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| '''Dog behaviourists''' is a generic term for any professional who works towards modifying and managing the behaviour of dogs and behaviour problems such as aggression, separation anxiety, fears and phobias and obsessive compulsive behaviours. Many people would think that behaviourists are scientists with academic degrees who specialize in managing dog behaviour problems. In reality they are practical dog trainers who have studied behavioural science and it is their ] skill with dogs that sets them apart from the latter, indeed many of the more well known behaviourists such as |
'''Dog behaviourists''' is a generic term for any professional who works towards modifying and managing the behaviour of dogs and behaviour problems such as aggression, separation anxiety, fears and phobias and obsessive compulsive behaviours. Many people would think that behaviourists are scientists with academic degrees who specialize in managing dog behaviour problems. In reality they are practical dog trainers who have studied behavioural science and it is their ] skill with dogs that sets them apart from the latter, indeed many of the more well known behaviourists such as Karen Pryor are not scientists but naturally gifted and experienced dog handlers who have developed their skills over many years. | ||
| To help establish and further this form of training, ] dedicated to the development of behavioural dog training have been established, the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT), the in the States and Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers (PAACT) in the UK are just two of the many associations open to behaviourists. | To help establish and further this form of training, ] dedicated to the development of behavioural dog training have been established, the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT), the in the States and Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers (PAACT) in the UK are just two of the many associations open to behaviourists. | ||
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Revision as of 12:24, 22 March 2006
Dog behaviourists is a generic term for any professional who works towards modifying and managing the behaviour of dogs and behaviour problems such as aggression, separation anxiety, fears and phobias and obsessive compulsive behaviours. Many people would think that behaviourists are scientists with academic degrees who specialize in managing dog behaviour problems. In reality they are practical dog trainers who have studied behavioural science and it is their empirical skill with dogs that sets them apart from the latter, indeed many of the more well known behaviourists such as Karen Pryor are not scientists but naturally gifted and experienced dog handlers who have developed their skills over many years.
To help establish and further this form of training, associations dedicated to the development of behavioural dog training have been established, the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT), the in the States and Professional Association of Applied Canine Trainers (PAACT) in the UK are just two of the many associations open to behaviourists.
Most behaviourists practice gentle and subtle techniques that achieve their aim without using any form of aggression, stress, or pain and nearly all deplore the use of devices that cause pain and anxiety, such as prong, choke or electric collars.
Typically a behaviourist works one-on-one with the dog and its owner. This is often carried out in the home or the area where the dog is showing behavioural problems. Many dogs are cautious in neutral territory, making it difficult to establish the root cause of some behavioural problems. This has the potential to make office- or kennel-bound behaviourists ineffective in comparison to their more mobile colleagues.
The principles used by the dog behaviourist are essentially simple and use common sense practices; hence the success rate with behavioural modification is high.