The strong relationship between men and dogs goes back deep into the history of civilization. When society depended on hunting to survive, they quickly realized that by teaming up with dogs both species prospered. The working relationship between the two was truly a partnership, which resulted in a natural understanding between man and dog as they worked closely together. As a result, when dogs underwent training, it was as much about helping the each to understand the other as it was about improving his ability to perform.
Ancient art that has been found in the form of murals, pottery or wall etchings showing that dogs have been companions and servants of humans since the beginning of time. That means that even our ancient ancestors used canine to help them with the important jobs of hunting and protection. The relationship was symbiotic as both learned to work together to hunt and fight off enemies. The natural intuition of dogs to read body language is what made them such valuable assets to families many centuries ago.
Since times of antiquity, dogs clearly occupied an important role in the operation of human society. Domestic dogs became invaluable for protection of humans and of flocks of sheep or other livestock. But as primitive civilization learned how adaptable dogs were to specialized tasks, they became integrated more and more into agricultural and military settings.
The old breed of Anatolian sheep dogs were finding important uses in Turkey helping shepherds keep flocks of stubborn sheep together and protecting them from predators. The use of dogs for herding and protecting domestic livestock has spread around the globe. The art of managing sheep and other livestock by dogs is such a beautiful thing to behold that it has become a part of dog shows where highly refined animals win prizes showing off those skills that came to them from their instincts, breeding and good training.
As far back as the Roman Empire, dogs took on important roles in military and police operations. In fact, the Romans trained "battle ready" battalions that were made up of dogs exclusively. In World War I, dogs were used to guard military installations, to deliver messages, to provide protection for important military secrets or to contain prisoners of war. In Belgium, strong dogs like the Bouvier des Flandres were even used to help transport heavy military equipment to the front. Dogs performed many military duties including helping out as battle messengers, scouts, mine finders and with tracking.
But military work and surveillance were are just a few of the many talents dogs had that have helped out down through history. Pictures and remains from the first century AD all through the middle age showing dogs leading a blind person. 1788 see the first training facility for eye seeing dogs at les "Quatre Vingts", hospital for the blinds in Paris France. Today service dogs are also train to help people with disabilities, for recovery therapy as well epilepsy, autism and cancer detection.
Through every age in history and in virtually every important function in society, dogs had jobs to do and worked side by side with their human counterparts for hunting, herding and protection using their natural abilities to assist humans. Dog training has always geared towards such work related roles. But as man and dog have worked together side by side, dogs also began to take up a routine role in the home either as protector or as friend.
As technology developed, the need for working dogs diminished. But dogs remained part of our lives as companion and pets. Humans more and more learned to enjoy the company of domestic dogs, which developed into the concept of dog as friend and family member rather than having a dog primarily for its work value.
In the 1970s and the 1980s, the interest in dog training exploded and with it the development of a vast array of training methods. Maybe because of the long history of using dogs in military or police situations, training techniques that used choker chains, harsh words or even sharp taps to the nose to correct a dog were mainstream and still in vogue. The theory was that dogs learned under the pack mentality so they needed to see their primary trainer as the alpha dog which meant physical domination was a must.
In the 90's people's thinking evolved. Animal behaviorists and many people heralded dog training techniques that put more emphasis on positive reinforcement rather than negative. Dog psychology and behavior specialists started developing different theories of dog training. What animal experts learned was that dogs were highly intuitive and intelligent and that they were able to learn to live within human behavioral guidelines and social expectations. The circumstances where dogs performed at their best in a home situation were ones where the owners also learned the way dogs learned and processed information as well. When that mutual understanding is achieved, positive reinforcement training becomes a form of communication between the man and dog that bridges language differences and deepens the bond between animal and human.
As this new phase of dog training began to take hold, many people began marketing their dog training courses and classes. Dog training experts such as Karen Prior with the clicker training method, Ian Dunbar and later Cesar Millan started classes geared at not just the dog but educating the human as well.
It is easy to see that dog training is a discipline that has grown and evolved as society has changed. While how we use dogs has developed with the changes in culture, dogs continue to enjoy a privileged place in the lives of millions. And because so many families love their dogs with the same intimacy reserved for family members, good dog training has become even easier to access. Then Internet has made quality teaching on dog training available at our fingertips. You can now train your dog at home and benefit from the knowledge of experts from the comfort of your living room.
Dogs have become close friends, confidants and comforters for their owners and for literally millions of families. The use of dogs for work, for hunting, as workers and even in military and police situations has continued to be just as important as it ever was any time down through history. The role of dogs in helping the blind and medical recovery is even better understood as it was when dogs took on those jobs so many years ago. And because dogs are so tremendously trainable, it is certain they will continue to enjoy a privileged status in people's lives for many years to come.
About the author: Catherine Potin is a dog lover and learned a lot about canine behavior and language through her own dog and the many dogs that entered her life. Happy Dog Connections offers dog training tips and resources from various experts so you to can understand your pooch better. From basic dog training to solving behavior issues, you will find solutions to get better result with your training and create a deeper bond with you dog.
