Poisonous Foods For Dogs

In the world of dog training and dog behaviour, a lot of the problems that people experience with their dogs are due to anthropomorphism.

This means that they 'humanize' their dogs instead of treating them as a different species with unique psychology, means of communication, and fundamental needs than a human.

After reading an article about dog obesity problems in the UK it occurred to me that the dog obesity problem is due to more than just a lack of exercise - there is a nutritional component tied into it as well. In addition to how much dogs are being fed, a real problem with what dogs are being fed has developed because more and more human food is finding its way into our dog's diets.

So, in addition to humanizing dogs in emotional and psychological terms, people are now humanizing their dogs with increasing amounts of human diet - and I'm not talking about the occasional piece of raw carrot or remnant of cooked beef - I'm talking about things like processed foods and sweets.

Nutritional experts have discouraged the feeding of table scraps for many years because of the great potential for dogs to become obese and even poisoned. Once again it has to be pointed out that dogs are a different species and cannot tolerate certain human foods that we regularly eat.

While healthy and well-balanced diets can be prepared for dogs using human food it is absolutely vital that you know which foods are healthy for your dog - and which can be toxic.

Continue reading 'Poisonous Foods For Dogs' here.

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Dominance Theory In Dog Training Is Outdated

In the last twenty years the theories and methods used in dog training have changed a great deal. One such change is in 'dominance theory' which is considered to be outdated by most professionals involved in ethology, animal behaviour and many (but not all) dog trainers.

An excellent overview of modern thought on how dominance theory is outdated is provided by the The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour in their 2008 "Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behaviour Modification of Animals"

Key points of their Position Statement include:

• "Despite the fact that advances in behaviour research have modified our understanding of social hierarchies in wolves, many animal trainers continue to base their training methods on outdated perceptions of dominance theory."
   
• "Most undesirable behaviours in our pets are not related to priority access to resources; rather, they are due to accidental rewarding of the undesirable behaviour."
   
• "The AVSAB emphasizes that animal training, behaviour prevention strategies, and behaviour modification programs should follow the scientifically based guidelines of positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, desensitization, and counter conditioning."
   
• "The AVSAB emphasizes that ... dominance theory should not be used as a general guide for behaviour modification."
   
• "The AVSAB clarifies that dominance and leadership are not synonymous."
   
• "The most common cause of aggression in dogs is fear. Pinning a dog down when he is scared will not address the root of his fear. Furthermore it can heighten the aggression."
   

Read additional exerpts from the Position Statement on dominance theory.

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