Private Dog Training &
Specialized Dog Walking
Passionate. Professional. Positive.
No Pain. No fear. No intimidation.
Just science & love for the human-dog bond.
Read through this page if you want to learn more about how the science of dog training goes paw-in-paw with ethics in dog training.
Like us, dogs learn best when they feel safe and supported.
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Scientific data continues to suggest that positive reinforcement is the safest and most effective method of training, having the least amount of risk of physical maiming and long-term emotional fallout.
Perky Pet only uses tools and methods rooted in science, that are not only the most humane, but are also the best option for implementing and sustaining positive long term behavioral changes.
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Dog trainers that follow the science, follow the ethics.
FUN FACT:
The same scientist who theorized the "Alpha Theory" debunked it a few years later.
Dogs are not wolves.
But even if we did apply wolf biology to dogs and therefore to dog training... the "alpha wolf" does not exist and has no place in our considerations or methodologies (NO alpha rolling, NO intimidation, NO cruel punishments intended to make human status as the "alpha" "understood" by our canine family members).
Biologist L. David Mech wrote of the "alpha wolf" nomenclature in his 1970 book on wolf biology, The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. But as new research has come to light, he has made a point of pushing back against the term, now known to be incorrect and not accurately representing natural wolf relationships and hierarchies.
Mech is so passionate about spreading the updated science which rejects "alpha theory", that after a years-long effort, Mech finally got The Wolf taken out of print in 2022. ​​
Dogs DO experience dominance...
but not in the ways people think.
Dominance in dogs is NOT a personality trait.
Dominance is a social relationship that is instinctual based on who has priority access to what resource. Dominant behaviors are situational, individual, and dynamic.
The American Veterinary Society
of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) "recommends that veterinarians not refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent
confrontational training that follows from it...
the AVSAB emphasizes that animal training, behavior prevention strategies,
and behavior modification programs should
follow the scientifically based guidelines of
positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, desensitization,
and counter conditioning."
Even military, police, & protection K9s are being trained WITHOUT harsh tools and methods.
Many military, police, and protection K9s in many parts of the world (incl. Phoenix, Seattle, the UK, Switzerland, Canada...) are trained without the use of aversive tools and techniques. In the UK, prong and shock collars are banned due to their unnecessarily cruel nature.
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If hardcore working dogs doing some of the most dangerous jobs in the world can be trained using only positive reinforcement, WITHOUT punishment, WITHOUT pain, WITHOUT intimidation, and WITHOUT cruelty... then how could any trainer possibly argue that your family pet "needs" harsh tools and techniques in order to learn?
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Link to an article about some of the K9 handlers pioneering positive training.
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Link to a Facebook video showcasing intense police K9s trained using only R+ methods.
Positive training gets all of the success with none of the fallout.
Dogs are loving, sentient beings that deserve our mutual respect, compassion, and consideration.
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Dogs that feel safe and supported are more likely to sustain their positive behavioral changes, whereas dogs that feel intimidated, fearful, or painful at the hands of their human handlers are more likely to show aggression in the future.
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"The use of positive punishment or negative reinforcement based training methods was associated with increased chance of aggression to family and unfamiliar people outside the house." -Link to an study on factors that contribute to increased cases of dog aggression.
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"Aversive-based training methods, especially if used in high proportions, compromise the welfare of companion dogs both within and outside the training context." -Link to a study on the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare.
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​"Positive reinforcement carries less risk of negative unintended outcomes." -Link to an article on the effects of aversive training methods on dogs.
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The Association for Professional Dog Trainers' official position statement:
There are no training or behavior cases which justify the use of intentional aversive punishment-based interventions in any form of training ranging from general obedience and tricks to dealing with severe behavior problems.
No dog, animal or human being thrives when they are living under threat, when they are fearful, or when they are in pain.
- Victoria Stilwell, world-renowned dog trainer, bestselling author, and leading voice in the field of animal behavior as founder of both the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior and Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training, leaders in dog trainer education and licensing.