The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Spring 2022 | Page 20

OPINION

Being Off-Balance : The Power of Words

This pandemic gave us plenty of time , but not necessarily any sense
By Michael Thomas , CPDT-KA , Fear-Free Certified , CTDI , CCFC
uring the past two years of the global pandemic called

D COVID-19 , we have probably seen the single largest growth of households taking on the responsibility of adopting a dog ( or cat or gerbil or fish ) that we have seen since for who knows how long . And those droves of new adoptees have created a new generation of pet parent . These new owners are of a generation predominately driven by the effects of polarizing social media and the love of that 30 seconds to a minute of joy that a dog can bring to drive up the likes and views on Instagram reels . And for many of those new pet parents , there is a lack of understanding of those pets as a whole , that behind a cute head tilt is a sentient being , a learner , a life-long responsibility with a heart of gold that has FEELINGS .

And what I noticed was — despite science-based , positive reinforcement , fear-free and force-free training literally having the largest piece of the training pie within peoples ’ view — many of this new generation of pet owners could not deal well with the frustration that comes with sharing living quarters and needing to train these wonderful creatures . To their defense most of these pet owners wanted to be kind . However , with such low thresholds of frustration , it was so easy to get caught up in the ‘ quick fix ’ approach . I mean , if we can do it faster , why not ? So , for all the energy , time , and effort the advocates put in for humane treatment of our furry loved ones , there was a growth ( it was there , just under the surface ) of something euphemistically called ‘ balanced ’ training .
Now what does ‘ balanced ’ mean to you ? Based on the dictionary , it means stable , composed , well-adjusted , steady , poised , equalized . What does being ‘ balanced ’ look like in your own life ? For me , it ’ s peace , nature , serenity .
Now look at what it means to be subjected to the Balanced Training methods : using both reward-based techniques and aversive consequences , which includes ways to ‘ fix ’ or correct a behavior by using leash snaps , shake cans , choke collars , prong collars , excessive confinement , extreme levels of physical exercise , electric shock collars , and the list can go on . However , they claim they are still nice to the dog , too . To what degree , I do not know . Those individuals would have to let you know themselves .
Words have power . And balance is a word that depicts being well-adjusted ; yet the coined term ‘ balanced ’ training hijacks
Michael Thomas and Rogue
that meaning to inflict aversive training methods . And a word that is misused to justify a training method ( or belief system ) is misleading to the masses .
And before trying to explain to anyone the ‘ right ’ way train , just follow me here : Shouldn ’ t ‘ balanced ’ training mean that we :
• Balance our time to have more than enough for them .
• Balance their physical , mental , and emotional needs for a well-adapted and happy life .
• Balance treats , toys , praise , and affection and whatever they love for a variety of joy in their world .
• And a promise that we will NOT balance their needs for our wants OR balance their comfort for our control .
I do not know about you , but for me , I ’ ll be taking that word back . Our best friends deserve our best .
Michael Thomas is area trainer for Petsmart in Toronto , Ontario , Canada . He has worked with more than 5,000 dogs in his career thus far . He and Rogue , his Siberian Husky , have been competing in Canicross for nine years . Together they run , bike , rollerblade ( the human anyway ), go on urban adventures , camping , hiking , exploring , and enjoy ice cream . Their bucket list goal is to complete the entire Bruce Trail ( The Canadian Appalachian Trail ) together . Located in Southwestern Ontario , the trail is 550 miles ( 890km ) long from the Niagara River to Tobermory , Ontario , and that doesn ’ t include the 250 miles ( 450km ) of side trails !
18 Building Better Trainers Through Education Photos : Mike Thomas