Canine Culture: Relating, Communicating & Cow-Spotting for a Better Life

It’s not every day that an engaging and inspiring book is written on the topic of dog training. But Kathy Sdao’s book, Plenty in Life is Free – Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace, is just that. Kathy is a dynamic, internationally known speaker and animal behaviorist. A veteran trainer of zoo animals and pet dogs, Kathy is also a rock star in training circles who happens to be coming to Canine Craze Oct 6 & 7! But I digress …

The book puts dog training in a harmonious perspective that helps people see their pet dogs in a different light. It focuses on what we can’t stress enough – the vital roles relationships and communication play in the learning process.

Relationships  
All relationships take time and effort, and the relationships you have (with your dog, kids, spouse, partner, etc.) have a direct impact on the quality of life you share. A dog is very much a part of the family and having one should be about enhancing your life. That’s why we have them! This means rotating dog activities in the mix with work, play, the kids’ sports and homework. We see people and pets on all levels of the engagement spectrum – those whose dogs are mere props vs. those who have truly integrated their dogs into their families and daily lives. Being companion animals, dogs are social creatures with physical and emotional needs. Failing to recognize that often leads to behavioral problems. Kathy stresses that staying busy with your dog and keeping him occupied is as critical to his well being as feeding, watering and regular veterinary care.

Communication Flow
When most people think of “dog training” they think of sits, downs and leash manners. But training is really about the communication between you, your family and your dog. According to Kathy, “communication flow” means the difference between a “dictatorship” or a “democracy.” Human beings have an incredible urge to control anything they can, and dogs have had the short end of that stick. Traditional dog training is more dictatorship – you order, dog follows. One of the most exciting developments in the evolution of dog training is the idea that dog training can be a democracy. It’s important to let your dog be a dog but still respect one another. For example, when you take your dog to the park you let him sniff, roll in things and basically do what dogs do; however for safety reasons, you need him to come when called and walk nicely on leash. Traditional training (correction based) has set us up to create robots out of our dogs, but times have changed; they are now a part of our families and life is better for all when treated as such.

Learning Process
The title of the book stems from the training philosophy that “nothing in life is free” and dogs must earn all rewards. Kathy’s newfound perspective challenges that notion – instead, she recommends we become more than treat dispensers and tune into the information coming from our dogs. This means honing our observational skills, knowing what our dogs truly like, having reasonable expectations and interacting accordingly.

It also means questioning outdated and potentially dangerous dog training beliefs. While writing the book Kathy discovered a passion for “cow spotting” – identifying assumptions accepted as truths and dissecting them. Upon closer inspection, many “sacred cows” aren’t true at all; in fact some of them are actually harmful to an animal’s emotional and physical well being. In dog training, these include much of the wolf pack hierarchy and alpha dog domination theories. Trying to show a dog “who’s the boss” often sets up a negative chain reaction and taints your dog’s ability to trust you – an important relationship element that will affect your training potential.

Who cares?
Anyone with a dog would benefit from reading this book. It represents a significant “canine culture” shift that will enhance the continuing evolution of dog training and the role of dogs in our lives. Many trainers today have some history in traditional training techniques that now make us shudder! As one put it, “I wish this book existed when I got my first dog.” 

To learn more about Kathy Sdao, visit www.KathySdao.com. Books may be ordered via Dogwise. To see Kathy in action, visit www.CanineCraze.com for more info on her October appearance!

As always, we invite you to submit any dog-related training questions and encourage you to spend some quality time with your pooch!  

Ask the Trainer:  Renee Jetter, ABCTC, CPCT
* Professional dog trainer; co-owner of Canine Craze Performance Center in Urbandale – an 18,000 sq-ft. dog training, daycare, boarding and events facility. Animal Behavior College, 2006 graduate.

* Expertise: puppy development; positive reinforcement training; obedience; competition; agility; tricks; freestyle; scent detection; canine good     citizen/therapy dog testing; Paws & Effect volunteer service dog trainer.