# Training myths?



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I am the web master for one of my training clubs. We're working on a Dog FAQ page. I want to gather a bunch of myths or misconceptions about training and turn those into questions or statements we will refute. For example, one myth is that an older dog can't learn new tricks, so a statement would be something like "My dog is older and we never did much, if any, training. I don't think I can train him now." Then there would be a short blurb about how ANY dog is trainable, bla bla bla.

If you know of any good myths, stereotypes, questions, misconceptions, etc. please share them so we can include them in our list!


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

The myth that an older dog won't bond well to a new family or can't be trained is a good one.

I'm also constantly frustrated with the myth that a work/sport dog can't also be a companion/house dog, and needs to be deprived of attention in order to "build drive" so it's willing to perform well.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Using treats or toys to train is "bribing" the dog and it will never perform without a "bribe".


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

1. That dogs who bark at strangers/other dogs are necessarily being "protective."
- addendum to #1 - that socializing a dog will make it less protective
2. That dogs who don't learn something quickly are being "stubborn" (much more likely to be poor handling/communication)
3. Pretty much anything related to dominance is widely misunderstood
4. That the owner needs to use alpha rolls to let their dog know they're the boss (see #3)


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Pinch collars are an evil, "torture device". Maybe not those exact words, but many folks feel that way if they don't know the FACTS. They feel that a "choke chain" is much better.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Good ones, keep 'em coming! We will also have some FAQ about breeding, rescue, etc. Even though we are a training club we get a LOT of cold calls like "where can I buy a golden?" "do you know of GSD stud dogs for my bitch?" etc.


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

that their brains will outgrow their skull, making them insane and turning on their masters......


Pit Bulls jaws will lock....


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

-Feeding your dog raw meat will make it "vicious."

-Dogs can be punished for what they did in the past because they'll remember (coming home to see a chewed shoe)

-Rubbing your dog's in its mess teaches it to not potty in the house.

-The dog doesn't "get it" because it's dumb (in reality, 99.9% of training problems are due to the handler)

-E-collars are bad

-One obedience class ought to be enough

-My dog has X title and because of that it should be bred

-Playing tug-of-war is bad.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Good ones Diana! 

And Lies, if you want some rescue ones, the two biggest I deal with (beyond what's already been mentioned about bonding and training adult dogs) are:
- I can't rescue a dog because I want a purebred and
- I can't rescue a dog because I want a puppy

As we all know there are lots of purebreds and puppies available via rescue.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks pupresq. Whoops, meant to say "rubbing your dog's NOSE in its mess..." brain fart!

Great suggestions by all.







Lies, you'll have a VERY long FAQ page.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

The sloped topline (of American showline GSDs) means bad hips.
Straight toplines mean good hips.
Puppies with big paws will be big (tall) dogs.
A dog can't pull in a Halti/GentleLeader/no-pull harness.
You need to let a female have at least one litter.
Positive-only methods are safe for every dog.
Eating a raw chicken bone will kill a dog.
Dogs doing Schutzhund become aggressive/a danger to the public.
Showline dogs can't have real jobs, nerves are always too weak.
Black GSDs are part lab.
Sable GSDs are part wolf.


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## jesusica (Jan 13, 2006)

Crates are inhumane.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks guys! I think I've got a solid list for starters. I've decided not to get into all the breed myths/stereotyps. This is an all-breed club so I'm trying to keep it general. I'm going with the myth/statement idea rather than FAQ/questions b/c it's easier to word them this way. I've broken it into Training & Behavior (b/c many overlap), and Obtaining a Dog & Breeding (also some overlap). Some of the statements are paired b/c the explanations go together (like "prongs are cruel"/"choke chains are best").

Training & Behavior

“My puppy is very young, I should wait until he matures before we start training.”

“My dog is old. I don’t think he can start training now or learn new tricks.”

“Using treats is like bribing a dog.” Or, “Using treats means a dog will never be able to perform a command without a reward.”

“Prong collars are torture devices.” And/or, “Choke chains are the easiest way to control and train a dog.”

“If I socialize my dog he will not protect me.” And likewise, “If my dog is in Schutzhund or protection training, he cannot be trusted around other people.”

“Crating is cruel.”

“It’s not a good idea to play tug games with your dog.”

“I’ve tried training but my dog just doesn’t get it, he is too stubborn and cannot be trained.”

“Our dog is just a pet, one basic obedience class is enough.”

“I should alpha roll my dog to make sure he sees me as the leader.”

“My dog is very dominant and protective.”

“Feeding dogs a raw diet makes them bloodthirsty.”

“My dog pees in my house to spite me.”

“The best way to potty train is to rub the puppy’s nose in his mess.”

“Dog should be punished for doing bad things like peeing in the house or chewing my shoes.”


Obtaining a Dog & Breeding

“A dog with ‘papers’ and ‘champion bloodline’ parents is from a reputable breeder.”

“My dog is so friendly and nice, I think I should breed her.” Or, “I got a title on my dog so I can breed him.”

“I’m getting a dog from a breeder but I don’t care about titles or certificates because we just want a nice pet.”

“I want to go to a breeder rather than a shelter or rescue because I want a puppy.”

“I want to go to a breeder because I want a purebred.”

“I want a puppy so it will bond with our family.”


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## luanne (May 27, 2004)

GSD's eat small children. 

ha ha ha

Someone said this to me once: "My dog is so hyper that I am thinking about letting her have a litter of pups so it will settle her down." The dog is a 1 year old lab. 

Lu


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## Karla_Calderon (May 15, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Chris WildThe myth that an older dog won't bond well to a new family or can't be trained is a good one.


Definitely a good one. I once had a potential puppy buyer that wanted her puppy at 5 weeks so that they could really bond. She was very concerned with bonding. I was flabergasted to say the least. I lied and said we had a state law that puppies could not leave until at least 8 weeks - and with tattooing and vaccinations - most likely will not be ready until 8.5 to 9 weeks! She did not get a puppy!

Could add the myth of - "my puppy had its {one} shot so its vaccinated...." - not necessarily so!


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Ah - how about 

I just want one litter because 1. kids can see miracle of birth, 2. my dog is great and everyone wants one just like her, 3. dogs should have a litter before being spayed

Lee


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## Karla_Calderon (May 15, 2005)

How about an FAQ on health and nutrition?

Like the "My vet can tell when a dog has hip dysplasia by the way he walks"

or

"Panno means hip dysplasia"

etc...


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

There are so many misconceptions when one thinks about it, it is scary!

How about: People who believe that shelter dogs are in given up because there is something wrong with them, and so cannot make good pets (usually, the one thing wrong with them is that they ended up in the wrong home to start with). 

And a puppy that isn't disciplined for nipping will grow up to be a biter.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Another for rescue!

"I don't want to rescue an adult dog because it would have been dumped for a reason and I'd have to deal with huge problems."

I have seen GREAT dogs in shelters because the owners died or were killed or who knows what reason. I remember one rottie that was the sweetest, most awesome dog ever; he was competition obedience trained and clearly was a star companion.

Great list, Lies!


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

all dogs to respond to positive reinforcement only. Paige scoffed at that theory.
prong collars are mean-took me awhile to learn that one and now I recommend them


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## Sarah'sSita (Oct 27, 2001)

You can't train your dog over the internet. Get your dog Go out and train it.


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## new_wind (Oct 24, 2008)

I was reading all this info and is great, but I couldn’t avoid thinking about all those Myths, A myth is a Myth until a serious study with reference is presented, it would be a lot better if you link some information or reference about it, reliable sources destroy myths.

I mean if the main idea is to kill the myth.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

This is just an FAQ for the average dog owner, not a thesis paper.







I know there are lots of information out there from credible sources on most, if not all of these topics. I just don't know if there were any published studies akin to true science experiments. These are myths busted by people in the dog fancy for years who have learned through trial and error or by people in the fields of psychology and behavior.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

Since this is for a general training club and not breed specific, how about something along the lines of:

"Chows/akitas/huskies/hounds/terriers etc. can't be trained because they're "non-obedience" breeds".

I hear that all the time. Just not true! *L*

If you put in things about training collars, I would really encourage you to also mention that these collars should be used only when a person is shown how to use them properly, and that they are a tool to work through behavioral problems and not necessarily for long-term management. I can see you getting into trouble at some point because someone uses a highly corrective collar inappropriately, the dog gets messed up and they say "but you said on your website that these collars were okay!".

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Anything that mentions specific tools or methods will be framed based on what the club promotes and how the trainers train (which is generally "come to class or get a free one-on-one and we will assess you and the dog and make a recommendation on which class to join and/or which tool to try").


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

All dogs are good with children

People with small children should get a young puppy so child & pup can grow up together.

Dogs can just naturally tell good guys from crooks.

Obedience training a dog will destroy its spirit.

Dogs can naturally live outside regardless of how cold (or hot) it is (& regardless of breed or size!).

A dog can revert to a wild beast at any time & without warning.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

I hope there are no trick questions, LOL!

Not!

Not necessarily so.

I thought so but found out differently.

Depends on the trainer and the training methods.

No.

Yes.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: RubyTuesdayAll dogs are good with children
> 
> People with small children should get a young puppy so child & pup can grow up together. <span style="color: #FF0000">No, unless they know exactly what they are getting into with a dog and realize that it is a full-time job with both child and kid...No..</span>
> 
> ...


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

If you use food to train the dog will be begging all the time ( I just did read it in a book )


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

This is debatable, but I believe that to some degree, the dominance theory is a myth. Not completely, but I think that the term "dominance" is often mis-applied and misunderstood.
I mean, by the reasoning of the dominance theory, our dogs are trying to take over if they just walk through the door before we do.
















Here's an article on it:
http://www.showdogs.co.za/articles/wag_the_dog/dominance.htm

ETA:
Oh yes, and I can't count how many times I've heard of people giving up on rewarding the dog with food because "now he never listens unless I have a treat".








The easy solution to this is to fade out the treat until you only reward with a treat once in a while.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Sorry,<*blush*>...the statements in my post were intended as _myths_, not *truths*. Not one of them is 'always' true. Most aren't even usually true. 

Cookie, I agree that dominance is poorly understood by most people. Too often it's a catchall explanation for every problem & situation that arises with dogs. Worse, the 'show 'em who's boss' philosophy has the potential for disaster & is no better understood.


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## Fafhrd (Dec 3, 2008)

A myth that I still sometimes hear from "experts" is that dogs can't understand words, only tone of voice.


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