Mon 20th Aug: The art of subtle training

They were all fast asleep until I went to take a photo

Like most people I have a daily routine which starts with checking and replying to emails and writing my blog.  When I've finished and it's time to take the dogs for their morning walk, I remove my reading glasses which makes a very faint "click" sound as I fold and put them down on the desk.  That almost imperceptible alert has the dogs jumping up from their apparent sleep and racing around like maniacs in their excitement, and it's really impossible to do anything without a reaction.  Unless they're old and deaf like my Murphy, a dog's hearing is so much better than a human's, as well as every other sense except sight.  In fact I know from my born-blind dog Roley, and even Murphy who is also completely blind now, that being able to see is obviously a bonus for any dog but they can cope with life perfectly well without.

That's why training doesn't need to involve raised voice commands, exaggerated signals or any heavy-handed physical actions like jerking a leash or pushing a dog's body.  In fact the opposite is true, and while shouting may satisfy the human side of the dog-owner relationship, it's not necessary.  A low voice and subtle hand/body movements will work just as well, in fact much better.  Of course I yell at my dogs sometimes because I'm human and as a species we have lost the art of subtle communication, but that's really for my own benefit rather than to achieve anything positive.   The dogs look at me as if to say "Feel better now?" and then carry on.

Classes are in both English and Cantonese

After a summer break the Positive Partners training courses will resume in September, and this is a great way to learn how to communicate with your dog, and just as importantly, to understand what your dog is saying to you.  Being able to read facial expressions and body language is such an important part of any animal relationship, but it's too often overlooked when people follow the alpha/dominance type of training where the dog is nothing but a four-legged fool and the master is God.

Cactus and I have also been discussing the option of including new puppy adopters in the first theory-only class, before the puppy is old enough to join the whole course.  We both agree that this would get good training habits started from the beginning, so information on these puppy options will be available very soon.