Tereza Vajner on trends in dog training

It's of course good to first think about the ambitions that the dog owner has with the dog. Not everyone wants to do sports cynology with their pet. However, every dog should go through basic training. We asked Tereza Vajner about new tricks to get a dog under control regardless of the training level.

Can we talk about new trends in terms of dog training? 

I don't think that any new pioneering method has emerged recently. What was confirmed in the twentieth century still works today. I'm referring to behaviourism and the methodology of positive reinforcement training. I'm not sure whether we can talk about trends in this context but it's true that the approach of positive reinforcement training is now spreading into all training areas. For example, in the case of obedience, I think that we've been going this way for quite a long time but sports cynology has only started using positive reinforcement in the last few years.

What changes can you see in Czech cynology?

In Czech cynology, the training is becoming more and more about the dog finding things out for himself and mastering them voluntarily. This is done so that the dog can remember everything better. I have a feeling that the word punishment is starting to become a tabu in the current cynology dictionary. It is being replaced by the phrase 'negative reinforcement'. But I think that a correctly used and timed 'punishment' can be very beneficial. For my dog, for example, punishment is for me to ignore him. What I class to be important, and that's where the difference is, is that after a punishment, I reinforce the dog's specific behaviour which I required from him by praising him, giving him a treat or by playing with a toy, therefore by positively reinforcing it. 

How has dog behaviour been influenced by modern technology?

It seems to me that technological gadgets tend to work more like support or rescue when the dog isn't trained properly or is difficult to get completely under control. GPS locators or training collars are of course tools that can also be used for training but more often I see people using them to gain more confidence out on a walk when the dog doesn't fully react to being called. 

I'm now going to move away from technological miracles but for me, the best cutting-edge device is still the clicker. Even though it's now widely spread and therefore it's no breakthrough, I do think that the market hasn't seen anything better yet. The timing of the click needs practice as well. It's recommended to combine the click with something nice, a treat or praise. This is the same principle of trained conditioning as with the Pavlovian theory where the reward is usually in the form of a treat or praise.  What's great is that the training can be done at a long distance because the dog can see your clicking. You can use it to split more difficult tricks into more phases. I still see a lot of potential in that.

How did the Covid-19 pandemic change dog training 

I've noticed that on-line training sessions are still very popular on social media and aren't declining. Personally, I have no experience with this, I've never attended one and have no plans to organise anything like it. I'm a little sceptical about it and do not believe that it can fully replace classic training. I feel that, logically, it's too general and you as a trainer can't ever be certain how a certain dog reacts to something and what he comes up with. I always approach dogs individually and am convinced that it's important to start socialising them from when they're puppies, which is another thing that cannot be done on-line.