Dog training methods: How to advocate for dogs (and why bothsidesism doesn't help)

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Zazie and Kristi chat about what we can do to better advocate for reward-based dog training methods, and some common things that people get wrong.

We talk about:

• The podcast Kristi heard by Rachel Gilmore and why it made her want to talk about this topic
• Why reward-based dog training methods are better for dogs and their people
• Bothsidesism, and how portraying the use of aversive methods as normal and just another side of the argument is potentially damaging
• How we can use a truth sandwich to counter myths about dog training
• What the Overton window is and how it relates to conversations about dog training methods
• Treviño's degrees of acceptance and how positive reinforcement dog training went from radical to sensible to popular

If you want to listen to some truth sandwiches about dog training and cat behaviour, check out episode 3 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/12778186

The books we recommended in this episode are:

• By Strength We Are Still Here by Crystal Gail Fraser
• Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon

You can listen to Farrah Rochon talk about Pugs and Kisses in the romance panel at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, where she's joined by Julie Howarth (New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe) and Nicola Knight (Washed Up). Save your spot here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5917869995632/WN_svRTPtHARD-_BrgsmER6WA

And check out all of the Bark! Fest panels at https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html

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About the co-hosts:

Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes. She is also a northern anthropologist.

Kristi Benson's website  Facebook  

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat. 

Instagram  BlueSky