to disclose price irregularities and recommend a solution.

What to Charge
When clients contact me, I always discuss the case with them beforehand in order to learn what's the problem and how much I will charge. Without a governing body, it's difficult to assess what our services are worth; furthermore, since professionals tend to conceal their fees, it's very difficult to establish a reference point. In order to figure out my cost, I decided to look at a similar profession who has a governing body. For my profession, I chose the psychology fee and general salary guide.
 
According to the Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec, Code of Ethics, Professional Code (R.S.Q., c. C-26, s. 87), Chapter III, Division VIII, Fees, Section 52:
Psychologists must charge and accept fair and reasonable fees warranted by the circumstances and the costs of providing the professional services.
To determine their fees, psychologists must consider the following factors:
1) their experience or particular competence;
2) the time required to provide the professional services;
3) the complexity and extent of the professional services;
4) the performance of professional services that are unusual or provided in unusual conditions; and
5) the performance of professional services that require exceptional competence or celerity.

The average national psychologist fee across Canada is 72$ per hour. Although the Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec does not impose a price guideline, psychologists in Quebec tend to charge between 80$ to 120$ per regular 50 minutes sessions (ordrepsy.qc.ca, 2015). Before we continue, let me remind you, psychologists are required to have a doctorate degree to practice their profession.
 
If you think a visit to the psychologist is pricey, I have seen inexperienced dog trainers charge 150$ per hour for a first time visit. Like you, I'm appalled because dog trainers are not required to have any formal education what so ever. I my opinion, price justification should take education and experience into account. Mind you, most professionals do charge a reasonable amount and do educate themselves, but without some kind of guideline, it's very difficult for people to assess service fees based on education or experience.
 
The Solution
I propose we base our services on existing professional governing bodies. We could use the Ordre des Psychologues du Quebec as our leading identity till our profession becomes recognised. Personally, I adhere to their ideas and have fixed my prices according to the Order and my experience. I believe prices between 80$ and 120$ per hour are fare and honest rates for most regular dog trainers. Furthermore, reasonable costs make dog training accessible, affordable, but most importantly, professional.
 
I know some dog trainers and other professionals might be outraged. I respect their opinion. Nevertheless, I believe the time has come for an open discussion about prices and our profession in general. Clients need to discriminate prices based on junior, intermediate, or senior trainer experience. We need to unite and make a change, for, we practice a profession that does cause harm when not exercised appropriately.
 
References:
- Éditeur officiel du Québec. (2014) Code of ethics of psychologists, chapter C-26, r. 212. Professional Code (chapter C-26, s. 87). Retrieved from: http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=%2F%2FC_26%2FC26R212_A.htm
- Retrieved from : https://www.ordrepsy.qc.ca/en/public/la-psychotherapie/how-much-should-a-psychotherapy-cost.sn
- Retrieved from: http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Psychologist/Salary

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
Doga has been around for many years in the United States, and many people claim to have "invented" the human-dog practice. The shift from yoga to Doga was inevitable and if you stop for a moment to think about it, most asanas come from the animal world: upward dog, downward dog, cat, cow, fish, cobra, etc.

Doga has been around for many years in the United States, and many people claim to have "invented" the human-dog practice. The Doga practice we have established at the Dogue Shop was a natural and original approach meant to change your philosophy about dogs. We do not use dogs as accessories, on the contrary, dogs learn to practice yoga with their human. 
 
Yoga is a philosophy, not an exercise routine. According to Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga, the asana practice, or poses, is one part of the enlightenment process. We developed Doga based on philosophy, not the poses. Our Doga practice focuses on doing asanas with your dog as a routine, not as an accessory. The doga approach we teach involves breathing, self-awareness, poses, respect, control of the senses, and concentration. We even guide students through meditation in the presence of dogs.
 

The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Yama :  Universal morality
Niyama :  Personal observances
Asanas :  Body postures
Pranayama :  Breathing exercises, and control of prana
Pratyahara :  Control of the senses
Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana :  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
Samadhi :  Union with the Divine

A New Vision 
Because the Dogue Shop likes to Think Outside the Box, we did not want to place dogs in strange positions, nor did we want to exclude certain breeds based on their size. Doga is really about developing and deepening the human-dog relationship based on social cognitive theory. The connection deepens the relationship and the relationship deepens the ability to work and solve problems in a secure and relaxed environment. 
 
The topic of social cognitive theory was discussed in Reinforce Resilience. In the article, we discussed how to reinforce resilience through a different approach. Doga is the ultimate training practice in which a person learns to teach, bond, enjoy, and share an activity meant to keep both participants in the present moment. Doga, just like yoga, is a philosophy. Furthermore, doga is a low-impact training practice available to all. It can be practiced inside or out, and will certainly make participants laugh.

We encourage you to try Doga and start doing yoga with your dog, but most of all we encourage people to try and see their human-dog relationships in a new way. Canis Familiaris has been our working partner for hundreds of years, maybe it's time to step back and acknowledge that, although times have changed, we can still work with them in new creative ways. Give your dog a job. Give your dog a Doga job.

Source
http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2479226/Yoga-dogs-JILLY-JOHNSON-tries-doga--14st-Great-Dane.html
http://www.catherinemann.com/doga-yoga-wa-dog/
http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2009/08/14/doga-yoga-for-dogs/

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
In the last Blog, I tried to persuade readers to engage in a healthy discussion about what it means to be a dog professional. Today, we will take a look at learning and resilience. Note: to keep this article short, I have included a list of learning theories and people behind them at the end of this article.

In essence, learning theories are regrouped into six main theories: Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Design-based, Humanism, and Miscellaneous. Out of all the learning theories, most professionals rely on one, behaviourism (classical and operant conditioning). Did you know Albert Bandura, a Canadian, linked behaviourism and cognitivism with his social cognitive theory in the sixties?

In essence, social cognitive theory states "...that all animal action is based on fulfilling the psychological needs of feeling, emotion, and desire”. Social cognitive theory is based on the idea that animals (including people) learn by observing others, and this can only occur when personal, behavioural, and environmental factors are conducive to learning. Dogs can and do learn through social cognitive theory.

Another learning theory comes into play, attachment. Indeed, dogs have pre-set behaviours that allow them to attach to whatever is present during the critical period of social development. After this attachment period, dogs will learn to imitate and solve problems not only through association but also through social and emotional connectedness. Dogs who have formed bonds with humans are more likely to follow pointing gestures and visual cues to problem-solve (Virányi et al., 2008). In fact, when all these learning theories are put together, the side effect is increased resilience.

Reinforced Resilience Reduces Reaction.
Resilience is the capacity of a human or animal to recover quickly from difficulties or difficult situations; therefore, animal professionals should reinforce resilience, not behaviour. You might think this sounds strange, yet I assure you this is not an abstract concept. I introduced other learning theories into my practice fifteen years ago, and believe me, they work wonderfully. Actually, many dog research labs now focus on the social and cognitive capacities of our canine companions.

How does one reinforce resilience you might ask. The answer lies in your ability to place all the pieces of the puzzle together. In other words, the human must set the stage for other theories to interconnect. The first puzzle is the social cognitive learning theory model which looks like the image below.
In the social cognitive learning theory model, behavioural factors influence and are influenced by environmental factors; environmental factors influence and are influenced by personal factors (cognition, emotion, and biology); personal factors influence and are influenced by behaviour. All factors must connect and interact with one another in order for learning to take place (above). When both human and dog models connect through a secure attachment, both individuals can experience learning. Once the human-dog pair functions smoothly, resilience can and will increases. Why? Because the human can plan and set forth the environmental, behavioural, and personal factors required to trigger a response and then reinforce recovery. In other words, the human voluntarily works to decrease the dog's recovery time in any given situation by reinforcing the said recovery. As the dog gains insight and receives multiple levels of reinforcement for quick recovery, resilience will increase (below).The process of placing dogs into social situations in order to trigger personal and behavioural responses is termed situational inducement. Inducement should remain at the dog's threshold, for if the situation is too stressful, the dog will cease to learn. Remember, all three aspects of the social cognitive theory must function together in order to create a favourable learning environment. Furthermore, if situational inducement triggers high stress responses, the human-dog attachment will suffer and start to deteriorate. 

The objective of social cognitive and attachment theory is to let your dog know that you are there and that you will provide positive feedback. Your dog should think you are God, not because you have food, but because your relationship says I got your back. A resilient human and dog team is a powerful combination that can be exposed to any situation and bounce back physically, mentally, and emotionally without any long term negative effects.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

This article will undoubtedly appear as a controversial piece to many, so be it! I accept the divergence of opinions, for I am open to constructive criticism and capable of objective dialogue. My purpose is to make people think. Think about relationships, beliefs, and ideas. I challenge the reader to sit back and ask themselves this question, where do I find myself in the negative/positive continuum? There is no right or wrong answer. You are where you find yourself.

Punishment (-) _____________________ (?) _____________________________ Reinforcement (+)

I think the line between punishment and abuse is a very thin one and should be discussed. The idea for this article came to me when I read the following statement: "Finding a dog trainer who will not hurt your dog, either physically or EMOTIONALLY, is not easy." The text, written by Paws for Praise, reminds us that human-dog relationships should be based in acceptance, understanding, and love; unfortunately, this is easier said than done. 

Punishment

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

This might come as a surprise for some readers outside the dog profession; therefore, I urge you to brace yourselves for what I am about to say. Dog training is an unrecognised profession with no educational standards or governing body in Quebec, Canada. If you did not know this, please rest assured, you are not alone. With the advent of TV reality shows, this fact places people, trainers and clients alike, in a precarious position. Let us explore why. 

Applied animal behaviour is a recognised profession which requires a university degree; furthermore, behaviourists are usually members of a specific professional organisation. In other words, behaviourists are bound by a code of ethics and ave a governing body, depending on their country of origin.

In Quebec, dog trainers are not required to have any educational training. Basically, this means people can read a book or watch a television show and call themselves dog trainers. Although some self-taught trainers use a positive approach to dog training and continue their education via conferences and seminars, some trainers are simply put, bad to the bone.

Backyard Trainers
I call punishment based and forceful dog trainers "backyard" trainers. These backyard trainers have little or no basic understanding of animal behaviour modification; consequently, they create more problems than they solve. Why? Because their training approach focuses on outdated ideas and theories like dominance and pack structure. 

Dog Trainer Professionals
Professional dog trainers recognise the need for structured, formal, educational programs and go out of their way to acquire such an education. The training they receive is often given by behaviourists which explains why they have a basic to advanced understanding of animal behaviour and modification protocols. Professional people do not hesitate to refer cases which exceed their qualifications. Professional dog trainers network and strive to keep in touch and discuss training practices, methods, and techniques.

Dog Training Clients
Clients should ask for references from other clients or turn towards sources such as dog parks, veterinarians, videos of trainers, and contact the training school where their potential trainer has taken classes. Social networks are also an excellent source of information. Clients can look at potential trainers' posts, comments, associations, affiliations or liked pages. 

The Road Ahead 
When the time comes to sort between professional and backyard trainers, I recommend clients trust the information they gathered and their instinct. Finally, clients should hire the person which best fits their expectations and needs. Remember, if it's too good to be true, it normally is!

Qu’est-ce que la communication? Dans le dictionnaire il est écrit : 1. Fait de communiquer, d’établir une relation avec autrui. Ce qui m’apporte à voir le mot communiquer : 1. Transmettre. 2. Donner connaissance, faire partager à qqn. 3. Être en relation, en rapport, en correspondance (avec qqn). Donc, nous communiquons bel et bien avec nos chiens, mais que leur disons-nous réellement?

La dominance est un concept intra-spécifique, c’est-à-dire que pour dominer le chien il faut être capable de parler le même langage que lui, ce qui est impossible. Je ne peux pas lever ma queue dans les airs, je ne peux pas relever mes oreilles et je ne peux surtout pas hérisser le poil sur mon dos. La soumission chez le chien ou tout autre animal se fait volontairement ou il y a bagarre. Je n’ai jamais vu un chien ou un loup prendre son adversaire par la peau du coup, le virer et le tenir sur le dos jusqu’à ce qu’il se soumette. Je le répète, l’animal se soumet VOLONTAIREMENT ou il y a un conflit de dominance !

Pour illustrer ce point d’avantage prenons l’exemple d’un éléphant et d’un buffle qui s’affrontent dans la savane. Je vous demande alors qui domine qui ? La réponse est ni un ni l’autre et les deux à la fois, car dans leurs têtes respectives ils exhibent leur comportement de dominance. Dans cette situation il n’y a pas de communication puisque la définition dit : établir une relation avec autrui, être en relation.

Dans cet exemple le Buffle se fait gros et essaie de dominer l’éléphant en baissant la tête et en montrant ces cornes. L’éléphant aussi démontre ses comportements de dominances en ouvrant ses oreilles et en levant sa trompe dans les airs. Il offre les mêmes comportements qu’il offrirait à un autre éléphant s’il voulait le dominer. Nous voyons clairement que dans cette situation la communication n’est pas possible. Le Buffle ne domine pas l’éléphant car ils ne comprennent pas leur langage respectif. Avec cette nouvelle compréhension comment pouvons nous interpréter notre relation avec le chien comme étant dominance et soumission ?

Le chien passe son temps à interpréter nos comportements car il ne comprend pas notre langage. Je vous donne un autre exemple. Vous devez couper les griffes de votre chien et il ne veut pas. Vous l’immobilisez de force jusqu’à ce qu’il cesse de bouger et accepte vos manipulations. Je vous pose la question : l’avez vous dominez ? Bien sûr que non ! Dans sa tête vous lui avez fait peur et ne pouvant pas fuir, il a figé. Rappelez-vous, lorsqu’un chien a peur il a trois réactions possibles ; figer, fuir ou frapper[2]. Bien que la majorité des chiens préfèrent fuir, frapper est souvent l’alternative de choix.

Nous connaissons le langage physique du chien mais malheureusement très peu de gens connaissent son langage émotionnel. Les signaux d’apaisements et d’évitements font partie intégrante de leur vocabulaire et reconnaître ceux-ci est une nécessité pour comprendre ce qu’il nous dit. Cette compréhension permettrait de prévenir les troubles de comportements souvent issus d’un manque de communication.

Revenons à l’exemple ci-haut du chien qui subit une contention pour se faire couper les griffe. Son maître est par-dessus lui et essaie de l’immobiliser, le chien baille, fait aller le bout se sa queue rapidement, pleure et détourne constamment votre regard, bref il essaie de vous dire qu’il panique car il ne comprend pas ce que vous exigez de lui. Rappelez-vous, dans son monde canin aucun chien ne ferait une telle chose ! Dans notre exemple Fido pourrait faire l’association entre vous et douleur et penser que vous êtes un danger potentiel.

Établir une relation saine avec un animal exige une compréhension maximale de son éthogramme[3]. Nous devons comprendre que la communication n’est possible qu’entre deux espèces démontrant les mêmes comportements, langage corporel et émotionnel. Toute autre forme de relation est issue du respect et des associations positives qui résultent de ces échanges. Prévenir un trouble de comportement commence par reconnaître que nous ne sommes ni supérieurs ni inférieurs à nos chiens, nous sommes tout simplement différents. Je vous laisse sur les paroles de Charles Darwin qui en revenant de son tour du monde a dit : les différences créent la diversité!

[1] Roulade dorsale avec maintien de posture jusqu’à ce que le chien se soumette.

[2] Un animal n’a que trois réactions possibles face à un stimulus; figer, fuir ou se battre (traduit de l’anglais feeze, flight or fight). En français nous utilisons le terme frapper afin de respecter le plus fidèlement possible la règle des 3Fs.

[3] L’éthogramme est le répertoire complet des comportements d’une espèce.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Things you will probably never encounter or read.

- You will most likely never read a book titled "Using Tsit to Modify Speach." A book on how to use and master the pronunciation of "tsit" to improve speech written by the Russian speech therapist Dr. Vlad Von Talksalote.

- You will probably never find a wolf trainer use "tsit" (combined with poke) to modify C. lupus' dominant-aggressive behaviour towards unfamiliar people.

- You will definitely never see or use a clicker that goes "tsit".

- You will undoubtedly never read or find a scientific book about animal behaviour modification written by Dr. Dog Whisperer on the shelves of your local book store within the next 50 years.

- You will certainly never see an animal behaviourist place an elephant in a calm-submissive position in order to reach a calm-submissive state.

- You will absolutely never see a silver-back gorilla "tsit" his family.

- You will unquestionably never find a psychology university program offering a course entitled "Tsit 101, An Introduction to Behaviour Modification." Given by Dr. Johndoe Noitall.

- You will certainly encounter many people doing many things and telling you many stories; but, most of all you will discover that in the grand scheme of things "The tsit Philosophy" just doesn’t work.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Most dog owners know about the physical language of dogs; a raised tail and ears mean dominance, while a lowered tail and ears mean submission. However, few know about the emotional language dogs’ exhibit. Physical language presented as appeasement and avoidance signals make up the ethogram, aka canine dictionary. This dictionary must be understood in order to develop a secure relationship with the dog, which in turn will reduce the risks of bites.

Appeasement and avoidance signals are intended for those purposes. Appeasement signals serve to minimize conflict, while avoidance signals are intended at avoiding conflict in the first place. Appeasement signals like stretching, yawning, tongue flicking, pawing, and such, are displayed to the opponent (human, dog or other) in order to avoid stop conflicts before they escalate. Avoidance signals are displayed at an opponent when a dog tries to avoid a conflict. He signals his intentions, turning eyes, turning head, curving, sitting, pretend sniffing, hoping to avoid the escalating conflict. 

Aggression in dogs is normal; after all, they are predators. It is the lack of understanding that puts people in jeopardy. Owners punish the puppy for showing his teeth at grandmother; they tell him “No” when he growls. For the dog, these are normal signs of distress and people punish them out, leaving the dog with no other option but to bite. Remember freeze, flight or fight! Given the right circumstances, the dog will bite, no questions asked.

Pausing (freeze) behaviour shows the dog is uncomfortable, stress is building up and he must make a decision “Should I stay, or run away? ” In most cases the dog will run away (flight), however, when the environment prevents him from escaping, biting (fight) becomes an option, actually, the only option left!

Here is an example. A dog is playing on the balcony with his favourite toy. The neighbour walks in the yard. The dog pauses, tongue flicks, stands, circles and lies down again. The Neighbour interprets this as the dog being ok (he laid down again). He walks up the stairs and the dog bites his leg as he passes by. The dog gave all the right signals, unfortunately, the person failed to recognize them, and got bitten. Look at the situation from the dog’s point of view. When the person entered the yard, the dog paused (decision-making), tongue flicked (calming signal), circled (curving = 1st avoidance signal) and laid back down (down = 2nd avoidance signal). After reading this information, one can see the situation was preventable.

Through artificial selection, humans have changed the dogs' fixed action patterns (chain of behaviours working towards a specific goal), breeding down certain traits their wild ancestors still exhibit. Such behavioural faults are killed, dismember and eat. One must understand that these genetic traits are not removed, they are simply dormant. Dogs retain their predatory behaviours and under the right conditions, genetics will always over-ride training.

Physically speaking, the consequences of dog bites are different, the size of the dog being the main factor. However, emotionally speaking, the result is the same. Dogs are euthanized and victims are scarred for life. To avoid dog bites, prevention through education remains the best option.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT