- Speakers
Steve BishopHost
Steve BishopHost
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, or the AVSAB, is a organization that only allows veterinarians, veterinary techs, PhDs, research professionals, veterinary students into their organization.
Their mission is to share accurate science-based education and information to their membership, also periodically publishing membership consensus positions and sharing that with the public when it's applicable.
Their website states that they are dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior.
Basically, what that means is these are veterinary professionals who study behavior and have the education to back it up.
I've talked at length about how a lot of trainers think they can just do anything they want to the animal, no matter how aversive it is, as long as they're getting the results they expect or they're looking for.
My position has always been we want to put the dog in a position where they want to do the behavior for us, not because they feel like they have to, but because they want to, because we've asked them to do it.
This position statement says that positive reinforcement is highly effective, humane, and ethical.
Research and decades of real-world applications have proven these methods successful for all dog breeds, behavior challenges, and training goals.
Training methods that rely on force, intimidation, or pain are unnecessary and unethical.
Aversive methods can exacerbate unwanted or problematic behaviors and can cause physical and long-term lasting emotional harm.
What I always say, these aversive methods, they just stop the behavior, but they do not address the underlying cause.
So again, the example I've given several times is if the dog's teething and you stop them chewing on your table leg, their teeth still hurt or they're bored or whatever the reason is for that behavior.
So you've stopped them chewing on the coffee table leg, but they're going to find something else, whether it's your jacket, your shoes, a chair, or something else.
So we have to find a way to let them know that this is acceptable, this chew toy, this stick, whatever it happens to be, is acceptable, not the coffee table, not the chair, not the shoes.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, or the AVSAB, is a organization that only allows veterinarians, veterinary techs, PhDs, research professionals, veterinary students into their organization.
Their mission is to share accurate science-based education and information to their membership, also periodically publishing membership consensus positions and sharing that with the public when it's applicable.
Their website states that they are dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior.
Basically, what that means is these are veterinary professionals who study behavior and have the education to back it up.
I've talked at length about how a lot of trainers think they can just do anything they want to the animal, no matter how aversive it is, as long as they're getting the results they expect or they're looking for.
My position has always been we want to put the dog in a position where they want to do the behavior for us, not because they feel like they have to, but because they want to, because we've asked them to do it.
This position statement says that positive reinforcement is highly effective, humane, and ethical.
Research and decades of real-world applications have proven these methods successful for all dog breeds, behavior challenges, and training goals.
Training methods that rely on force, intimidation, or pain are unnecessary and unethical.
Aversive methods can exacerbate unwanted or problematic behaviors and can cause physical and long-term lasting emotional harm.
What I always say, these aversive methods, they just stop the behavior, but they do not address the underlying cause.
So again, the example I've given several times is if the dog's teething and you stop them chewing on your table leg, their teeth still hurt or they're bored or whatever the reason is for that behavior.
So you've stopped them chewing on the coffee table leg, but they're going to find something else, whether it's your jacket, your shoes, a chair, or something else.
So we have to find a way to let them know that this is acceptable, this chew toy, this stick, whatever it happens to be, is acceptable, not the coffee table, not the chair, not the shoes.
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