The DOG’S PERSPECTIVE
The Dog’s Perspective is a innovative dog training approach that combines dog evolutionary biology with a popular child-rearing method (Positive Discipline), introduced by Alfred Adler (1920) and developed by Jane Nelson (1981). There are no bad dogs, just good behaviors and bad behaviors. Our training approach is neither strict nor permissive. We are kind, yet firmly set limits. We guide dogs, not bribe dogs, allowing you and your dogs to thrive.
Punishment, force or fear-training are NOT part of The Dog’s Perspective. Instead of making dogs “pay” for their mistakes, we encourage everyone to “learn” from their mistakes. We teach dogs and their human companions to work together as cooperative teams, in the tradition of more than 15,000 years of dog-human co-evolutionary history.
Our training methods are based on kindness, encouragement, mutual respect, cooperation, communication and dog-dog play behavior. The main tenets of The Dog’s Perspective include:
- Dogs are predators
- Order Carnivora / Family Canidae
- Predators naturally exhibit prey drives
- Dogs communicate with Mouth/Teeth/Bites
- Natural way dogs communicate with each other
- Dog Play Bites
- Different Bites for Different Pups
- Co-evolution of Humans & Dogs
- Friendly & cooperative
- Dogs should love petting and praise
- Handling, petting and massage therapy
- NO Force / NO Fear / NO Punishments
- Dog-Friendly & Human-Friendly
- Petting & Praise
- Dogs should love being handled and petted
- Healthy and easy for everyone
- Both initial and permanent rewards
- Food Treats
- Initial rewards only / NOT permanent rewards
- NOT healthy long-term
- Mental capacity of dogs similar to 2-year-old human toddlers
- Dogs are naturally reactive/mature humans are cerebral
- Dogs live in the present/now
- Dogs neither reflect on the past nor project into the future
- Dogs naturally den
- Crate = dog den
- Fundamental in potty training
- Dogs learn to self-soothe/relax/reduces anxiety
- Crates provide safety, including travel in cars
- Dogs “see” their world through their nose – Olfaction
- Different levels of dog sniffs
- Respect and manage the magnificent dog nose
Dog play is critical for their development
- Dog-dog play behavior
- Communication through play bites
- Play is fun and relaxing
- Socialization and observational learning
- Importance of Observational Learning
- Natural and easy
- Monkey See, Monkey Do
- Good and bad behaviors
- Novice dogs learn faster working with trained dogs
- Includes socialization and play
- Importance of Associative Learning
- Classical and Operant Conditioning
- Reward and correction/punishment systems
- Focus of psychology-based dog training
- Slower and subordinate to Observational Learning
- Positive Discipline for humans and dogs
Our gentle, guiding dog training techniques are practical, fun and successful. Our training goals are to make your dog dreams your reality.
Kathryn R. Gubista, PhD is an evolutionary biologist, college biology instructor, former zookeeper, author and certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) with Lucky Dog Training Asheville and has over 30 years of dog training and human educating experience. The Dog’s Perspective is a training philosophy based on how dogs think.