Training Dogs and Their Owners
(Room SouthPacific I)
25 Jul 17
11:00 AM
-
12:00 PM
The perpetual challenge to professional dog trainers is how best can they deliver essential knowledge and skills to owners who are burdened by the belief that the task is too complicated or that their pet is untrainable. Mugford will look at the education industry for teaching strategies that best inspire and inform owners.
The science behind our knowledge of canine cognition provides an excellent basis for maintaining the interest of dog owners in training and developing a respect for the behavioral potential of their pet. Informed owners will not entertain using unnecessarily punitive methods or equipment such as choke chains, prong collars and electric shock devices, and nor should they.
Dr. Mugford will present his philosophy of "balanced" dog training, where well-chosen and well-timed payoffs and penalties mold desirable behavioral patterns. This approach is as relevant to the basic training of juvenile dogs as it is to resolving long-established behavioral problems in adults. The objective of Dr. Mugford's training methods is that dogs become compliant, friendly and safe, whilst owners are guilt-free and proud of their pet's achievements.