Dog training techniques brought to heel

Dog training techniques brought to heel

A dog which sits, stays and heels on command is no less likely to send its owner and neighbours barking mad than an untrained pooch, according to University of Queensland research.

While dog obedience training classes benefited people entering animals in trials and competitions, they did not stop dogs from barking constantly, or make puppies any easier to house train.

Dr Gaille Perry used a survey of 226 dogs in 12 clubs for her PhD on attitudes to the management and training of cats and dogs and found there was no easy way to control a dog, although many people thought control was the only issue in behaviour improvement.

"At obedience classes most dogs don't get exercises in general control. It is easier to teach commands. The fact is that many dogs with behavioural problems have a high level of obedience training," she says.

Dr Perry said clubs needed to develop a curriculum to train dogs in home manners rather than formal classes, to encourage all family members to attend, to operate in smaller groups and to charge more to motivate owners to complete courses.

"Dog training organisations are made up of volunteers who try to do a good job, often working under less than ideal conditions and with very large classes. The exercises are not all bad but they do not necessarily help solve underlying problems of dog ownership in community," Dr Perry said.

"People are treating the symptom. With barking it may be that the dog needs more exercise, or it may be that the dog doesn't see its owner between 7am and 7pm. Dogs are social animals and need interaction and group communication, so if the problem is isolation dog training won't solve it."

Dr Perry also believes public education, not council by-laws, are the best way of limiting the wanderings and destruction to wildlife caused by prowling cats.

She based her study on a survey of 3600 people, the entire cat-owning population of Mount Isa, with help from a friend who at the time was the local council's animal control officer.

"The general feeling is that you can't keep a cat in, they are free spirits, so many people let them come and go," she said. "In fact, once they get past three or four they become less active and are usually happy to mooch around at home, especially if they are desexed.

"Owners of young cats should keep them in as much as possible to reduce the development of effective hunting techniques. But these young cats need exercise and stimulation, so owners should give them toys and play with them."

For more information, phone Dr Perry on (07) 3259-9152 (day) or 3219-5191 (evenings).