SESSION 76: Are Dogs Still Pack Animals?
In today’s episode I will follow up on one of the many responses I received regarding my Skinner’s Four Quadrants episodes 73 and 74 that I received. The concepts and methods that dog trainers use is varied, with peoples’ passion for dogs it stands to reason that it would bring out a lot of passionate responses to my use of certain parts of all 4 of Skinner’s 4 quadrants. A listener, Vicki wrote in.
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In this session:
I’ll jump in by starting with Vicki’s email:
I listened to your podcast on Skinner’s Four Quadrants, and while you did an adequate job of summarizing some of the conditioning history, I think you’re operating on some outdated information. Judging from some of your other materials you seem to be still laboring under the false assumption that dogs are pack animals. Perhaps you would like to expand and update your understanding of the current research in the literature of dog behavior and psychology. I’ve attached an article that summarizes the current modern understanding of domestic dogs’ social behavior. – Vicki
Vicki attached an article that you can open in a new window by clicking here.
I appreciate the response, but I think that it requires clarification on where this type of thinking comes from.
There’s a lot of information, so I will explain the remarks from the two authors, and give a fair comparison to their thoughts to my practices and the more commonly held and understood beliefs about dog/pack behavior and training methods.
Details In this Session
SPONSORS!
Thanks again to People United for Pets (P.U.P. Dog Rescue)
This Week’s Rescue: Farley
Farley is a very mild-tempered German Shepard mix and is available for adoption!
I want to extend thanks again to our sponsor P.U.P. Dog Rescue! Today’s puppy of the week is “Farley”, a 62 pound “senior” (he’s about eight years old) He’s listed as a German Shepherd mix, but he’s got sort of a quintessential mutt look. He’s very relaxed and laid back temperament and his current foster family speaks very highly of him. I describe a bit more about his personality in the podcast, and you can also click here to see him and inquire!
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About the Author: Sean
I’ve been training people and dogs in Seattle for the last decade and a half. My main focus when working with clients every week in one-on-one, private lessons is to help people learn to get their dogs to a functional level so that they can actually enjoy spending time every day with their dog instead of stressing about their dog’s behavior issues.
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About Sean
I’ve been training people and dogs in Seattle for the last decade and a half. My main focus when working with clients every week in one-on-one, private lessons is to help people learn to get their dogs to a functional level so that they can actually enjoy spending time every day with their dog instead of stressing about their dog’s behavior issues.
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