The Other End of the Leash

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

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Welcome to an ongoing inquiry about the behavior of people and dogs.
Blog Home >> Animals and the People Who Love Them >> Benevolent Animal Training is Nothing New

Benevolent Animal Training is Nothing New

July 22, 2018 >> 19 Comments

I’m out of town again, speaking at the Virginia Public Library (that’s in Minnesota, not the east coast) and spending some time with the dogs in a cabin on a lake. Knowing I’d be gone, and that July is my designated summer break, I looked for a blog to re-post. I found this one from October, 2014 that uses one of my favorite stories from my youth as an introduction to the concept that kindness and positive reinforcement in animal training is not a new concept at all. Here it is:

Here’s my proudest moment in life (so far): It’s 1967, when the idea of women wearing pants was still a tad radical. But “pants suits” had just came out–dressy outfits that put trousers on your legs instead of a skirt, even for evening wear. I worked as a salesgirl in a boutique in Scottsdale, AZ, and bought myself the yummiest orange, corduroy pants suit that you could imagine before it even hit the rack. The jacket was lined in orange silk. It was gorgeous.

I decided to wear it to the San Diego Naval Officer’s Club, having been invited to a special dinner there by my boyfriend and his best friend who was in the Navy. I got as gussied up as I could, tossed my long, dyed-blond hair over my shoulders and walked with Doug and Don into the lobby of the San Diego Officer’s Club. An older woman behind the reception counter stopped us immediately. She said, her mouth looking as if she’d just sucked on a lemon, “Women are not allowed in this building if they are wearing pants! This is a respectable establishment!” Nothing we could do or say could change her mind.

The boys and I walked back out to the parking lot and stood by the car, disappointed and frustrated. I didn’t live in San Diego, and had driven eight hours just to come to this event. I didn’t have a skirt in my suitcase and it looked like we were going to miss an expensive dinner, already paid for.  As we were about to get into the car, I had an idea. Pants were not allowed? Okay, fine. So I took them off.

My jacket came down, well… just far enough. Barely. We three walked back into the Officer’s Club and strode past the stunned-face woman, now so shocked that she was literally speechless. Doug walked behind me while I walked up a long staircase. We discovered the dinner was a buffet, so the boys brought me my food. I can’t say that I had a good time at the event, but the look on the woman’s face was worth it.

And what might this have to do with relationships between people and animals, you might ask? The answer to that is in an article I just read in Natural History magazine, about Who Invented Trousers by Adrienne Mayor. It turns out that trousers were worn by both men and woman who spent much of their time on horseback, while the Greek men wore robes (with no underpants). The Greeks “derided the barbarian’s trousers as “…effeminate, a sign of weakness, mocking them as ridiculous..” Thus, skirts were manly and pants were effeminate. Ah, how times change.

And so they also do in training animals. In 360 BCE, the Athenian cavalryman Xenophon wrote On the Art of Horsemanship. Here is a translated quote: “The one best precept — the golden rule — in dealing with a horse is never to approach him angrily. Anger is so devoid of forethought that it will often drive a man to do things which in a calmer mood he will regret. Thus, when a horse is shy of any object and refuses to approach it, you must teach him that there is nothing to be alarmed at, particularly if he be a plucky animal; or, failing that, touch the formidable object yourself, and then gently lead the horse up to it. The opposite plan of forcing the frightened creature by blows only intensifies its fear, the horse mentally associating the pain he suffers at such a moment with the object of suspicion, which he naturally regards as its cause.”

My point here is the importance of remembering what a fickle species we can be, and how cultural mores and acceptable techniques are fluid. That relates as much to dog training as anything else. The militaristic style of dog training had its origin in the military in the early part of the 1900’s, and spilled over onto the family dog, such that the first “obedience” classes I went to were run by an ex-marine. He told us that we had to be the alpha. To “wear the pants in the family,” as it were.  In the first class he gave a Basenji on a choke chain a hard snap for not sitting the instant it was told. When the dog growled in response, the trainer hung it in the air–the dog choking and snarling–while the rest of us watched in horror. (I was there with Cosby, my Saint Bernard. We left, literally shaking. Both of us.)

Oh how times have changed. At least, in some places, in some ways. Old habits die hard, but if someone suggests to you that using kindness and primarily positive reinforcement is a “new” or “liberal” technique, remind them that in many ways, punishment is the newbie on the block. Good trainers have been respectful and compassionate for centuries. You’re just keeping up the tradition. Good to remember, yes? I’d love to hear about your first experience with dog training (or any other species) and how it reflects, or contrasts, your perspective now.

________________

Here’s one more blast from the past: This is a picture of me taken by a well known actor when he was moonlighting as a photographer while trying to break into the business. It was taken the same year as the story above. I was doing some modeling and needed a set of photographs for the agency to use to drum up jobs. So… what famous actor took this photograph in Phoenix, Arizona in 1967 or ’68?

First correct guess gets a free book of your choice!

MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Well, not on the farm now, on the road again with Jim and the dogs. Another heavenly week meeting good folks at a library–this time the Virginia, MN Public library, and hanging out beside a cool, northern lake.

Because I’m not home, here’s one of my favorite photos of Willie, taken by Nils Schlebusch. I just love the expression on Willie’s face.

 

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Comments

  1. Ayn says

    July 23, 2018 at 6:23 am

    Steve McQueen

  2. Minnesota Mary says

    July 23, 2018 at 6:52 am

    I’m guessing Bob Barry?

    And yes, horses never respond well to heavy handed training. Neither do dogs. Love this post!

  3. Emily Williams says

    July 23, 2018 at 7:24 am

    Photographer was Mary-Louise Parker! I hope

  4. Honey Loring says

    July 23, 2018 at 8:06 am

    I love your blogs, the wisdom of them, the humaness of them, the humor of them. Thanks, Tricia, for making it available.

  5. Nicola says

    July 23, 2018 at 8:21 am

    Nick Nolte! I fell like I like I am cheating because I read this somewhere before??

    Stunning photo.

  6. Trisha says

    July 23, 2018 at 8:36 am

    Nicola you win! Don’t care where you heard, maybe FB? What book would you like? And send your mailing address to info@patriciamcconnell.com.

  7. Valerie says

    July 23, 2018 at 8:59 am

    Awesome story and beautiful picture, Trisha! I’ve been without a dog for over 3 years since my beloved Giant Schnauzer passed away. But now we have a dog in the family again. An adorable 4 month old Tibetan Terrier who joined our family a little over a month ago. Excited to delve into your blog again as I did religiously when my Giant Schnauzer was alive. Thank you for all that you do – I have read so many of your books and three of them are on my bookcase.

  8. Nicola says

    July 23, 2018 at 9:37 am

    Yaaaay! Yes – Facebook a few years ago rings a bell as you posted that stunning photo of you sat on a fence when you were about 20?

    Aww – so happy. You are so kind – thank you. ‘Love Has no Age Limit’ would be lovely to have as this is the only book of yours I don’t own and also time for us to be heading to the shelter in the next few months to find another furry four legged friend to welcome to the family. 🐾🐶😍

  9. Pat says

    July 23, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Children, dogs, horses and people in general. – Always be Kinder than you feel!!!!

  10. Trisha says

    July 23, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    Wonderful! I’ll send the book when I return to the farm. How exciting about another critter!

  11. Jann Becker says

    July 23, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Richard Avedon?
    That expression of Willie’s looks like, “We ARE going in the water, mom, aren’t we? For at least a LITTLE bit?”

  12. Barbara says

    July 23, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    I feel so lucky about our dog trainers: when we first had our very first (recue) dog (I think we only had her for a few days or maybe weeks) we were approached by someone who told us that she lived round the corner and that she was a dog trainer – did we want to learn about building up recall? We said yes and so got introduced to the world of positive training… I’m still thankful for that chance meeting because it saved us from all the “alpha stuff”.

    Coming from the background of horse riding I was quite familiar with “you need to show them who ist the leader” “you always need to be firm” etc. (right now I’ve only got dogs, no horses but I don’t think I could go back to those “traditional” concepts of dealing with horses either)

    I’m sure Rica would not be the trusting dog she is today had we tried to dominate her. And she so loves her treats…

  13. smartysmom says

    July 23, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    Positive training is awesome. Then I watch all the people being hauled around by their out of control dogs and wish that the positive techniques would come with some thoughtful help in how to give the dears the structure they need to be safe as well as happy. And this is from a bulldog person whose bulldogs (5 of them, we just added another who is our latest agility/obedience prospect) live to out-think and outwit their people.

  14. Shiela Lund says

    July 23, 2018 at 6:43 pm

    Nick Nolte If I’m right, I would LOVE a copy of “The Education of Will”!

  15. Trish says

    July 24, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I was VERY fortunate to listen to Dr. McConnell’s talk re “The Education of Will” today at the Virginia Public Libary. What an honor! She was FANTASTIC! If any of you have the opportunity to listen to her — I strongly urge you to do so!

  16. Trisha says

    July 25, 2018 at 5:26 am

    Awww, thank you so much Trish! It was MY honor, truly.

  17. Mia says

    July 25, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    I rarely leave comments, but this was such a fantastic post (I LOVE your pant suit story – I wish there was a picture or gif of the woman’s jaw dropping as you strolled in), and comes the day after hearing about a dog training school here in Washington using disgusting, aggressive “training” tactics. Cesar Milan really screwed things up with this whole “Alpha” BS. Why anyone would think that leading with aggression wouldn’t cause aggression or, best case scenario(???) fear, is baffling.

  18. Joe says

    July 27, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    I wonder if the animals being herded feel using a dog to herd them is an act of benevolence.

  19. Marilyn says

    August 13, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    My fourteen-year-old Sheltie died in December and I miss him still, which made me decide to volunteer at the local service dogs training school. Coupled with that, my annual garage cleanup unearthed your book, “The Other End of the Leash”. Wonderful coincidence, wouldn’t you say! So, do you have a video clip showing the correct stance for teaching a dog to come, as written in Chapter 2?

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About the Author

Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.

LEARN MORE FROM PATRICIA’S BOOKS & DVDs!

Patricia is known the world over for her clear and engaging books and DVDs on dog training and canine behavior problems. You can also “meet” Patricia in person on her seminar DVDs, from The Art & Science of Canine Behavior to Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity.

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