• Dominance is not a “behavior issue.”

• Dominance does not apply to human-animal relationships. (Ever. Nevereverever.)

• Actual dominance between members of a certain species do not work like you (probably) think they work. 

If you want to learn about the social structure of the horse: start here. If you want to learn about the social structure of the dog: start here. Please & thank you. :]

Super Tug by SquishyFaceStudio

I really love this idea. It’s a safer alternative to a spring pole (which, yeah, can definitely cause injuries even with proper design); marine grade bungee cords, polypropylene webbing to prevent tree damage (though I think the webbing should be able to be modified to fit any stable surface), and suitable for strong dogs. I like that it’s at the dog’s height so he’s not tugging upwards. 

On the down side, it’s a company that believes in pack leader BS. Still, it’s a cheap and nicer alternative to a spring pole. And probably worth looking into if you want to DIY yourself a self-tug design. 

Emily Larlham has a really good article on why collars are potentially damaging and why you should try to switch to a harness instead. 

The point about collars damaging the thyroid gland is really interesting. That’s a good explanation for hypothyroidism being so common in dogs. 

Anonymous asked: Do you have any resources for positive police dog training?

I know there are force-free police dog trainers out there; unfortunately, internet presence of such trainers seem to be quite low.  What resources I do have:

Not Using Force In Police Dog Training by Deborah Palman is pretty thorough. It points out that training methods used by police are quite poor and result in sketchy behaviors (not outing on a bite, not recalling) and why using motivational techniques are superior and would eliminate those issues. 

Whole Dog Journal has an issue about PD training, but unfortunately it’s only for paying members (I am not). If you have access to their online articles though, you might find it helpful! 

Steve White is the most popular proponent of force-free training; he handles and trains detection (narcotics & explosives) dogs for police. He’s well respected for his tracking methods in particular. 

There is also a Positive Police Dog blog. As far as I know he has one book out on positive police dogs, but most of it is about training theory (a second book is supposed to be more police-centered; not sure if it’s out yet). 

Not police handlers; but Shade Whitesel and Denise Fenzi are both protection-sport (Schutzhund & French Ring) trainers with high drive dogs. 

I hate it when people post videos of their Malinois who are always pacing and stress-panting and say “hey, THIS is what the breed is like!”

No.  That is what your dog is like. Because you bought him from a shit breeder who only has Malinois so they can have the “cool breed”. Because that breeder keeps their dogs isolated in kennels their whole lives (which is the single worst thing you can do to this breed). Because they never have to live with those dogs, because they are only a means to an end, they DO NOT CARE that they are breeding mentally unstable messes who are obsessive and neurotic.

Those dogs are not prime examples of the breed; they are victims of bad breeding who need behavioral help and likely medication. 

A correct Malinois should not constantly pace or spin. 

A correct Malinois should not stress pant 24/7. 

A correct Malinois should have an off-switch. 

A correct Malinois should be mentally stable. 

Holy shit the Malinois was terrible. There are plenty of nice showline Mals with good conformation; why does the worst always get put up? 

I’m actually pretty impressed with a lot of the dogs there. The German Shepherd looked really good. But of course he didn’t get put up because, you know, if the topline isn’t horribly deformed then it’s not a true GSD. I liked the Lab and Golden as well, which never happens. 

The Neo just pissed me off. No dog should have that much loose skin. Ever. 

Now I’m going to go look up the Belgian Sheepdog, because eee. <3

Loups du Soleil dogs are so impressive. 

Ugh. Why can’t my life settle down enough for me to get my Mal?

That people actually feel sorry for the dog in this video is kind of baffling. That’s not a dog with an unhealthy mind — that’s a dog who thinks he has THE BEST TOY EVER OMG.

If I forced my dog to be “sane” %100 of the time, even with his favorite toy, I would have a miserable dog.

[jezandia]

[silentmara]