Training

In this spirit, we strongly support and encourage our adopters to pursue training with their dogs, both immediately after adoption and throughout their lives.

Training is required for all puppies under the age of 6 months. Potential adopters are asked to submit proof of registration for a rescue vetted and approved puppy class prior to adoption.

PittieLove Rescue supports the use of only the most modern, humane, and science-based training methods. Evidence shows that teaching dogs through a positive reinforcement-based approach is more effective, more humane, and helps create happy and well-adjusted companions.

We are especially invested in dispelling stigma surrounding pit bull type dogs and the long-standing myth that they require a heavier hand in training. All dogs learn the same and all dogs benefit from training that’s centered on motivating them and teaching them how to be successful in our world.

Outdated training methods and tools that cause pain and elicit fear have been well documented to pose risks and cause harmful behavioral side effects including increased aggression, fear, and anxiety. PittieLove Rescue does not support the use of aversion training methods or tools including prong collars, choke collars, e-collars, bark collars, electric fences and pet containment systems, and other aversions that rely on scaring, startling, or hurting dogs as a way to change their behavior.

For more information, please see the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) position statements on:

Humane Dog Training
The Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification with Animals
Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals
How to Choose a Trainer

To find a reputable trainer or behavior professional in your area, please use the following directories:

Pet Professional Guild
Karen Pryor Academy
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
The Academy for Dog Trainers

Your dog is not lying to you. When your dog is showing you with their behavior and body language that something feels difficult or stressful, they’re telling the truth.

Control tools that suppress those signals but do nothing to address the underlying emotion and function of the behavior negatively impact dogs’ welfare and decrease their quality of life.

When we frame compulsion tools (e.g prong collars, e-collars, etc.) as “the only” way we could have gotten our dogs to do certain things, go to certain places, be around certain people or animals, or exist in certain environments, we could benefit from a mindset shift.

Here’s what I mean: anytime we set goals for our dogs we should do so that after considering the dog in front of us carefully, including their preferences, needs, and abilities.

A dog who gets into frequent scuffles at the dog park is not helped by being brought to the said dog park but with the aid of an e-collar.

A dog who is stressed and unable to settle in a busy place is not helped by being brought to that place and given a steady stream of corrections to keep a down stay.

A dog who doesn’t like having people invade their space is not helped by being forcibly pet by people while muzzled and equipped with some aversive neck tool.

What we should be asking ourselves is, what can I do to meet this dog where they are today and how can I better understand which long term goals will be conducive to their emotional and behavioral wellbeing?

Not every dog needs to go to the dog park, or a brewery, or a kids’ soccer game, or your job, or your party, or be off leash. Not every dog enjoys being touched, pet, or otherwise surrounded by people and other dogs.

We can and should work to expand our dogs’ comfort in the world so that we can live joyful and rewarding lives together. But setting goals for our dogs that center our needs over theirs will not lead to better outcomes.

Forcing dogs into situations they can’t handle with the help of aversive tools doesn’t expand their world. It makes their world, and by extension us as their guardians, far less safe and predictable

Courtesy of:

Jenny Efimova, KPA CTP

@dogminded