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Revision as of 12:40, 22 March 2006 by 71.105.67.50 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Dog behaviourists (not to be confused with animal communicators or dog whisperers) are professionals with backgrounds in veterinary, animal science, psychology, zoology, sociology, biology or animal behavior that have applied their experience and knowledge to the interaction between the human being and dogs. A dog trainer is a person involved in the training of dogs. The main difference between a behaviourist and a trainer is academic background.
To help establish and futher this form of training, associations dedicated to the development of behavioural dog training have been established, the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT), the UK Registry of Canine Behaviourists and the Animal Behavior Society 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.
Behaviorism and ethology are two different ways of studying animal behavior; one is confined largely to the laboratory (behaviorism), and the other is based on field studies (ethology).
See also