Why train your dog - and then: HOW? What dog training method is best?

These here are some considerations about dog training - thinking out loud, or rather, thinking out online - hoping to be able to get you investigating. There is something so deeply special about how we can relate to dogs, that none of the current popular training methods seem to do justice yet.
There are currently 2 main categories of dog training
- compulsion method - based on the pack leader dominance/submission model
- the "positive" behavior modification reward system
They work well enough for a lot of dogs, and both miss the deeper energetic dynamic of dogs.
If you are interested in what really does on, and want to work with your dogs innate energy and beingness, Natural Dog Training might be for you.

Elsewhere I have heard: TIME, PLACE and PEOPLE - referring to teaching methods and indicating that depending on time, place and people - methods vary!!!!

And so it seems to me that this is true for training dogs: depending on time, place - dogs and people, dog training methods vary.
-  and this is what I think: there is NO ONE WAY to train a dog - and whatever works for you and your dog - works for you and your dog.


WAIIIIITTT: the headline says: why train your dog?

These days – for the sake of the dogs as well as people – some basic training seems to be necessary. Most dogs don’t just hang around on farms with jobs to do anymore, let alone have hunting jobs. They are living in crowded urban environments.  Notice though that “coincidentally” since dogs have been bred to be friendly and domesticated rather than be a working dog that had to earn its living and people have been “training” dogs with the commonly used methods or treating them as playthings  -  dog aggression and other behavioral problems have been on the rise. Not the “positive” reward training, or the dominance/pack leader based training or the combined training methods get to the root of canine behaviors. As per Kevin Behan: It is in police dog training that you quickly realize where those methods fail.

What do I want from training my dogs?

Well, then: I live in a semi rural area with cattle at the fence, lots of people coming and going, neighborhood dogs visiting, koyotes howling and I also don't want to have to muzzle any of the dogs when we go to the vet or go to town and I want it to be save when an unsuspecting kid runs up to it. I also want them to get along with cats and chickens, as well as, potentially, a grazing goat.
I would like barking when strangers come onto the property...and if I where to have to fight with one ...would want them to naturally help me. Once I greet a visitor - the barking should stop. I want them to come EVERY time when I call them.
If I open the front door, even IF they where to run out,  - there is no nearby road....meaning: some things are not as important to me to train for as if I lived in town. Them not chasing the pregnant cattle of the neighbor is a much higher concern.
Should anything deadly happen to me and they be left in this world, I would want them to be very easily adoptable.

If I were younger, I would be interested in search and rescue, or service dog training, but such as it is - eventually being able to foster shelter dogs is my other goal.

Now it is YOUR turn: why do you want to train your dog?...what does it mean to you, and what is important to you in that regard?

So this might help to understand the: TIME - PLACE - DOG - AND PEOPLE concept a little more, as part of it is what you and the dog need to be able to do.

Then there is a question of: HOW do I teach my dog what I want him/her to do? Or: what does he/she need to know to be safe and be safe around - and - be "happy"?

This then leads to the investigation of various training methods, which also have varied greatly with time, place and people, and so far I have come up with these criteria for dog training:

Training your dog will take time, energy and commitment and I take it as a given that you are willing to give those.


What to want from Dog Training
I don't know about you, but I want dog training 

- to be effective - if it does not work, I don't want to spend the time, energy and resources on it, in fact, I don't have the time or energy to waste.

- to NOT be harmful - if it hurts the dog, I don't want it. And by hurt I don't mean a correction, but actually physically or emotionally hurt.

- to honor and respect the deepest nature of the dog to be trained.
"The dog to be trained" is intentional, because even though, say, dogs are predator animals, a pointer and a German shepherd and a husky and a dachshund also have different genetically determined qualities. Just because a GSD can be taught to retrieve - it would not be "him".

- be fun for me and the dog and energetically and physically easy to do for me.

I think that not all currently commonly used methods work for all dogs all the time - and that a dog trainer ought to be open and knowledgeable about various methods in dog training.

"My" prey driven adopted GSG/husky could not care less about food, and  looked away at my treat offerings unless I starved her, and she got seriously dejected at corrections, even though she did learn. The little rat terrier could not care less about biting a toy. It has ZERO desirability  for him, in fact, he will not bite any at all - but will do just about anything for food. He is quite resilient to corrections.
How on earth can I think the exact same methods will work for each dog and respect them at the same time?

So, you may have to diversify, use whatever works in YOUR life with YOUR dog to train him to be able to do what you need him to do to be safe and to behave in the way he needs to behave.

However, working with my German shepherd husky, I had a deeper question: who is she and what does she need to be dog-happy, or fulfilled? What made that girl tick? What is it that your dog needs and what is it you need him/her to do?


What is the deeper nature of the dog?  How can I train my dogs working with their energy channeled in a way that does not just tire them out (like this GSD/husky, though she was not afraid, got equally offended at trotting next to a bike for "exercise" but played running with the other dogs or dug for hours for rodents.) - but satisfies their inner dog-ness, the wild animal in them and  their deeply social, cooperative and "in tune" with each other nature? How do I work with their emotional nature? How do I get them to WANT to come with me over running after a cat?

What IS the latest research on learning in dogs? What role does play have in raising puppies? What ARE the latest findings about the hierarchical dominance structure versus the cooperative group nature of a wolf pack?

So far the closest thing I have found is Natural Dog Training.
Having watched a number of videos where Kevin Behan works with dogs, I see him use choke chains, and food - and my impression is: this guy draws on whatever is needed to keep the dogs safe. (Because, lets face it: if you were not concerned about the behaviour of your dog, would you be reading this?)
AND - he is working with the energy of dogs, - reestablishing the dog's ability to conduct and channel energy like they were meant to do - to be able to handle all that emotional energy, prey drive and allow them to be social and playful, happy to be with us, confident in their beingness and abilities and actually wanting to do what we would like them to do....using what is natural to them on the deepest level.

At the same time I wish to honor all who are able and willing to get "red-zone" dogs off death row and actually rehabilitate them to be able to live as sociable dogs with their families.

It is very interesting to read about why dogs are truly most like us humans than any other animal on land.
It is indeed their deep social, cooperative and emotional nature that allows us to connect with them the way we do. - and - they are dogs.

That is almost it for my ramblings this evening. ON the horizon I see things like:


How can Natural Dog Training inform current popular ways of training?
Like, instead of: be your dog's leader - ....be your dog's mouse? hm...how about: be the most attractive to your dog?
How to you explain to others this unity we are with our dogs on an energetic level? We are not actually dominant leaders, we are 2 poles of the same unit...and not only that, we can flip-flop.
Are there similarities in the various training methods? Or is the basis so fundamentally different, that it will be it's own camp of dog training? - will the future of the best dog training really be a diverse method training?
My sense is that Natural Dog Training gets more underneath it all - or rather: it honors the way of the dog on a deeper level than other training methods I have so far encountered. That is why I am drawn to it.
So: how can I learn to actually use Natural Dog Training? A- Z? Will it work for dogs with behaviour problems when I don't have a balanced dog pack of my own?

Other kinds of questions are arising: is it possible to train a dog to be honest and honorable?
How does all this apply to training of dogs bred to be service dogs?

 ...but more importantly, practical questions: how do I get my terrier to relax on an outing, like when going to the post office?

To this end, I have started to use one of the fundamental techniques in Natural Dog Training: Pushing.
It has been FUN, and it is having the effect of having this little terrier turn towards me and run to me and trust me more than I have ever seen him do.

more thoughts here - in case you missed the other post 
 If you are interested or intrigued, please check out the Natural Dog Training links - on the sidebar.


and - I don't in any way profit from this - I just so loved this dog and entered into this world - and I want to do the dogs justice. I truly feel that Natural Dog Training has something to offer for any dog owner anywhere using any dog training method.


And then there is this other aspect to Natural Dog Training which may be difficult for some dog owners to face - dogs are emotional beings, they are all heart - and that has a consequence.
Energy, emotion, instinct, thoughts, feelings ... - a proper study of dogs will reveal these fundamental differences and then you can see your dog as your emotional expression.

Dog Training - The Next Level - Natural Dog Training

When looking for a way to train your dog, you will soon discover there are dog trainers everywhere and that there is more than one way to train a dog and there is disagreement in what is best. Also, just because millions follow one way or another, does not mean it is the best or only way, or that is is the way for you and the dog in your life.

This is my humble first offering as a writer on this topic, or, as you will soon discover, should I say non-writer. I go with deep resonance, inspired by working with Skye, and if this gets anyone to pause for a second and search the internet to inform themselves - then a service has been done. And if it inspires anyone to work with their dog in a way that more deeply honors and expresses the deep, true nature and heart of each - that is a blessing and gift to this world to which I bow with gratitude.

Dog training as it is used today is a relative recent invention, even though dogs and humans have been working together for a very long time.

Hey, play with me

Until about World War I, most domesticated dogs living with people had a function in the family, a job, and they were expected to follow certain house rules, they had a respected place in the family. Their jobs were guarding, protection, herding, pulling carts and sledges and help in hunting. Their training happened as a result of the way they lived and worked in the family and with their owners. The notion of a dog as man's best friend is something that arose in a northern climate and largely western cultural disposition, including the cradle of that civilization. At least I have yet to come across stories about that coming out of Africa or the Far East, like China.

Fast forward to millions of dogs in our society today: the environment our companion dogs are expected to function in today is very different. Not only is there an incredible population density - often there are no spaces where dogs can be dogs, and they are left alone for hours at a time indoors. Rather then doing jobs requiring them to use their energy in fulfilling ways, they often are living lives with no appropriate use of their energy. At the same time they have become the most pampered and fussed over animals with millions of dollars spent on their care. And never before have there been so many behavioral problems with them.

There is a huge variety of functions dogs are now being trained for, and bred for.
Breeding, over time, has changed dogs considerably, and not always in the right direction to do these magnificent animals justice, and in fact may be contributing to some of the behavioral problems we see today. Dogs are also emerging as the most social, adaptable companions man has ever known, with the ability to read - and reflect - humans like no other animal on earth. The emotional pure nature of dogs will prove a tool that is yet unrecognized by most people.

During WW I and II, people started using dogs in different ways and there was a need to find ways to train dogs fast. Compulsion Training was born as there was a high need to rapidly replace dogs. From there the obedience training methods were derived. In conjunction with observations done on wolves in captivity, the dominance and pack idea began being popular. While a lot of dogs did well, harsh training methods also broke the spirit of many dogs, even though not considered abusive if properly applied. Operand Conditioning, or the "positive" training methods saw a huge rise in the 1990ties, though the research was done over 100 years ago. It works on reward system. Again, while there is a lot to be said for it, in the extreme, it often did not get the results.
Today, a lot of trainers use a balanced approach and adapt to the needs and temperament of your dog.

In recent years, another method,  Natural Dog Training,  is gaining awareness and is the way of the near future of dog training. At the same time, as it often goes with new developments and findings,  the old may resist the new, mostly based on fear. This need not be so.
By no means am I saying that other methods should not be used. If fact, they might have worked perfectly for you and your family. Some of the popularization might have been exactly what was needed to raise awareness and give many people a way to make it possible for them and their dogs to stay together. Many many dogs have been helped and their lives literally saved using those methods, even as the premise on which they were based may not be scientifically sound in light of new research and understanding about the nature of dogs, including the actual way wolves function in the wild. At the same time, behavior issues are the number 1 cause of death for dogs in the USA.
I suggest to be open enough to explore a dimension of relating to dogs and working with them in dog training which is not addressed in the older forms of training.

Natural dog training, created by Kevin Behan, is a way of training that recognizes the nature of dogs in a profound way and which works with dogs and their natural drive and energy flow. Natural Dog Training is the first method I have seen described which respects and works with the deepest nature, drive and the energetic and emotional beingness of dogs. I love it for that reason. Recent research of wolves in the wild and the social-emotional nature of dogs and their way of relating to humans is supportive/compatible with this way of training. For many dogs and their owners, this will be the way to train.

Kevin Behan, having grown up raising and training dogs with his father, is very well versed in both compulsion training as well as operand conditioning training methods or anything else that came along. He also learned from some German training methods which respected the drive and nature of their dogs.He has trained police dogs and works in what I call dog rehab. He is so experienced and immersed in the world of dogs and training, he can draw from whatever is needed. However, there is a knowing and understanding of a deeper dimension and underlying energies with informs the methods of Natural Dog Training. As will become clear, the very nature of dogs will require from the owner a different way to look at dogs and themselves, using this method. I hope it can be developed to be used by people at all stages of the great human spiral of development. At the very least, existing training methods can become informed and modified to honor the deepest nature and needs of dogs in our lives.

This is  worth studying - and every dog trainer owes it to themselves, their dogs AND their owners to take this to heart with an open mind, even if continuing training as usual. You may find that what is already healthy and honoring the way of dogs in the method you are using does not have to be thrown out, but it may well provide understanding and a missing link in understanding of why dogs do what they do at times.

I only hope that Natural Dog Training can be developed in ways that works for people in all walks of life and situations, that it can inform other training methods to make them more aligned with the nature of dogs - and us, and that none will become stuck but continue to evolve as we learn and discover more and more about our deeper nature.

As with any other method, training your dog will require at least some time and energy. If you ask yourself: what makes this dog tick, what is his/her nature, what does this dog want and need, and then do your best to provide that for him/her - you are on the right track.

Links are provided on the sidebar  for easy access & more information.

...and let your dog win tug of war - every time :)