The History of Dog Training
The History of Dog Training Written By the Tulsa Dog Trainers At Make Your Dog Epic
Dog training is a form of animal training which utilizes various antecedents (triggers that cause behavioral reactions), rewards and consequences to adjust the (would be) natural before of your canine (dog). Dog training is often provided to teach dogs how to perform unique and specific activities or to help your dog better adjust to live amidst modern domestic life. This process is known as domesticating a dog. While most scholars believe that dog training itself dates all the way back to Roman times, the concept of training your dog to be your personal companion and man’s best friend in a suburban setting surprisingly dates back to just the 1950s.
Your dog will learn from various inputs and interactions that it has with the people, and the various elements of the environment that you surround the dog with. This is often referred to in the Tulsa dog training community as “classical conditioning” where your dog begins to form specific associations between two stimuli, non-associative learning), this is where your dogs behavior is then adjusted and ultimately modified through a process known as habituation, sensitization or operant conditioning, where your dog actually begins to form an association between the antecedents and the consequences.
Most Tulsa dogs today are trained using what are known as reward-based methods, this is often referred to as positive reinforcement. Other accepted and effective Tulsa dog training methods include what is known as clicker training, model-rival training and relationship-based training. Tulsa has become known by many experts as one of the world’s premier destinations for dog training.
Before the Year 1900
Around 127-116, B.C. a legendary Roman Farmer by the name of Marcus Varro actually invested the time needed to record his advice on dog training, raising puppies and how to herd livestock. When word of his proven methods got around the Roman community quickly began implementing his proven methods and systems for dog training. The early writings of Marcus Varro show that his training and methods were well developed and could be used to provide dog training for specific tasks.
Shockingly big advancements in the dog training world occurred again in 1848 when the legend of dog training W.N. Hutchinson published his game-changing book, Dog Breaking: The Most Expeditious, Certain and Easy Method, Whether Great Excellence or Only Mediocrity Be Required, With Odds and Ends for Those Who Love the Dog and the Gun. His book was written to primarily focus on training dogs that would be used as hunting dogs such as pointers and setters. His book actually advocates for a form of reward-based training, and at one point he comments, “a strong arm and a hard heart to punish, but no temper and no head to instruct” and writing “Be to his virtues ever kind. Be to his faults a little blind.” Another legendary author by the name of Stephen Hammond, who at the time was a writer for Forest and Stream magazine wrote a glowing review his 1882 literary masterpiece of dog training title, Practical Training. This book encouraged the method of praising dogs and rewarding them with meat as the ultimate reward for demonstrating great dog training behavior.
The War Years And the Evolution of Dog Training
Konrad Most’s work began to be recognized worldwide and he was hired by the Germans to teach their police dogs. Konrad Most was actually appointed as the principal of the State Breeding and Training Establishment for police dogs in Berlin where he worked tirelessly to carry out his original research into the most effective ways to train gods in a wide-variety of service tasks. When the war began in 1914 he was charged by the government with organizing, gathering and mentoring others as to how dogs could best be used for the war effort. Konrad went on to head the Experimental Institute for Armed Forces’ Dogs during the second World War and therefore we have reason to be concerned that Konrad may have not been on “our team” during World War II.
21st Century Dog Training
The 21st century has brought us a massive increase in the amount of dog training services provided throughout the civilized world. The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, the APDT, BC SPCA in Canada, and Dogs Trust in the United Kingdom now really put their focus on reward-based training however the world has also seen a massive increase in the use of operant conditioning. Operant Conditioning and dog training is a form of dog training in which the dogs actual behavior can be modified by both the use of rewards and consequences. However, at the core of this divisive issue within the dog training space there exists a discussion that needs to be had.
Countless case studies have demonstrated that there are two primary ways in which behavior is either encouraged, reinforced or strengthened: First there is positive reinforcement which occurs when a behavior is strengthened and encouraged by producing or providing a positive consequence for the desired behavior. Inversely, to weaken a behavior you must reinforce the undesired behavior with a consequence. At the end of the day and at the bottom of this page dog training can be summed up as follows: “Reinforcement increases the relative probability or frequency of the behavior it follows, while punishment decreases the relative probability or frequency of the behavior it follows.”
We started Make Your Dog Epic Tulsa dog training with the primary objective and goal of allowing you to no longer be held hostage by your dog. If your dog will not stop jumping on you, running away, pooping in your shower, chasing your cat, barking at your neighbors and eating items out of your trash we recognize that your quality of life will go down dramatically. Thus, to help you improve the quality of your life and to help your dog to truly become your best friend we have committed ourselves to implementing our game-changing philosophy known as B.O.O.M.
What Is the B.O.O.M. Training Method
- Big expectations
- Overwhelming encouragement
- Optimistic and consistent feedback
- More repetition until mastery occurs
However, we want you to be able to try it before you buy it and to be able to experience first hand the incredible Tulsa dog training skills that we bring to the table so here is our offer, our pitch and our no-brainer offer. Your first dog training session with Make Your Dog Epic Tulsa dog training is just 50 cents. If you are impressed with the results that we deliver during our first dog training lesson, the we have a variety of packages available that we have designed for great people like you to fit your and we even have some scholarships available for families in need.
Is Your Dog a Good Fit for Our Tulsa Dog Training Program?
- We work with dogs that started out as cute puppies that are now holding your hostage.
- We work with dogs that won’t stop barking.
- We work with dogs that won’t stop running away.
- We work with dogs that won’t stop jumping on you.
- We work with dogs that won’t stop attempting to bite you.
- We work with dogs that love pooping in your house.
- We work with dogs that love jumping on your dinner table.
- We work with dogs that love drinking out of your toilet.
- We work with dogs that love to chase your cat around the house.
- We work with dogs that keep eating your shoes.
- We work with dogs that love to fight with other dogs.
- We work with dogs that have boundless energy.