Lens Matters

The lenses through which we view the world have never been more divisive. Camps for every single facet of our lives and identities. Dog training is no exception. This is why the lenses through which we view behaviour and dogs in general are so vitally important. Not only does it impact outcomes, but your entire relationship with your dog.

Balance trainers will tell you that their methods work quickly and that their clients (the people) are happy with the outcome. But if you view dog behaviour through a simplistic lens of imagined hierarchies and rank supremacy, then your relationship with your dog looks a lot like a military outfit where there can only be one in charge. As long as you can maintain behaviour suppression through corrections and punishment, you will feel empowered and in control. Of course, you will be happy, but is the dog?

The problem with punishment is that it is inherently rewarding to the punisher. Some people are loath to relinquish that control due to the empowerment one feels in gaining full control over another in this manner. They can not imagine gaining that empowerment any other way. Often lacking control in some areas of their own lives, they are unwilling to acquiesce to their dog on any front. After all, doing so means their dog is "dominant" or "alpha". Who wants to be a beta to their dog?

On the other hand, you have the force-free camp. The ones that take their dogs' feelings (yes, it has been scientifically validated that they have very similar emotions to ours), their desires, and their entire holistic well-being into account. The ones that look at their dog as the friend they brought in to share their lives with and provide an excellent quality of life for. Working towards a cooperative, less oppressive life. No imagined hierarchies, no perverse competition to maintain top dog status, and an understanding that dogs have a will and desires of their own that sometimes conflict with ours.

Creating safety and understanding reveals an entirely different relationship with our canine friends. When dogs do not fear their guardians, they have a very different life. They do not worry that they will be hurt for infractions or non-compliance. They are more responsive to their guardians and more engaged. I can literally drive down the road and tell how dogs were trained by their body language with their owners. They are actively engaged with their owners and comply out of a sense of cooperative companionship rather than fear.

So it begs the question. If how we treat our dogs is mirrored by their behaviour, can you honestly say that it doesn't matter how you train, just that you do? Can you say that fostering an oppressor/oppressed relationship is equally as valid as a relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation? Is this what you want from your own relationships?

People often ask why I recommend traveling three hours for sports training rather than staying local. It comes down to two foundational pillars: Education and Methodology.  First, sports coaching requires a deep understanding of learning theory, ethology, and behavioral psychology—not just personal experience in the ring. Without that academic backing, a trainer lacks the tools to troubleshoot complex issues.

Second, I believe a trainer’s first responsibility is to the dog’s welfare. When a dog struggles with comprehension, a skilled trainer looks at how to adjust the teaching plan, not how to apply more pressure. If a trainer relies on "yanking and cranking" or corrective collars as a first resort, it usually indicates a limited skillset. I recommend trainers who have the technical ability to teach without punishment, ensuring the dog remains a willing and happy partner in the sport.

There is a saying that goes "If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail". Meaning, if you only view your dog's behaviour as a competitive program used to get to alpha status, you will always treat them as adversarial. It sounds anthropomorphic, but if you view your dog as sentient, with a will and desires of their own and a rich emotional spectrum by which they sort out life, just like us, then you open yourself up to identifying needs, welfare issues, and a much deeper, cooperative bond. When we move away from the "dominance" lens, we stop looking for compliance and start looking for connection. Instead of seeing a dog who is "disobeying" or "challenging" us, we begin to see a dog who is anxious, confused, or simply seeking a way to feel safe. By acknowledging their autonomy, you shift the relationship from one of control to one of mutual understanding, where behavior is no longer a battle to be won, but a conversation to be had.