Modern dog training recognizes that efficacy is simply not enough; ethics in dog training is equally, if not more, important. A big part of being an ethical trainer is learning how to understand the animal’s point of view. Whereas using body language to gauge comfort is one method, directly asking the animal about its preference and choice using established behavioral methods is potentially more robust. In this talk, we will define “preference” and “choice” and go through methods that behavioral scientists use to empirically ask questions from non-verbal animals. We will strive to adjust these methods for the dog training practitioner.
Slides for this presentation can be found at https://www.pathlms.com/apdt/courses/14521