Training Resources
Jodie is an animal advocate focused on providing credible resources for people and organizations about what training methods are recommended by animal behaviorists and why they make those recommendations. We don’t want you to simply take our word for it. We always encourage people to listen to the experts! At Nova Love, we follow the most up-to-date, science-based guidelines which are provided by veterinarians who are board certified in behavior.
Oftentimes, when people are looking for a dog trainer, they can be in a very vulnerable place. You may be frustrated or scared and thinking about returning or rehoming your pet. It can really impact your day-to-day life when things aren’t working out with a companion animal. It’s easy to get taken in by trainers and methods that sound like quick fixes.
But at the core of successful training is TRUST. The trust that has to be built between you and your pet, and also the trusting relationship you need to form with your trainer.
Below are just a few of the informative resources we love to share with others about how to choose the right trainer and the right training method for your furry friend!
Through the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), graduates (called Diplomates) pursue additional education beyond veterinary school to become certified behavior specialists. They’re trained to assess and treat behavior issues across the spectrum for a wide variety of animals, considering especially how their environment, life experiences, and health issues impact their behavior. Below is their one-sheet handout for clients on how to select the best trainer.
For veterinarians looking for guidelines on how to recommend a quality trainer to your clients, click this link to get expert recommendations from ACVB.
The “alpha wolf” concept and its application it dog training is widely known by most people. What most people don’t realize, however, is that it’s been scientifically disproven. The original work the theory appeared in, “The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species,” written in 1968, has been thoroughly deconstructed to the point that its author Dr. Dave Mech actually spent decades trying to get his publisher to stop printing the book because it was full of outdated information! He was finally successful in 2022. Learn more about how and why the study was off-base and why it shouldn’t be used to reinforce the validity of dominance and aggression-based dog training techniques at this link and check out the videos below:
Dr. David Mech himself discussing his famous experiment and what went wrong.
The 2012 documentary “Tough Love: A Meditation on Dominance & Dogs” features world-renowned animal behaviorists sharing personal stories of dominance training gone wrong and picking apart the falsehoods of dominance philosophy. It’s a short watch at only 36 minutes and well worth it!