In dog training the idea of power has been used and misused so many times that even dog trainers, animal behaviors and scientists get confused at times with what is power and what is the natural order of things. But if you sit back and try to understand what power really achieves and what it doesn't then you can make some better choices on how to train your dog.
The first thing that must be realized is that in the end each human, each creature, each living thing has the power to control it's own body/destiny. There are of course so many factors that go into choice but in the end the reaction that a being takes is it's own. By understanding that although we use such words as "owning a dog" or "commands for a dog" the dog has a choice in the end to listen to us or not. Now please understand me that choice doesn't always mean rational or survival of the decision. A slave can finally decide to choose to walk away. Now in that moment of choice the slave is finally taking on it's ability to have control of it's life. That decision will probably also precipitate the death of the slave but in the act of the slave choosing to walk away the slave takes the power away from the owner and back to himself.
In the end there was nothing the owner could do to have power over that slave.
Realize first that your dog ALWAYS has a choice to make. Realize as well that you can guide your dog towards one decision or another but you will never be able to make that decision for your dog. The final decision is the dog's decision. Upon realizing that you do not own or control or have power over your dog you will also realize that the method of forcing a dog to make decisions about sitting, coming, laying down, not biting are all acts in futility. Just as a battered wife eventually turns and kills her husband so will a dog eventually lash out at you. He may try to run away at first but if you always limit your dog's choice to obey or be hit/shocked etc you are in the end limiting the dog's ability to choose anything except to fight back.
The joy of understanding the new methods of reinforcement training is that we never start with the goal of power over the dog. We start with the knowledge that the dog doesn't know what we want from his behavior but he does have the ability to learn. By using a majority of positive reinforcement concepts with only minimal punishment we encourage a dog to enjoy the act of listening and learning from us. Upon this the dog will actually learn much more quickly then by threatening body harm to achieve our goals of sitting, laying down and coming. When choosing your next trainer or training book think about what you are really trying to do with your dog.
Are you trying to force power and control over something that you never can have control over?
or
Are you trying to create a communication bond between two different species that will help both of you understand your customs and behaviors better therefore making both of you able to live together more peacefully?
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