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emotional . The more we can teach our clients about how dogs communicate with us and with each other , the more enriching their human-dog relationship will become . Your clients ’ increased awareness can result in a more effective outcome in the training process . Teaching your clients to become fluent in canine body language requires them to “ listen with their eyes .” They can gain an insight and greater understanding regarding exactly what their dogs are communicating .
INFLUENCE OF CLIENT ’ S ATTITUDES ON BEHAVIOR According to Steven Lindsay in his book “ Applied Dog Behavior and Training ,” the “ owner ’ s degree of attachment for a dog has a direct bearing on how satisfied or dissatisfied the person will be with the dog ’ s behavior .” The family with a stronger attachment is more tolerant than those who are not as attached .
If your client is not committed or motivated in following through with your protocol , perhaps you need to ask , “ What is their level of attachment ?” Have they given up on their dogs ? Have they passed into the critical judgment phase ? Some relationships are bound to fail if the humans ’ expectations of their dogs are different than what the dogs can actually deliver . If so , can these relationships be rehabilitated ?
UMWELT If clients are unhappy or frustrated , for whatever reason with the behavior or performance of their dogs , helping them to understand the umwelt can help . Umwelt is how animals perceive the world from their biological , physical , cognitive and emotional perspectives . What does the world look like based on the perspective of your clients ’ dogs ? If they could describe their environment , relationships and life in general , what would they say ? Asking clients to explore the answer to this question could be a real eye opener , for all concerned . Training from the humans ’ perspective can cause miscommunication , problems , and potential conflict . Training from the animals ’ perspective can be rewarding indeed , for both the humans and their dogs .
In any human-animal relationship , the first step must be based on trust . This is built in small increments before any change of behavior can begin , i . e ., training . This begins by understanding the animals ’ umwelt . Because we have the higher cognitive abilities and environmental resources , we have the responsibility for the emotional as well as the physical health of the animals in our care . Unfortunately , for a great many humans this translates into “ control ,” which can lead to a break in trust , frustration , confusion and often times pain and suffering on part of the animals . If we don ’ t understand the species we are encountering , trust and empathy will be difficult to establish ; these are two key components needed in establishing a working relationship .
Helping clients understand the umwelt concept can give them insight into what is really going on in their dogs ’ world and teach them how to be more effective in their communication . Dogs do not perceive the world or respond the way we may anticipate . This can cause frustration in the human-dog relationship and affect the outcome of training . How many times have you heard clients say , “ My dog knows what I want , he just doesn ’ t do it ?” Encourage your clients to ask themselves , “ How is Fido perceiving their interactions or requests ?” “ What is Fido ’ s perspective ?” Education and awareness of the dog ’ s umwelt can help the non-complaint clients experience their dogs in a more positive light ; remember , the greater the attachment , the greater the satisfaction and hopefully more compliance in training !
SUMMARY For non-compliant clients , having them revisit their reasons for getting Fido and reinforcing those decisions can help them “ fall in love again ” with dog ownership . Seeing how smart and willing Fido is to please can strengthen the family ’ s commitment and attachment . Sometimes , it just takes watching Fido accomplish small tasks to restore their relationship and jump-start your training protocol !
Melissa McMath Hatfield , M . S ., CBCC-KA , CDBC , earned a master ’ s in counseling psychology and is a retired licensed psychological examiner . Her mission is to enhance the human-dog relationship through understanding , knowledge , and empathy . Melissa has been an APDT conference speaker and her articles are featured often in APDT ’ s Chronicle of the Dog . Those articles have received numerous nominations in the Dog Writers Association of America ’ s writing competition . Currently , she has a private behavior consulting practice where her main focus is performing temperament assessments and behavior evaluations of dogs who are exhibiting mental health issues . For further information please go to her website at http :// www . lovingdogs . net .
52 Building Better Trainers Through Education