For all the dogs who've touched our hearts

Life, love and learning: The ethics of living with dogs

Our ethics guide us, creating the world we and our dogs live in. They help us make choices we can happily live with.

How should I live?

Our ethical beliefs are important, they dictate how we create the world around us. All of the decisions we make and the things we do are guided by our ethics.

Ethics answer the question ‘how should I live?’

It may seem strange to talk about ethics in relation to dog training. Surely it is as simple as getting a dog to sit, stay, come and generally do what we say?

In reality however, living with dogs is full of ethical contradictions, varying philosophies and passionately argued points of view. Even the statement “…do what we say” has a hotbed of ethical considerations.

Not as simple as "Sit"

Take the simple “sit”. There are many methods to teach it: you can capture it, lure it, shape it or push the dog’s rump to the ground.

If the dog does not “sit” you can growl, yank his collar or walk away and ignore him. Another choice is to take out a treat to try again and think of reasons why he may not sit in this place, at this time.

The choice you make will be largely based on what you believe to be the “right thing” – your ethics.

Of course knowledge and education play a big part in this. Sometimes we do what we think is right despite how we feel. Our feelings often highlight where our ethics are being compromised.

2 puppies sitting and looking up - the ethics of living with dogs

Ethics are our framework

Our ethics provide a framework for everything we do, for the judgements we make and for the way we live our lives.

My ethical beliefs are one of the main reasons I want to educate people on how to live with their dogs. It also guides my choices for my own dogs and selects the kinds of clients who will choose me as their trainer.

As time goes on my ethical stance is changing. The more I learn, the more I value different things. As I change it's important to remember where I came from, because that cultivates compassion.

It's easy to judge the choices of others when you have the benefit of hindsight. My ethics ask me to avoid this.

Ethics Evolve

Perhaps the easiest way of explaining the values behind my training is by looking at the evolution of it with my own dogs.

Snuffy

Small brown dog sitting happily in a park = the ethics of living with dogs

Snuffy came into my life when I was 19 years old. He lived a long, long time (19 years) and we were very happy.

I gave him a full life with lots of play and attention and took him everywhere. I also scolded him if he didn’t do what I thought was right. I did the best I could and no one could deny that he had a wonderful life, but it was a life unexamined.

I had no knowledge of dogs or training I was just lucky that he was ‘one of those dogs’.

Rumble

large black and tan dog resting in the grass - the ethics of living with dogs

Rumble was not ‘one of those dogs’.

He didn’t give his affection unconditionally. He wasn’t interested in toys or food or people. He looked out and away, didn’t bond or connect easily.

It took a lot of time and education to learn how to create a fulfilling relationship with Rumble. I tried different methods of training, some which made me intensely uncomfortable. I was so desperate that I gave them a go.

My ethics kept me firmly away from physical punishment, but there are different types and degrees of compulsion. Even positive reinforcement training can strip away choice if not done with care.

I insisted that Rumble ‘obey’. It was a quiet, calm insistence, but one that did not recognise his feelings or needs. The blame for disobedience was placed on him; my emphasis was on being his ‘leader’. I did this because I had been told it would create a better relationship.

A trusting relationship

The conflict between what I valued and what I'd been told made me unhappy, and this unhappiness drove me back to my ethics.

I dropped all the leadership baloney and studied the science behind behaviour and training. I learned the difference between a command (you must!) and a cue (would you like to?). I shifted responsibility for his learning to myself, and looked for what he liked and didn’t like.

Most importantly I began to learn who Rumble is.

Rumble was the catalyst for a great deal of learning. If my ethics hadn’t guided me I would have had a quiet, obedient dog, but I wanted the spark, the fun, the uniqueness of Rumble.

I wanted a method of training that cultivated this.

Merlin

Long haired blue merle dog looking happily at the camera - the ethics of living with dogs

Then came Merlin. He was going to be The – Perfect – Puppy.

With Merlin I could implement my training knowledge. We would compete in dog sports, I would take him into classes. He would be my learning dog and my exhibition dog.

He would be my Perfect Dog.

But Merlin became a very sick puppy. He developed chronic gastro-intestinal problems and an accompanying crippling anxiety.

All of my goals have to be re-examined; at 2 years of age Merlin is teaching me more lessons about my ethics.

Merlin has reminded me to focus on who he is not what I want from him. This was a lesson I learned from Rumble yet somehow forgot again.

I had my goals firmly planted on Merlin’s handsome shoulders.

Loving and learning

As with all disappointment, if you remain open some really exciting things can emerge. In examining Merlin’s needs a whole new understanding of building confidence through choice is opening up.

I can feel my ethics shifting again.

Very clever people are taking teaching to an entirely new level. They are creating programmes where the dog, horse, bird, giraffe, rat… can say yes or no. The animals are taught to ask for what they need, opening up a two-way conversation.

These programmes are being used in agility training, domestic animal husbandry procedures and in zoos. The responsibility is now on the trainer to make the process one in which the animal chooses to participate. If they don’t want to, they can say so!

I don’t expect my ethical beliefs to remain as they are today, I will continue to learn and as new dogs enter my life they will teach me more.

4 happy dogs standing together at the top of stairs - the ethics of living with dogs

My ethics in a nutshell

🐾 Dogs are dogs with unique doggy behaviour; this needs to be understood and respected.

🐾 Dogs are dogs with unique doggy needs; these must be met as best as possible.

🐾 Dogs are individuals. We need to learn who they are, what they like and don’t like and structure our interactions around this. This is where the best reinforcers are born.

🐾 Developing a wonderful relationship is the key to health and happiness. It is also the foundation upon which successful training is built.

🐾 A wonderful relationship is dependent upon trust, bonding and connection. These are built with kindness, compassion and understanding.

🐾 Do not deliberately use fear, pain or compulsion in your training as these erode trust.

🐾 Do your best to avoid fear, pain or compulsion wherever possible, as these erode trust.

🐾 Aim to teach what you want rather than suppress what you don’t want; this avoids the use of fear, pain or compulsion.

🐾 The responsibility for training success and failure belongs to the human teacher. If a dog makes a mistake (doesn’t ‘obey’) it's information from which we can learn.

🐾 Understanding the science behind how beings learn is necessary to be an effective trainer. It enables us to be rid of labels and to view what is really happening. This way we can structure training programmes that truly meet an individual’s needs.

🐾 Learn as much as you can…and apply a critical eye to all!

🐾 Above all make sure you enjoy your time together!