Quantum Canine Episode 2 ‘No Such Thing as Dominance’ Part I

kbehan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:41:32 +0000

Kevin Behan and Trisha Selbach discuss dominance in dog training and Kevin Behan’s “Immediate Moment” theory of social organization in wolf packs. They discuss Kevin’s father’s work in training and his influence, as well as what Kevin learned from his own work training police and protection dogs.

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The discussion continues! Click here when the above video ends.

An Interview with Kevin Behan

kbehan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:57:26 +0000

Every new client asks me what I think about Cesar Millan the “Dog Whisperer.” They want to know where I might agree and where I don’t. So we had the idea that I would answer questions that were posed to Cesar in an interview he conducted and then one could draw their own distinctions.

Link to the Interview with Cesar Millan

Questions answered by Cesar Millan and then by Kevin Behan…

Q) What makes you the Dog Whisperer?
Cesar) I was raised around dogs, and I understand the way they interact socially. My ability to relate to them is really instinctual… I can see the world from the dog’s point of view.

Kevin) I was raised in the dog training and boarding business. I learned that everything dogs do is normal. I can see why dogs do what they do and how this differs from the human perspective.

Q) Do you have formal training?
Cesar) My grandfather taught me at an early age about how not to work against Mother Nature. Since then, my formal training has been to work with literally thousands of dogs. I’m a real-world behaviorist – I work with dogs every day, and my methods achieve results.

Kevin) I apprenticed under my father who was the first trainer in America to apply the “alpha pack leader” theory to the family dog. After a while, I began to see that this was a misinterpretation of the nature of canines. We were projecting our own thoughts of dominance onto the behavior of dogs and wolves.

Q) How are you different from most dog trainers?
Cesar) Most training seeks to teach dogs how to obey commands, but this has nothing to do with dog psychology or understanding how to fulfill the needs of your dog. My technique is more about rehabilitation through exercise, discipline, and affection.

Kevin) I don’t seek to control a dog’s energy. I want the energy to control the dog. Then everyone gets what they want. The dog has energy and the owner is in control.

Q) Can anyone become a Dog Whisperer?
Cesar) Probably to a certain extent. But it requires very specific skills, particularly when dealing with aggressive dogs. You must understand the dog’s pack mentality. I bring 20 years of experience to each situation. I recommend on the show that owners – especially ones with aggressive dogs – always consult a professional.

Kevin) It’s better to be a listener than a whisperer. Dogs show us all the time what they need and want. All we have to do is listen. Dogs are attracted to man and they are masters of human energy. It’s up to us to tune in to them so that we can figure out what dogs want. Then our dog will tune in to us. Anyone can learn to listen.

Q) What do you mean by “pack mentality”?
Cesar) A dog’s pack mentality is its natural way of relating to other dogs. A family unit can also be a dog’s pack. Even a single person and a dog is the dog’s pack. It is important that the human be the dominant member of the pack. This is not achieved through violence or bullying, but with calm, assertive energy. The dog isn’t threatened; it just knows its place in the pack.

Kevin) In the canine makeup, there are pack instincts and there is group energy. Typically the pack instincts get all the credit for the cooperative nature of the dog when nothing could be further from the truth. The pack instincts are the source of all dysfunction. For example, a prison community is a perfect example of a society running on pack instincts. And every time an owner sees a pack instinct in their dog, they’re likely to call a trainer or a behaviorist because it is so unsettling. On the other hand, true sociability flows from those situations when everyone can find their energy satisfied by working toward a common purpose. This is not instinctual, this is going by feel. On a winning team each player plays their heart out in a specific role in order to receive a level of gratification that is impossible to attain by singular action. There is ’subordinace’ to a group ethic and yet no submission whatsoever. This is group energy.

Q) How do you get dogs to change?
Cesar) People humanize dogs and don’t understand their psychology as pack animals. I begin by showing the dog that I am the pack leader. I fulfill the dog’s need through exercise, which is walking the dog in the correct way. I give the dog rules, boundaries, and limitations … and then affection.

Kevin) You do not change a dog. You change the way a dog deals with stress. A dysfunctional dog reacts to stress with an instinct, which is always counterproductive to living harmoniously in man’s world because instincts evolved to resist change and man’s world is a realm of ceaseless change. Whereas a functional dog is able to turn stress into information because he can feel energized, rather than threatened, by change. So when a dog is emotionally energized rather than instinctually triggered by change, the dog is “changed”.

Q) What is the most common mistake people make with dogs?
Cesar) They don’t establish a leadership role. Almost all dog problems come from two things: lack of exercise and lack of leadership. Additionally, especially in America, owners tend to give affection, affection, and more affection, when what the dog really needs is exercise, discipline… and then affection.

Kevin) The number one problem is what I call “attention surplus disorder”. Owners give their dog attention as a way of expressing affection. But then the dog learns that it has to be the center-of-attention in order to feel connected to its family. As a consequence, it perceives things that divert the owner’s attention from them as threats.

True sociability arises from a passion-in-common, and the typical dog owner doesn’t understand canine passion. Dogs are group hunters. By working together as a team, each member of the group learns to be obedient to the ways of the prey. So when dog and owner agree on what is the prey, (and dogs are infinitely malleable as to what constitutes “the prey”) they are able to live in absolute harmony.

Q) What is the most important thing to do for your dog?
Cesar) Take your dog on a 45-minute power walk every morning. BUT, you must use the proper method in walking your dog – when leaving the house, make sure you always walk out the door ahead of your dog to demonstrate who is the leader, and make sure the dog is not in front of you on the walk.

Kevin) One must teach their dog that it can give their owner its energy. This is the basis of trust. If a dog can express its full energy toward its owner and this makes the owner happy, then they can live together as a group. In a group, every member does what it most wants so that every member gets what it wants most. The most important thing an owner can do for a dog is to understand what a dog wants.

Q) What dogs make the best family pets?
Cesar) Find a dog that fits your lifestyle. Active breeds like hunting dogs and herding dogs require more physical challenges to stay physically and mentally content. It is important to match a dog’s energy to your lifestyle before making a choice.

Kevin) Any breed of dog can make a great family pet. But don’t get a dog to make you look good, choose a dog that makes you feel good. The key is to be true to what you truly want.

Natural Dog Training » pack

Quantum Canine Episode 2 ‘No Such Thing as Dominance’ Part I

An Interview with Kevin Behan