Animal Behavior
As a relatively new dog owner, I’ve been reading up a lot on animal training, which naturally lead me into reading about animal behavior studies, and taking dog training classes. What’s ground-breaking for me in all of this is how much behavioral training research applies equally to humans as it does dogs. It’s all about reinforcement. And–no surprise–there is both negative AND positive reinforcement.
I recently read Patricia McConnell’s The Other End of the Leash. McConnell has a PhD in zoology (animal behavior), and runs a dog-training facility as well as acts as a personal consultant for difficult dogs. She actually uses her own Border Collies as therapy dogs to help solve problems in other dogs. Her book is just a plain fascinating read: it offers enlightening stories (and photos) throughout, as well as insight into how dogs perceive the world, and how that perception is so different from our own. But the important message of the book is how as humans we are so ingrained in our communication styles that we think every other being must surely understand our intent. It made me realize how much we do this with other humans! For example, McConnell shows how, as apes, we great each other face-to-face and reach toward each other to grasp hands in greeting. She shows some great chimp photos of this very behavior to back her point. Then, she shows how dogs greet each other. Well, if you’ve owned or been around a dog at all, you know that dogs’ greeting styles differ drastically from our own. But, the interesting part is that direct eye contact is considered aggressive in dog-speak, and directly facing and leaning forward and over a dog is dominant. So, put all of these "signals" together as we commonly do when greeting a dog, and you have one aggressive initial greeting! McConnell shows enough photos of this action to demo that dogs just tolerate our clumsiness. (Cats, as we know, tolerate nothing.)
Still, the book changed how I thought of dogs versus other pet animals, like cats and birds. I used to think that dogs naturally interacted more like humans, and that cats and birds (I used to own an African Grey parrot) needed a different style entirely. I now understand that dogs have the same human greeting preference as cats! Imagine that! They prefer an indirect greeting. They prefer to be the one to initiate approach, and they don’t like a hand moving right toward their head, and they even prefer a scratch under the chin, chest, or side of face. Just – like – a – cat. And an African Grey Parrot (except that Grey’s like their feathers rubbed backwards on their head after they know you…but it’s clearly a sign of acceptance on their part–you just don’t rush anything with a beak that can break fingers).
I love behavior books like these, because they get you thinking about all animals, and where there is a fundamental commonality to all of our behavior, and where it differs. So in my recent quest for understanding, I looked up Karen Pryor on Amazon and found her book
From the reviews, the book isn’t so much about specific species behavior, but about behavioral psychology in general; stuff I find fascinating regardless of the pet I have. Karen Pryor is a renowned dolphin trainer and developed the clicker method for her dolphin training. So if you want to get a book about that specific method, that’s not the one. Don’t Shoot the Dog is more about behavioral shaping. The book is on its way to me now, and in the meantime, here is another review from a reader you might find interesting:
I’ve read quite a few dog behavior, training and intelligence books and always had this on the to read list because of its reputation of being the "bible" of dog training. But I didn’t really want to read it because of the title, and hey, the cover isn’t too imaginitive either. I know don’t judge a book by a cover, but to be honest, reading has a sensual side too — good clean lines, fits nice in the hands, smooth paper. You bookaholics know what I’m saying.
So, I finally got around to reading this and I can see why people say this book is life-changing. Pryor spent very little time talking about dogs specifically but showed many examples on how these methods could be used with people with disabilities, your own kids, spouse, cat etc.
I’m a trainer’s assistant at a dog obedience school, and as I read this, it all looked familiar. It is basically the foundation philosophy of our school. It’s a method of communication. A way to build a relationship and communicate what you want from your dog in a positive, punishment-free manner. Reading this book helped me clarify why we at the school do things as we do. And as I finished the book, I was thinking of one of the comments a woman made at a trainer’s funeral. The gist was that she had learned from his gentle approach to the dogs, and this had spread to the way she approached people as well.
It’s true. "Clicker training" as some people call this training philosophy will spill outside of your doggy life and into other areas… if you come to this as a dog trainer. As a dog trainer, your dog doesn’t sit when you say sit. Instead of getting mad and saying sit sit sit! jerking on the collar or pushing on the butt, first you think "does my dog understand ’sit?’" Then you’d break it down into it’s components — sit is an action (head goes up, butt goes down) and responding to the command requires that 1. the dog knows the action 2. the dog knows the word is connected to the action. Then you’d find a way to get your dog past whatever is hanging him up. So, if this is your habitual style of response to other’s "mistakes," you will start to develop patience, compassion and clear communication. And those skills will take you far in life.
And extra bonus — besides learning training methods, you’ll read alot of funny anecdotes about frisbee-playing elephants and bell-ringing hermit crabs too.