3 Dangerous Dog Training Myths: An Interview with Jocelyn Walls CPDT CTC | Pupford

February 17th, 2023

Filed under Podcasts

Dog training myths have turned into 'facts' for many people. While the roots of these myths are argued, letting them govern how we raise our dogs can be extremely problematic.

In this interview with Jocelyn Walls CPDT CTC, we dive into three of the most prominent dog training myths and talk about their truthful opposites.

MYTH #1- Dogs are pack animals, some behaviors occur because my dog is trying the be the alpha or dominate me.

MYTH #2- It’s better to get a puppy with a clean slate vs a rescue dog because you don’t know their background.

MYTH#3- My dog knows when they’ve done something wrong, they totally look guilty!

Connect With Jocelyn

Jocelyn's Website: http://www.muttineer.com/

Jocelyn's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFt4sAiMx5WdFfU6V2tFnXg

Jocelyn's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muttineerla/

PS- Learn from Jocelyn about how to introduce a dog to a cat here!

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Overview of 3 Dangerous Dog Training Myths

Here is a brief overview of the three dog training myths we talked about with Jocelyn.

MYTH #1- Dogs are pack animals, some behaviors occur because my dog is trying the be the alpha or dominate me.

The study that many people found their reasoning behind this myth, has actually been debunked in many instances.

Original studies cited a pack mentality with wolves in captivity. Recent research has found that those original studies don't seem to correlate to wolves in the wild, and surely not to dogs.

Our dogs are opportunistic. They do things that will provide them with what they desire (or desire to get away from).

Do you really think your dog bursts their doors because they want to show you who is boss? NO, they want to explore new smells, sights, and sounds!

MYTH #2- It’s better to get a puppy with a clean slate vs a rescue dog because you don’t know their background.

Although this myth is more of an opinion, it's not always true.

With a rescue dog (especially adults), you can actually have a better understanding of what the dog's "positive" and "undesirable" traits might be.

When you get a puppy, factors such as their mom's stress levels during pregnancy and birth, genetics, and more can cause potential "problem behaviors".

Simply put, no matter the dog you can train correct behaviors and foster growth and learning!

MYTH#3- My dog knows when they’ve done something wrong, they totally look guilty!

I think "viral Facebook videos" are partly to blame for this.

IT IS NOT TRUE. Dogs do NOT understand guilt (ie, right vs wrong) the way that we do.

Please read this study.

The "guilty" look is actually correlated to our own response to our dog's behavior. They just want to appease us.

Recap

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Above all, remember that some myths can cause destructive mindsets for us as humans in relation to our dogs.

Any other myths you've heard that you want us to cover?