It’s the fault of the algorithms, isn’t it? You know what I mean: Mention animals online and you’re inundated with ads for goods and services for animals. That happens—in excess—to animal professionals online, who daily see far too many ads, a majority of which are sales pitches a professional can easily identify as very likely shady and potentially dangerous.
The danger comes when consumers with little knowledge—novice pet guardians—decide to use a product or follow a protocol that could be detrimental to their pet’s health or safety, without checking the credentials of the individuals involved with the product or program and without completing their own due-diligence on the organization or business in question.
It can be entertaining to play ‘spot the weasel words’ in ads for products and training protocols when you can tell the difference between real and made-up claims.
Many professionals find the ads annoying in such numbers.
Jackie Pritchard (Ontario) I can’t believe the amount of these ads popping up [online]. Wish I could quit Facebook forever, but I can’t because I have a business to run.
Photo by Denise Eaton
Today we quote some of the most egregious ad claims we’ve discussed lately with professionals, hoping to open some less experienced eyes to what we find misleading and objectionable.
———
“The Dog Calming Code can help you go from ‘bad dog’ to ‘who’s a good boy?’ in just a few minutes!
Because it teaches you the Five Golden Rules … which stops your dog from thinking they’re the one in charge, and communicates with them—in their ‘doggy language’—that you’re the loving pack-leader.”
———
Stephanie Presdee (United Kingdom) How many times have you heard that dogs are pack animals with an alpha as the head, and that if you as owner don’t take the alpha position, be a pack leader, and dominate them, they will dominate you? Or [you’ve been told to] greet the older one first, feed one first, eat before them, eat out of their bowl so they know the food is yours and comes from you! Treat the dogs like dogs, they need to know where they stand in the pecking order!
That’s myth. Plain and simple.
Dogs, if left to their own devices, do not live in packs. They do develop social ties, which are fluid. Watch street dogs hang out. Dogs don’t think we’re the head dog, the pack leader, and they don’t see us as pack leader. That’s partly because they don’t live by the notion of packs and alphas, and partly because they don’t mistake us for dogs! Watch any group of dogs interacting. Time and time again you’ll see dogs deferring to each other. It’s not even always the same dog deferring—your family of dogs is fluid.
Educated trainers who use modern, science-based methods encourage owners to use humane, reward-based methods to teach their dogs good, socially accepted manners. They are aware that dog and human interactions are not driven by social rank, but rather by reinforcement. Behaviors that are reinforced repeat and strengthen.
Instructing owners to eat before their dog or go through doors first will not influence the dog’s overall perception of the relationship. Just teach them what to expect in these specific situations. (The only reason we teach that a person goes out a door first is because, in the Cotswolds, the door goes straight onto the pavement and we need to check if everything is safe!)
Techniques such as pinning the dog to the floor, alpha rolls, grabbing scruffs, or blasting screech alarms at dogs—and all the rest—will make dogs anxious and uncertain about their owner, and can potentially lead to an escalation of aggression.
———
“This device can train even the most ‘untrainable’ pooches.
“By using 100% harmless ultrasonic noise to remind the family dog when it’s being bad.
“Created by dog owners for dog owners, XXX is the best solution for training dogs when all else has failed.
“Right now you can get XXX for 50% OFF + FREE SHIPPING!
“But hurry, the discount won’t last forever … ”
———
“To remind the family dog when it’s being bad.”
To remind the family dog of WHAT?!?
Not connected to any individual collar, this device also reminds all the other dogs nearby that your dog is “being bad.” Whoopee, great idea?
Rebekah Piedad (California) It’s a good thing dogs have such a strong moral compass that all we have to do is remind them about their badness. And what better way than to annoy them with shrill sounds?
Gwen Jones (California) But can it train their owners??
Lynn Ungar (Washington) I remind my puppy all the time what a bad, bad animal she is. She laughs and agrees.
September B. Morn (Washington) Humans find it so easy to remind their dogs when they’re “being bad.” So why is it so damn hard to get them to recognize and reward their dogs when they’re “being good”? Story of my life as a professional dog trainer (and owner).
Tamara A Howard (New Jersey) They’ll correct their dog for life, but reinforcing them is too difficult?!?
Glenda Lee (Maine) As some wise person once said, There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Certainly there are bad behaviors, but we don’t tell our kids that they are bad, but that their behavior is. (Or we shouldn’t.) Catch them doing something good and reward that behavior.
Sandie Hanlon (Massachusetts) Invented by dog owners! (*hand over face emoticon*)
Jeanne Brennan (California) My neighbor behind me got one of these for his next-door neighbors who were kitty-corner behind me. Suddenly I noticed that my dogs were hesitant to go out in the back yard. (I suspected arsehat behind me since he’d asked me about these devices before, and he tends to ignore my cautions every time he asks me what I think.) Weird thing, though … their cat moved several doors down and wouldn’t come back, and their dog had accidents in the house. I told the wife I was pretty sure someone was using one of these things and that was causing all our problems. She didn’t acknowledge anything, but most everything seemed to return to normal soon after—except for maybe the cat’s home preference. It is so … irksome(?) … that someone can get something like this and it has such an effect on surrounding properties. That seems so invasive. I hate those damn things. There’s one that has a 300-foot range. I liked when it seemed few people had heard of them. Sadly, they’re now a frequent topic on Nextdoor. Few people get how the animals not barking are also getting punished.
Annie Zeck (Washington) Because fortunately dogs are never sound sensitive!
Deb Hunt (Washington) These advertisements are so disturbing. Are people that dumbed down that they no longer have personal relationships with their pets? How do they train their children?
Jeanne Brennan It’s all about “I need an app for that.”
———
“XXX uses sound, vibration, and harmless stimulation to grab your dog’s attention to stop unwanted pulling behavior.”
———
To stop unwanted pulling for how long? How, in reality, would simply having your dog’s attention stop his “pulling behavior”? When you get the dog’s attention, what are you going to do with it? I often say, after reading ads like this one, “I’d like to see that illustrated, please. Stick figures would be fine.”
———
“The automatic collar that trains your dog not to pull in just one walk.”
———
Don’t you wonder what they mean by “automatic”? Is there a leash involved? So it’s not just a collar then? Again, draw a picture illustrating how this works.
———
“This new harmless device stops annoying dogs barking, instantly! The harmless ultra-sonic noise is the perfect way to train any dog. 100% safe and effective. Check it out!”
———
Why would they even mention “harmless”? Harmless to the dog? How is that measured? “100% safe and effective.” Safe from what and, again, how is that measured? Same question for “effective.”
———
“All the benefits without the shock! Finally have a peaceful home and a mature, respectful pup!”
———
———
“The XXX Remote Training Collar
Eliminate misbehavior in minutes with a safe and humane disciplinary technology and positive reinforcement!”
———
You lost me at “disciplinary technology.”
———
“Experts agree that during the training process, dispensing treats as quickly as possible aids in positive reinforcement and makes for a quicker process.
“That’s why we invented the XXX.
“A dog training glove that takes training your dog to a whole new level.
“It allows you to release an instant treat to your furry loved one, so that you know how pleased you are with their obedience as quickly as possible!
“And not only that, you’ll also benefit from:
“Helps eliminate dog reactivity during walks.
“Protect your hands from saliva and bites.
“Avoid the hassle of carrying a treat pouch.”
———
To the inventors of and investors in this device: Apparently you didn’t read very far into that book on basic dog training. Open to the chapter on clicker training. Please study about markers.
Also: Unfortunate that you have to protect your hands from bites.
Buyer beware. Be very wary, please!
