Holistic Dog Trainers

What is Holistic Dog Training and Behavior

2009-02-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

There is much confusion of what the term holistic means. Most people think of the term as something related to herbal remedies, natural diets or massage. Others believe that the term holistic is a form of mysterious ways to delve into the psyche of individuals and animals. Managing dog behavior in a holistic way is not about using food rewards, feeding your dog a raw diet or giving him flower remedies when he is stressed, such confusion may lead the public to skepticism or misunderstanding of the term. To clarify the concept, lets start with a simple and essential definition:

The word “holon” comes from the Greek olos which means whole.

Although complementary therapies, nutrition and health are part of the holistic formula, it is necessary to understand that the terms holistic dog training or holistic dog behavior management refer to a whole lot more. Holism is a philosophy in which the properties of a system cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its components alone. Training a dog holistically is about gaining insights into the whole dog by understanding the relationships and interactions between the elements that comprise the dog’s whole system. This type of training offers an alternative approach to helping dogs overcome behavioral and emotional challenges by gaining a balance in the dog's life and developing a positive creative perspective to manage challenges.

Holistic vs Conventional Practitioners

Scientists across several disciplines are moving away from reductionism, conventional dog trainers and dog behavior consultants, however, are locked into BF Skinner's behavioral tradition of controlling behavior with either rewards or punishments. Skinner's radical behaviorism has been under attack for years for presenting animals and human beings as mechanistic. From a Skinner's point of view animals are reduced, as Paul Weiss put it, to 'puppets operated by environmental strings" with no soul, emotions, consciousness or internal mental processes.

Holistic practitioners recognize the need to move away from this reductionist approach and address the whole instead. A truly holistic practitioner does not rely on learning theory and operant conditioning, but instead facilitates emotional and behavioral balance and general wellness. Holistic dog behavior counselors integrate different disciplines into their practice and strive to bring a greater quality of life to their clients and their pets. By moving away from cause-effect relationships and towards interrelationships, practitioners are able to open channels of communication between dogs and human beings.

Main differences between conventional trainers and holistic dog counselors

Conventional Dog Trainers:

Focus on controlling behavior
Goal: dog behavior modification
Reward systems and/or punishment
Dog's mind
Emphasis on individual behavior problems

Holistic Dog Trainers:

Focus on exerting cooperation
Goal: dog's global well being
Integrative and alternative therapies
Dog's mind, body and spirit
Emphasis on balancing emotional, behavioral and physical wellness

Thinking About Dogs as Living Systems

The more we try to understand dogs, the more we come to realize that their behavior cannot be explained in simple terms. Dogs are not only living organisms, they are complex systems embedded in our life and our society. By definition a system is a group of elements, units or subsystems that form a complex and unified whole. The essential principles of an organism, or living system arise from the interactions and relationships among the other systems or parts that constitute the whole. These principles are impaired when the system is analyzed or reduced to isolated parts.

The beauty of the holistic philosophy is that we can understand dog behavior by applying techniques that are based on natural laws found in all living systems. The basic principles of holistic thinking give us a new perspective of our dogs and ourselves.
In order to have a happy, healthy and well behaved dog we need to move in a holistic direction and create a strong foundation on which dogs and humans are able to interact, form a bond and be in harmony with the environment.

The three main goals of Holistic Dog Trainers and Holistic Dog Behavior Counselors are:

1. Focusing on the whole dog when managing behavioral imbalances, rather than on the particular problem alone;

2. Exerting lifestyle changes that promote awareness, emotional and behavioral balance as well as wellness for pets;

3. Establishing respectful, cooperative relationships between pet dogs and humans.

Warning about techniques and tools that increase stress in dogs

2008-05-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

Stress is described as an emotionally disruptive condition of mind which occurs in response to adverse external influences known as stressors. Stress raises the level of adrenaline and corticosterone in the dog's body, which leads to increase in the heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure and puts more physical stress on bodily organs. Dogs exposed to stressors may present agonistic behaviors, redirected aggression and displacement activities.

It has come to our attention that some trainers claim to be holistic thinkers, however, they use dangerous, cruel and/or unnecessary techniques for training. The following techniques and tools increase stress in animals and can do more damage than good to your dog:

1. Electronic shock collars
2. Alpha rolls
3. Scruff shakes
4. Pinning the dog to the ground
5. Chaining
6. Anxiety wraps

Hiring a Holistic Dog Trainer

2008-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Holistic dog trainers facilitate emotional and behavioral balance and general wellness. Once you have decided to train your dog and know, or at least have a good idea of, what you want, choosing a trainer is a crucial decision. It’s not something you should rush into. No matter if you need a holistic trainer because you want to teach your dog basic commands or if you need to address an specific behavior problem with your dog there are some common concerns to address and pitfalls to avoid. The trainer that you hire must not only be able to care effectively for you dog, but must effectively interact with the rest of the family.

The trainer you hire should have the skills, the tools and the experience needed to do the job you want done. Hire a trainer who has extensive knowledge about your dog's breed and your specific goals for training. This trainer will know what training tools and techniques are needed for your dog.

The first question you must ask is what modalities do they use? some conventional trainers might claim to be holistic because they don't use punishing techniques, however, they might recommend products that aim to cure humans such as is the case of Rescue Remedy or, in some cases, giving an excessive amount of treats to your dog during training which is an unhealthy approach and not a holistic practice. You must be aware that these trainers don't know what holistic means.

There are two types of modalities, alternative and complementary. Alternative techniques include biofield therapies, body based practices, sense stimulation techniques and mind-body practices. Complementary therapies are exclusively offered by licensed holistic veterinarians and these include naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic, clinical nutrition and applied kinesiology.

The International Council for Holistic Dog Training and Behavior maintains a list of holistic practitioners who can help you manage your dog's emotional and behavioral imbalances.