Pet Training

I’ve often heard that the best resources for training techniques are those used for dog training. A friend posted the following quotes from several online dog training web sites and asked for comments. Here are some thoughts about how those ideas might work within the content of a D/s (or Owner/pet) relationship.

• "It is in so many little ways that we teach our dogs that we are not worthy of respect. When we indulgently allow them to act in inappropriate ways - even small ones - we often forget that we are simply providing our dogs with the proof that we are not good leaders. That is how they perceive our lenience, inconsistency and indulgence.
  
  
• They don't think, "Ah, what a sweet owner I have. She must really love me." (No more than you think that a boss who lets you get away with murder and take 4 hour coffee breaks is a swell guy. You think he's a wimpy jerk, and you don't respect him, though you may like him a lot!) The dog thinks, "Aha! Resources I value such as attention, food and toys are but a request away, and they're free!" In the world of dogs, he who controls the resources is to be respected. From your dog's point of view, if he can control the resources, he must be the boss."
  
  

Although human pets want to be owned, they will still test limits and boundaries to see what the limits are. These boundaries allow them to feel safe within the protection of the alpha (Owner). If that Owner / Dominant is unable or unwilling to maintain control, the relationship will rapidly dissolve. No genuine submissive or pet truly wants to be the "boss".

• "Be aware that as you change the rules, the problem behavior may escalate briefly as the dog pushes harder to see what the limits are. It is helpful to write down a daily record of aggressive incidents so that you can begin to see the patterns of frequency (how many times does the behavior occur?) and intensity (how far does the behavior go?). Changes will not occur overnight, but gradually over a period of time. A written record helps during times of frustration. For example, when it seems that nothing is happening at all, the written record may show that in fact, the behavior has decreased from 9 times a day to only 4. This is a significant improvement!"
  
  

Whether it would be beneficial for the human pet owner to a log is debatable. I have always felt that logs kept by submissives are more useful, but of course this would only be possible in the case of a *human* pet. I have always been a believer in the concept of "transparency" and one tool that is often used by a Dominant is to have the submissive write her thoughts on a daily basis. How he chooses to access that log may vary, but there is no doubt that the insights provided are helpful in knowing how to best train the submissive. I see no reason why similar tools could not be used with a pet with good results.

• "The concept is simple - the dog must respect the handler and the potential for a correction more than it has the urge to fight. Just as importantly the handler must praise the dog (with a happy voice) when the dog minds or when it stops becoming aggressive after a correction. "
  
  

Obviously, aggression should not be an issue in a human pet training program, but praise for correct actions is as important as correction for incorrect actions. The idea here is to put a little fear of punishment/repercussion into the pet. I do not believe that the pet should fear the owner; more they should fear the consequences of their actions. The desire to please one’s owner should be strong, and an expression disappointment is an excellent punishment for a pet whose desire is to please. Whether this expression is physical depends on the pet, and the seriousness of the infraction.

In addition to being punished for actions, its also very important to remember to show what the appropriate behavior should have been. We are all rational human beings, but it is also quite common for a pet to look back at a situation and realize that what they perceived as acceptable behavior was quite rude or inappropriate. A new situation can cause your pet to become confused about what options are actually available for her.

• "As puppies grow up they should not be allowed to become possessive of their toys. The handler should be able take every toy away from the dog at any time without the dog showing aggression. The handler controls his dog’s universe and the dog needs to learn this. The factor in that scenario is, "You determine what toys are played with and for how long."
  
  

Toys can be anything from the presents given to the pet, privacy and privileges, or the actual play toys for scenes. It is important for the pet to remember that everything she is given comes from her Owner, at his pleasure.

• "A dog with dominance problems is never allowed to be in the kitchen or dinning room while the family eats and the worst thing that can happen is to feed a dominant dog from the table. Again, the pack leader always eats first and gets the best pieces of food. If your dog is a house dog, always put him in the dog crate or another room at mealtime. The worst thing you can do is feed these dogs from the table. It only enhances your problems.
  
  

There is much controversy about the idea of using food as a means of control, probably because of how well it works. We all grew up listening to our parents use food as a means of control. "Do your homework and you can have a snack" or "You will sit there until you finish your dinner or you can go hungry". Perhaps it is because food has always been used as a means of showing control that it is one of the most effective ways to show Dominance. However, it can also tread upon old emotional scars, so should be proceeded with caution by those new to it.

Some owners have their pet eat on the floor, from a dog dish, when appropriate. Taking away the use of utensils, glasses, etc. is an effective way to reinforce the roles. Being hand fed by one’s Master can be one of the most treasured awards that a pet can earn.

• "The command to concentrate on when dealing with the dominant dog is the "DOWN" command. Every dominant dog is going to want to resist the down. The important thing is to teach the dog that it must down when told and it must stay down for up to 30 minutes. You can accomplish this by putting your dog in a down during the news. I also recommend that you do it on leash - so if the dog gets up without permission you have a means of grabbing him without starting a fight when you go for his collar."
  
  

"Down" has always been an effective command for me, and it is not limited to pet training. Anytime you have a submissive who is pushing boundaries, this command and its expected result, puts an immediate end to the problem and puts her in a position to quietly consider her actions.

"Down" for a pet would be flat on the floor, but for a submissive not in pet training, it might be shorthand for "Kneel Down" (forehead resting on crossed hands, kneeling, legs spread, ass in the air). This position is appropriately submissive and has the added benefit of giving the Dominant the visual of a nice pose. Don’t forget the release command; "Up, Rest, Continue", or some other obvious end to the "time out" position. Since "Kneel Down" is also a position many Dominants like for play and access, one Master solved the confusion by using "Kneel Down" as a present command, reserving the harsher "Down" for time out.

I’ve always thought pet training is very like slave training. Both are exercises in TPE (Total Power Exchange) and demonstrate the submissive’s willingness to give herself over completely into the hands of her Dominant - for an evening, a weekend, or longer. There can be no greater demonstration of trust and it should be treated with care, whatever your level of play.


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