Solved or Suppressed? How Do You Tell?

This is a follow up blog from my last one "Why Quick Fixes Rarely Are". I thought I'd explain how you can tell if a behaviour has been suppressed or whether a problem has really been solved/improved. I also should clarify that the term "unskilled trainer" is not meant in a derogatory way but because dog training is unregulated there's no requirement for qualifications or licencing; if there were, then maybe "apprentice" would be more accurate.  But I need to differentiate between those who are educated, knowledgeable and experienced, and those who are still learning and don’t have a great depth of knowledge.  Unskilled could also apply to someone who has made a choice not to educate themselves because they don't feel it’s necessary!

I'll use the typical example of "before and after" videos frequently posted by trainers on social media as that's what most people will be familiar with. The answer to "suppressed or solved" comes from both the dog and the trainer.

A dog's body language doesn't lie; they give so much information about how they feel which in turn tells us what's gone on between the videos. There are certainly grey areas but a simple summary of options for a dog's response in this situation can be:

• Genuinely happy/relaxed/comfortable
• Uneasy/stressed
• Shut down

A basic skill for a professional trainer is an ability to notice, read and correctly interpret a dog's body language. Because without that skill communication is one way only. Without that skill the communication goes from the human to the dog only. Without reading a dog's body language and observing their behaviour, all information the dog is giving back is hitting a brick wall.  If the dog's half of the picture isn't taken into account, you're only getting half the story; a story telling you what the trainer wants you to hear and see; unless you know better; I want you to be one of those who do know better, because until more people do, this cycle won't end.

Imagine if you are having a complex or difficult conversation with someone close to you. Imagine if you were unable to read that person's response or understanding of what you were saying. We all know how subtle signals (verbal and visual) speak volumes. That's what's happening with dogs whose trainer doesn't have the skills to receive the feedback. Communication must be two ways otherwise how can you say learning has occurred? Remember suppressing behaviour is easy and suppression is not learning.

With before and after videos posted by unskilled trainers, often the narrative and the vision don't match, kind of like a badly dubbed foreign movie; what you hear and what you see don't go together.  I've watched videos that are literally spine chilling, I've truly felt a shiver down my spine.

How does the trainer tell us what's gone on? That's a little more complex to determine, I won't expand on it too much. Suffice to say the language and terminology they use, and the tone of their narrative are extremely revealing.

If you want to learn about dog body language here is just one resource to check out - https://www.doggiedrawings.net/freeposters . For educated trainers and owners it's immediately obvious how the dog is feeling and how they've responded to the training when viewing videos. If the dog is showing signs of stress or has shut down that tells us the behaviour is suppressed (remember the covered car warning light from last blog)?  If their body language is happy and relaxed that tells us the behaviour has been genuinely improved.

Question everything. Don't take things on face value. Educate yourself so that you can do the best for your dog.