FB post from trainer Victoria Stilwell. Such excellent points.
Please do not ever leave younger children unsupervised with dogs.
Do not use training methods that cause the kind of aggression and frustration that can be taken out on other dogs, children, visitors etc
Free to crosspost and share.
Please do not ever leave younger children unsupervised with dogs.
Do not use training methods that cause the kind of aggression and frustration that can be taken out on other dogs, children, visitors etc
Free to crosspost and share.
From trainer Victoria Stilwell:
"Here's my comment again if you want to share it.
Another infant was killed yesterday. That makes ten people in all killed by dogs in the USA this year, 8 of them children. Another infant that was being looked after by the grandmother and sadly another pitbull. Why is this happening? The evidence demonstrates irresponsible ownership, bad breeding practices, lack of socialization, rough handling, neglect of the dog's primary needs leading to boredom/frustration and most notably using confrontational/dominance training methods to 'teach' dogs to behave.
Please share this important message with everyone you know.
Any breed of dog can be a great dog and any breed can bite. A bite from a small dog can do a lot of damage especially if directed towards a child's face and neck, the area where most children are bitten. But there is no doubt that large breeds can do a significant amount of damage with just one bite and being a responsible owner while supervising your children around your dog at all times is key in helping both live safely with each other.
Bites are being exacerbated by punitive training methods including restraining or pinning a dog on its side to show the dog who is 'boss', kicking/ 'nudging' a dog with the feet, poking a dog with fingers, causing a dog pain using chokes, prongs or shock collars, using leash jerks etc. All this exacerbates frustration, anger and fear which leads to aggressive response.
If you utilize these methods you give your dog no choice. It might make you feel better to display your dominance and it might work for that moment to suppress your dog's behavior but suppressed behavior is not 'changed' behavior and suppression only lasts so long. Quick fixes quickly come unstuck.
Enough is enough! If you need help teaching your dog, utilize a positive reinforcement trainer only - one that does not use these kind of punishments. You can find some great trainers at: www.positively.com/trainers