Are we over stressing our dogs?

[Root Beer]

I wonder how much stress fallout our dogs are catching from us, their owners. I have an anxiety disorder and I have seen the effects of my anxiety on my animals over the years. Ironically, the more I tried to cover up my feelings of anxiety by smiling, speaking in a chirpy voice as if nothing was wrong, the more my pets mirrored my underlying anxiety. Through working with a therapist in an equine-assisted therapy setting I learned why this was so.

 

Thank you for posting that! I thought I was the only one who found that trying to cover up my anxiety/nervousness, etc. actually makes my dogs more nervous/anxious, etc. than if I'm just plain honest with them.

 

Back when I first started working on Speedy's rehab, I was told that I could never let him see that I was nervous. OK, here I had a dog that would fly off the handle if another dog across the room looked at him and I was supposed to act like that was just peachy? I was confused, disappointed, and completely at a loss of what to do with him (at the time) and on top of that I was supposed to play act? I am horrible at play acting under the best of circumstances. It wasn't happening when my dog was about to have a mental melt down.

 

I gave it my best try and failed miserably. I finally got to a point where I decided to just be honest with myself and with the dog. I started to tell him what I was feeling in a matter of fact way. Something like, "Yeah, I don't like those (insert whatever) either. Let's go over here."

 

Along with learning ways to help him deal with the things that he would react to, just being honest worked for me. To this day people tell me that I'm going to mess my dogs up by transferring my emotions to them. Well, maybe my emotions are something that they have to learn to live with, just as their emotions and responses to things are something I have to live with. So far that's working for us. On the flip side, I share far more joy than anything with them.

 

Of course there are times when I have to keep my emotions to myself to give the dog a chance to process something. I certainly don't express every emotion that I have at every moment to my dogs. But I don't pretend to them anymore. It just never worked for me.

 

Really, though, most people that I tell that to think I am completely wrong to handle things this way. So, Geonni, it was really cool to hear you say that!

[mbc1963]

Yes, on our dogs reading our stress. When I'm, say, painting the front hallway up on a ladder and it's 95 degrees and wicked humid and I'm swearing because I dropped the paint can, Buddy skulks around looking really scared and stressed - the same way I skulked around when I was a kid and my father was swearing (or, really, trying not to swear) as he attempted to fix the dishwasher that he didn't know how to fix and didn't have money to pay someone else to fix.

 

I'm wondering, too, if Turid was kind of sideways referring to the Cesar Milan way of walking dogs: leash taut, very quick, no sniffing, no side glances. When I do watch TDW, I always think that's a very, very artificial way to walk a dog, and that Buddy wouldn't enjoy it if I made him miss all the fun and the point (sniffing) of a walk.

 

The Monks of New Skete used to equate off-leash walking in parks with hunting, which is similar to Temple Grandin's take on seeking behavior. That's a theory of walking I can get behind: with Buddy, it's all about sniffing which other dogs have been around, and which potential prey animals he should be barking at.

 

Mary

[juliepoudrier]

Flyer,

Certainly I think living in the country is much less stressful for me as well as my dogs. But I have also lived in small cities and small towns with dogs--never in a big city though. I think it's possible to create stress in the country, but there may well be fewer outside (beyond one's control) stressors.

 

If I had to guess, I think the behaviorist model became prevalent because *humans* have moved away from our agrarian roots, where dealing animals of all sorts was an everyday fact of life (and I'm not saying that farmer types are particularly intuitive when it comes to training dogs, per se, but simply that when animals of all types are around you, and many of those animals are big enough to hurt you, you naturally learn to read them, and learning to read a horse or a sheep isn't that much different than learning to read a dog). While horses are not cattle are not pigs are not dogs, learning to read animals becomes somewhat second nature when you're immersed in it most of your life. Now much of the population lives in urban and suburban areas, and their chances to interact with animals on a daily or ongoing basis is slim to none. So people needed some easy-to-understand way to deal with the animals in their lives. And I think behavior theory filled that need.

 

That said, we all know that more traditional training methods were a bit, shall we say, dictatorial. Again, people living a more agrarian lifestyle dealt with animals that they couldn't necessarily (or at least easily) physically force to do anything. You ride, so you know where I'm coming from with that. I might be able to phsyically force my dog to lie down or to get in a crate; you're just not going to do that with an animal that outweighs you by a signficant amount and is also much stronger.

 

Note that these are all generalizations and that there are always exceptions. But one of the reasons, as I've stated in the past, that my head starts to spin when people start talking P+, etc., is that to me that stuff is all pretty much common sense and I don't need names for the things I do intuitively (this is also the reason I never gave riding lessons; I found it difficult to translate what I just did automatically/naturally to someone who was a complete beginner).

 

Now, all that rambling aside, I certainly think our emotions and emotional state does affect our animals. It's one of the reasons I often caution students against working a young dog when they are upset over something-- the dog reads that tension and starts making mistakes, which of course only escalates the tension, creating a vicious cycle. Then again, sometimes doing stuff with a dog can help relieve stress, so I usually recommend that a person who is very stressed for whatever reason choose to do only simple things with the animal (dog or horse)--things that the animal isn't the least bit likely to screw up. Because of course interacting with our animals can also be a great de-stressor. For example, if I had had a bad day at work and had to stop off at the stable to work my horse, I would spend more time grooming (destressing to me) and then school easy stuff so that I wouldn't set up the whole tension escalation thing. Same with a dog. If I want to work the dog but know I'm PMSing for example, then I try to stick to stuff we do well so there's no chance for me to blow, so to speak.

 

I'm probably not making the least bit of sense....

 

J.

[geonni banner]

"I'm probably not making the least bit of sense...."

 

Julie, you're making perfect sense.

 

I don't train/work my dogs when I'm angry, upset or anxious. Mostly because my reaction time, observational skills and physical fluidity are compromised. When I do have to do something significant with my pets when I'm in one or more of those states, I start with eye contact, a few gentle strokes and the spoken admonition to "Bear with me..."

 

It's wonderful what they do understand. They are always on their best behavior when I do this, and they are even more than usually cooperative. They know I'm compromised and they do what they can to help.

 

People who don't believe it works usually haven't really tried - with the belief that the animals can understand and act accordingly.

[ziggzmom]

I wonder how much stress fallout our dogs are catching from us, their owners. I have an anxiety disorder and I have seen the effects of my anxiety on my animals over the years. Ironically, the more I tried to cover up my feelings of anxiety by smiling, speaking in a chirpy voice as if nothing was wrong, the more my pets mirrored my underlying anxiety.

 

Hi,

 

Anyone that competes with their dogs knows how true this is! Your feelings travel straight down the leash. You often hear exibitors say that their dog acts differently in the ring than it does in training. More times than not, it's the trainer, not the dog, that's acting differently. If we move, breath and talk differently than what our dogs are used to seeing, what are they supposed to think? There must be a hungry lion around here somewhere-LOL!

 

Janet

[geonni banner]

"Of course for me, it's part of my personality not to be the type to drill. I can't stand it. Even in a training situation I try to set up practical work (I know this isn't possible with some types of training) so that neither I nor the dog gets bored. I think that's part of the reason that I have never gravitated to some activities--I just don't have the mental make-up to want to go over and over and over a thing. I don't like it and so I've always felt that it's just as likely that whatever animal I'm working with (dog or horse, for the most part) probably feels the same way, especially since I at least could be expected to understand the need for drilling, whereas an animal cannot (drilling = stress). Or maybe I'm just getting old...."

Julie P

 

Hear, hear!

 

Classic case in point - the Thoroughbred race horse. Fed high, shut up in a box for most of the day. Fed some hay and the rest of the food way to hot - (can't have no hay-belly doncha know...)

 

And people wonder why an animal that evolved to graze and walk, graze and walk - in the company of other horses is often so nuts. Average flight distance for a wild or feral horse - 1/4 mile - NOT a mile and a quarter.

 

For wild or Feral horses: Constant social interaction, adult breeding status for males achieved at 4 years or better. (If at all) We retire successful racers to stud at three - they're not even grown for chissakes!

 

Stressed? Pampered racehorses? Yikes!

[MicheleS.]

I've found that among folks in dog sports the conventional wisdom when it comes to dogs who get stressed is to expose them to those stressors more and more to desensitize them. These people seemed to hold the opposite point of view and would say that the best thing to do is to reduce, if not eliminate, exposure to those stressors.

 

I decided to try this with Dean since exposing him to the environment that stressed him was certainly not working. So, for example, I still took him to Agility class, but I limited his exposure by keeping him in the car with music playing when it was not his turn to run. I had someone catch the teeter, so it wouldn't bang, etc.

 

To my surprise, it actually helped him. Over time, his stress levels in that situation decreased and he began to gain confidence.

 

I have found this to be something that has worked with Chase also. I received alot of flack from the some trainers I know who still think that flooding their dogs with the stressors is the way to get them over their fears and desensitize. I don't know, maybe that might work with a certain type of dog but I honestly haven't seen any without any kind of residual effect from doing it that way. With a dog like Chase, I felt that would backfire horribly. My instinct was to protect him and help him have good experiences and recognize when he wasn't ready to push forward with something scarey. That's all working up to helping him live comfortably, without debilitating fear, so he can handle things that cause him stress without falling apart. It was also a way to help him build trust in me.

 

As I mentioned before, this was a dog that would panic when we had to walk through a doorway, a dog who would curl up in a ball and hide if someone new approached. It's a work in progress but I love seeing the little devil in him come out as he gains his confidence

[Root Beer]

I received alot of flack from the some trainers I know who still think that flooding their dogs with the stressors is the way to get them over their fears and desensitize. I don't know, maybe that might work with a certain type of dog but I honestly haven't seen any without any kind of residual effect from doing it that way. With a dog like Chase, I felt that would backfire horribly. My instinct was to protect him and help him have good experiences and recognize when he wasn't ready to push forward with something scarey. That's all working up to helping him live comfortably, without debilitating fear, so he can handle things that cause him stress without falling apart. It was also a way to help him build trust in me.

 

That was something I heard a lot when I started my work with Speedy. "If you don't make him do (insert thing he was afraid to do), he will think he can get away with not doing it and he never will." For the most part, I found the opposite to be true. The things I tried to force him to do became more frightening to him. The things I let slide, he got more comfortable with.

 

Like you said - I think it built trust. And it reduces the stress in their lives.

 

I take some flack for it, too, but in the end I do what I know is best for my dogs.

[mbc1963]

Put me also in the camp of people who stopped exposing their dogs to fearful stimuli and eventually saw the fear go away.

 

Mary

[geonni banner]

"Let's say that you are driving and have a near-accident. Whew! That was close! But now your adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) is pumping through your system. You feel shaky, jumpy, and perhaps a little queasy. In about 20 minutes that icky feeling will go away, but in its place your body will produce glucocorticoids (we'll call them stress hormones) that will remain in your body for up to several hours (durations vary according to the expert you consult). They are produced by your Sympathetic Nervous System in your adrenal glands. The Sympathetic Nervous System is the "all systems go" system, responsible for vigilance, arousal and mobilization. The main purpose of those stress hormones is to put the proverbial "eyes in the back of your head," so you can see that next near-miss coming. As each day goes by, and it seems that you are farther from the possibility of that "Bad Thing" happening again (this is pure survival instinct), those hormones dissipate.

But the day after that first near-accident, you actually see an accident happen some distance away. BAM! There goes that adrenaline again, and more stress hormones are produced. Add another two to seven days on top of the first bunch of days. Now you're starting to jump at the sound of a backfiring car, or the rumble of a truck on a distant highway. You seem to be jumpier than normal. Welcome to the world of stress hormones! But after about five days more, you are feeling much better... until a bird flies into your bay window. BAM! More adrenaline, and more stress hormones. Now you are heading toward chronic stress. Every little thing sets you off. You feel like you are constantly on alert. It is off-putting and exhausting.

This is life for some of our dogs. They can't seem to find a calm moment. Some of this is unfortunate circumstance. Some of it is genetics. Some of it is reinforcement history. Some of it is nutrition, health, or inappropriate exercise. Whatever the reason, you, as "benevolent leader," can make a humongous difference in your dog's life. The first thing you need to do is to keep your dog calm for a minimum of one whole week. The longer your dog has been experiencing chronic stress, the longer this "vacation" should be. This gives time for some of the stress hormones to dissipate from your dog's system and allows the Parasympathetic Nervous System to take over. The Parasympathetic Nervous System is the opposite of the Sympathetic Nervous System and is responsible for healing, digestion, growth, energy storage, and calm, meditative activities. Keep him home, but take him for long walks in quiet places. Don't take him to pet food stores or dog parks or to places where there's tons of excitement. Just for a week to start. This is going to give him a head start in his ability to learn new habits.

When stress levels are high, learning is low. When a dog is excited or aroused (you can call it angry, upset, aggressive, really happy, anxious, scared, or whatever description you choose to use), it is more difficult for the dog to learn anything new. When a dog is very aroused, his ability to take food also decreases. For this reason, we use food as a barometer in the training of a reactive dog. If your dog is not able to take food, he's too aroused. This is going to be a vital indicator for you to use in training your dog, and this information will tell you that you need to change something in your training environment at that time.

And while we're at it, let's refrain from labeling your dog as much as possible. It's not that he's "blowing you off" or "being stubborn" and not taking your food; it's that he CAN'T take the food because he's too aroused! This is a physiological response, not a head game. We need to break away from ascribing negative characteristics to our dogs when they engage in behaviors we don't like. This type of labeling has no place in the interactions with a reactive dog (or any dog, for that matter) because the pheromones you produce and the body language you exhibit when you think such thoughts are obvious to the dog, if not to yourself. In response, the dog may be less likely to pay attention to you in an attempt to display calming signals to you. Thus, the dog may appear to be even more "stubborn" or "willful" than before. Try real hard to take a step back and look at some of his behaviors objectively."

 

from "Scaredy Dog!" by Ali Brown, M. Ed., CPDT

 

Ok, long, but worth it. And bang on - both from my experience with fearful or reactive dogs and as a human with an anxiety disorder. A prolonged sequence of adrenaline-producing events, (like an abusive home situation) can result in your body becoming over-sensitized to its own adrenaline. At that point, anything - even fun things, that produce adrenaline in the body can precipitate anxiety or outright panic. I see this in myself - (which is why I don't go to movie theatres, - too loud, too much sensory input, and dozens of people emitting arousal pheromones like crazy,) and I see it in my dog - ( too much rapid fire fetch or a visit from someone she really likes - (she starts flinging herself around in an ecstatic greeting, and if a strange loud sound happens suddenly nearaby, like a broom falling over, she runs, hackling and growling. )

[flyer]

Snip>

 

from "Scaredy Dog!" by Ali Brown, M. Ed., CPDT

 

Ok, long, but worth it. And bang on - both from my experience with fearful or reactive dogs and as a human with an anxiety disorder. A prolonged sequence of adrenaline-producing events, (like an abusive home situation) can result in your body becoming over-sensitized to its own adrenaline. At that point, anything - even fun things, that produce adrenaline in the body can precipitate anxiety or outright panic. I see this in myself - (which is why I don't go to movie theatres, - too loud, too much sensory input, and dozens of people emitting arousal pheromones like crazy,) and I see it in my dog - ( too much rapid fire fetch or a visit from someone she really likes - (she starts flinging herself around in an ecstatic greeting, and if a strange loud sound happens suddenly nearaby, like a broom falling over, she runs, hackling and growling. )

 

Excellent excerpt. So, so clear.

[mbc1963]

Yes, that was an excellent excerpt. Puts some science behind what a lot of us have discovered through trial and error!

 

Mary

[Tea]

I think I am overstressing myself???

 

Can I have that week off??

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

I put thousands of miles on my dogs and when they get out of the car I ask them to run sheepdog trials. Routine (dawn and dusk walks), same crates in the car, no more commands than are necessary for safety (and trialing), the mildest disciplining,a stable pack, twice a day instead of once a day feeding and Wendy Volhard's stress supplement seem to help.

 

Donald McCaig

[flyer]

Dear Doggers,

 

I put thousands of miles on my dogs and when they get out of the car I ask them to run sheepdog trials. Routine (dawn and dusk walks), same crates in the car, no more commands than are necessary for safety (and trialing), the mildest disciplining,a stable pack, twice a day instead of once a day feeding and Wendy Volhard's stress supplement seem to help.

 

Donald McCaig

 

I know this isn't what is meant by the above statement, "No more commands than are necessary", but it jumped out at me nonetheless. Even on a long off leash walk in the woods which should be peaceful and a time for dogs to sniff and roam I have accompanied several people who manage their dogs all the way. Hey get out of that mud, no don't go in the river, go play with those two, go play go play, what have you got on you now, etc. I have declined walking a second time.

[juliepoudrier]

^^Yep, the constant nagging when we're supposed to be out on a pleasant walk seems entirely counterproductive to the activity at hand (a pleasant walk).

 

J.

[flyer]

Flyer,

Certainly I think living in the country is much less stressful for me as well as my dogs. But I have also lived in small cities and small towns with dogs--never in a big city though. I think it's possible to create stress in the country, but there may well be fewer outside (beyond one's control) stressors.

 

If I had to guess, I think the behaviorist model became prevalent because *humans* have moved away from our agrarian roots, where dealing animals of all sorts was an everyday fact of life (and I'm not saying that farmer types are particularly intuitive when it comes to training dogs, per se, but simply that when animals of all types are around you, and many of those animals are big enough to hurt you, you naturally learn to read them, and learning to read a horse or a sheep isn't that much different than learning to read a dog). While horses are not cattle are not pigs are not dogs, learning to read animals becomes somewhat second nature when you're immersed in it most of your life. Now much of the population lives in urban and suburban areas, and their chances to interact with animals on a daily or ongoing basis is slim to none. So people needed some easy-to-understand way to deal with the animals in their lives. And I think behavior theory filled that need.

 

While I agree about the reading of animals part I also think that science has advanced enough to provide alternatives to traditional methods. Not saying traditional methods aren't good. I use them mostly, but there are dogs now getting a second chance at life that might not have in the past because of vet behaviorists.

 

 

That said, we all know that more traditional training methods were a bit, shall we say, dictatorial. Again, people living a more agrarian lifestyle dealt with animals that they couldn't necessarily (or at least easily) physically force to do anything. You ride, so you know where I'm coming from with that. I might be able to phsyically force my dog to lie down or to get in a crate; you're just not going to do that with an animal that outweighs you by a signficant amount and is also much stronger.

 

Note that these are all generalizations and that there are always exceptions. But one of the reasons, as I've stated in the past, that my head starts to spin when people start talking P+, etc., is that to me that stuff is all pretty much common sense and I don't need names for the things I do intuitively (this is also the reason I never gave riding lessons; I found it difficult to translate what I just did automatically/naturally to someone who was a complete beginner).

 

Common sense and paying attention to intuition are sadly lacking in this world I think as result of the fast pace and loss of roots as you say.

 

Now, all that rambling aside, I certainly think our emotions and emotional state does affect our animals. It's one of the reasons I often caution students against working a young dog when they are upset over something-- the dog reads that tension and starts making mistakes, which of course only escalates the tension, creating a vicious cycle. Then again, sometimes doing stuff with a dog can help relieve stress, so I usually recommend that a person who is very stressed for whatever reason choose to do only simple things with the animal (dog or horse)--things that the animal isn't the least bit likely to screw up. Because of course interacting with our animals can also be a great de-stressor. For example, if I had had a bad day at work and had to stop off at the stable to work my horse, I would spend more time grooming (destressing to me) and then school easy stuff so that I wouldn't set up the whole tension escalation thing. Same with a dog. If I want to work the dog but know I'm PMSing for example, then I try to stick to stuff we do well so there's no chance for me to blow, so to speak.

 

I'm probably not making the least bit of sense....

 

J.

I think you make a lot of sense.

[juliepoudrier]

Flyer,

I'm not sure what you're saying with your comment regarding traditional methods above. My point wasn't about traditional vs. modern methods (I happen to think modern methods are much kinder, for the most part), but rather that people in general have lost the ability to "read" animals and that behavior theory became an easy-to-understand way to help people who may not be adept at reading animals to learn to train their dogs.

 

J.

[Root Beer]

. . . people in general have lost the ability to "read" animals and that behavior theory became an easy-to-understand way to help people who may not be adept at reading animals to learn to train their dogs.

 

Chiming in - I think you're right about that.

 

The catch is that in order to apply behavior theory effectively (or, at least, most effectively), one must have some skill at reading the animal. Without that skill, the process often falls apart.

[juliepoudrier]

I agree. (Twice in one thread!) But I think that people who can't read animals well can still apply behavior theory diligently and make progress that way. While certainly the best trainers who use behavior theory understand behavior theory, I think one valuable aspect of the application of behavior theory is that people can apply it without completely understanding it (by following the teaching of a mentor who *does* understand its application). I think that's why things like clicker training have gained such widespread acceptance: It works, even if you aren't an expert. (Although the degree to which it works would certainly depend on skill and understanding, which is what I think you're saying Kristine.)

 

J.

[Root Beer]

(Although the degree to which it works would certainly depend on skill and understanding, which is what I think you're saying Kristine.)

 

Yes - even at the most basic level, sometimes.

 

For instance, some people really struggle with the simple concept of observing their own dog to find a reinforcer that the dog actually wants. I often see people in beginner level classes trying to train with treats that the dog couldn't care less about and it seems that the owners really can't see that the dog has no interest in the treats. To you and I that might seem so simple that we would hardly consider it "reading the dog", but for a lot of people, this is one of the first lessons that they must learn about reading their dogs. The owner needs to learn to actually look to the dog and recognize interest vs. disinterest in his or her own dog in a given situation. Usually when it is first pointed out that the dog is not interested in the treats, the typical response is often, "No - he LOVES these". This, while the dog right in front of his or her face is plainly disinterested, sometimes even flat out annoyed!

 

So, while it's pretty simple to train a dog to sit or come when called using food, the owner must be able to read his or her own dog well enough to find food that the dog actually wants, especially in a training class setting. If the owner should persist in using something that the dog is really not interested in, it is like there is no reinforcer being offered at all and the dog fails to learn.

[geonni banner]

"Usually when it is first pointed out that the dog is not interested in the treats, the typical response is often, "No - he LOVES these". This, while the dog right in front of his or her face is plainly disinterested, sometimes even flat out annoyed!"

 

Root Beer

 

Could this be an example of a dog who is somewhat stressed (or just preoccupied) in the training setting, so he is refusing a treat which he is enthusiastic about at home?

 

People are hopeless about reading their dogs much of the time, but perhaps the owner is stressed by performance anxiety - must get the dog to do well in front of the trainer! - and transmitting her nervousness to the dog.

[Root Beer]

Could this be an example of a dog who is somewhat stressed (or just preoccupied) in the training setting, so he is refusing a treat which he is enthusiastic about at home?

 

Yes. The dog may be somewhat stressed, or over-excited, or simply distracted by environment, and that will affect his interest in the treats - even treats that are extremely interesting to the dog at home.

 

And, when it comes down to it, that is really what the owners don't tend be able to read. They are typically very much attuned to their dog's behavior (ex. he's barking, he's pulling on the leash, he's jumping), but not really aware of what might be going on in the dog's head (ex. he's stressed, he's preoccupied, he's very stimulated).

 

Usually, in all but the most extreme cases, treats of very high value can break through the stress, preoccupation, stimulation, nerves, etc. So, when the owner learns to read the dog better, he or she can utilize higher value rewards in those situations (and use them smarter) and then - voila! - the dog starts to learn in that environment. And stress is reduced.

 

People are hopeless about reading their dogs much of the time, but perhaps the owner is stressed by performance anxiety - must get the dog to do well in front of the trainer! - and transmitting her nervousness to the dog.

 

True. And often the owner isn't clear on an exercise, but doesn't feel comfortable saying so. And that can cause stress for dog and handler, too.

[geonni banner]

Talk about performance anxiety...

 

I once took a Puppy Kindergarten class with Ian Dunbar. My pupil was Raki, a 5 mo. old 7/8 wolf hybrid. Very reactive, very squirrely. First class we didn't work the pups - orientation. Mr. Dunbar said to bring whatever the dog liked best for training treats - stressing that the treat would have to be quite alluring to command the pup's attention.

 

(I was taking one-on-one training clients at the time, basic obedience - but I thought that with a wolf hybrid I'd "go to the well" for the best info/ handling I could get.)

 

So, next class I dutifully showed up with a bag of quartered Oreos. I know - but it was her favorite thing.

 

Bottom line - I got Oreo crumbs everywhere... And I got pulled into the center of the class and got a dressing down from Ian that seemed like it went on forever. Probably at least a full minute.

 

But heck, Raki started out hiding under my chair in terror, and finished the course at the top of the class.

 

I've never been able to look an Oreo in the face since!

[flyer]

Flyer,

I'm not sure what you're saying with your comment regarding traditional methods above. My point wasn't about traditional vs. modern methods (I happen to think modern methods are much kinder, for the most part), but rather that people in general have lost the ability to "read" animals and that behavior theory became an easy-to-understand way to help people who may not be adept at reading animals to learn to train their dogs.

 

J.

 

I wasn't seeing you as being one or the other. I was just adding that I think there are a few other reasons that behavioral theory has become so prominent. I agree with what you said and more kind of thing.