If I were to ask “what is the best dog training aid ever”, what would your answer be?We live in a technological age, an age of computers and gizmos, all designed to make our lives easier though for those less technologically minded, that can be debated. The world of dog training is no exception to this. Over the past 15 years we have seen a growing dependence on aids to help us train the perfect dog. We’ve got the ‘thumb’ aids such as the electric collar and clicker, anti-bark collars and a range of anti pull leads and harnesses. In fact, for every problem we may encounter with our dog there is usually a gizmo out there or about to be marketed that is guaranteed to solve the problem.
The one thing that all these wonders of technology have in common is they are totally impersonal and require impeccable timing to convey the right information which is something very few of us possess. We spend our lives looking for the next best thing without realising that we already carry with us the best training aid ever and one our dogs generally respond to. Our Voice.
Our voices can convey so much information. The words, the intonation, all have meaning to our dogs. We can provide instruction, convey praise and punishment (no, I don’t mean shouting) and emotion, all of which provides valuable feedback for the dog, something an electric collar, clicker or anything else man-made simply cannot do.
Take the clicker for example (Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a go at clicker training here as I use it myself for shaping etc). The clicker delivers a monotone sound for marking a behaviour, a single, mechanical note that tells the dog he has done the right thing and so gets a reward. That is all the feedback the dog gets. It doesn’t tell the dog he’s a ‘good boy’ in a happy tone of voice because he’s done it right, it can’t, it’s a mechanical device made from plastic and metal.
What feedback does the electric collar deliver? Pain. Great way to motivate your dog, not. What of the anti-pull leads and harnesses or the anti-bark collars, what feedback do they deliver? Discomfort usually.
Our voices play a huge part in our dogs lives. Dogs hear us talking either in the house or as voices from the TV and radio. If you’re anything like me, I often have conversations with my dogs, a little one sided perhaps but conversations all the same. It never fails to make me laugh when they tilt their heads in an attempt to understand what I am saying. We convey so much information to our dogs through verbal feedback it begs the question why then do we put our reliance on man-made contraptions to train our dogs?
Personally, I like being able to provide feedback on a continual basis whilst training. My voice is enthusiastic when the dog does the right thing, quieter when I’m making a point and only raised to convey urgency such as the emergency stop. My dogs respond more willingly and learn faster when I use my voice, why shouldn’t they, after all, I’ve been talking to them since puppyhood. The very best reward for any dog is not a treat but what you convey with your voice and if you use your voice correctly, you will have a very willing and happy dog, and all without having to resort to indifference, pain or discomfort.
So you see, the best dog training aid ever, the easiest and most natural thing, is your voice. Try doing all that with the next man-made training marvel.
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