Values Based Dog Training
Dog Training is a Mutually Diverse, Deep Conversation.
By Sherry Clark
www.brainydog.com
Edited July 4 2025
A life-enhancing brain challenge for dog trainers to increase kindness, by filtering dog training exercises through a set of values.
Preface:
The following dynamic article is a thought experiment for dog trainers.
We, dog trainers, have an opportunity to promote meaningful language with clients. A language of essential values that support well-being and happiness in dogs and humans.
My intention is to show respect for each trainer's expertise and create curiosity about exercises other than our standards. I invite discussion.
The ideas presented here are my own, and although the theories are supported by science, the evidence will be internal to each trainer.
Summary:
I'm suggesting that we dog trainers and teachers take the lead in practicing an enriching, neutral language. The idea is to support what we already know about dogs, but is hard to describe through the language of traditional science.
Enriching - as a way to strengthen the neural pathways that make life better for trainers, clients, and dogs.
The results may focus on why we chose to work with dogs and whether our chosen exercises align with that purpose.
Neutral - as a collaborative, non-competitive way to exchange ideas.
Context:
Approaches vary significantly concerning the most effective and appropriate dog training exercises.
Challenge:
A challenge with dog training language, as I see it, is that our multiple perspectives, definitions, and beliefs are catalysts for misunderstanding between trainers, clients, and dogs.
Perspectives are from:
-
Families with dogs, who seek to increase the well-being of loved ones. Each person, being an individual, can describe their well-being by expressing what's important to them. I call these descriptions "personal definitions".
-
Nature, whose language flows freely between its inhabitants without the need for translation.
-
Science, whose purpose is to explain nature through observation, studies, and experiments. The language of science has much history and is constantly evolving.
-
Academia's language is about sharing educational and research information, including evidence-based guidelines.
-
Dog Trainers translate the language of families, nature, science, and academia into a unique language to create dog training exercises.
-
And the dog. A furry little creature whose universal language and big personality pull us all together. Dog, with no concern for our success, power, appearance, or fame, can, with one glance, spark instinct and empathy in our brains. Dog can guide us to release the stress of the day. Dog reminds us to play. Dog refuses to let us forget what's truly important in life, which, in general, is the same for all of us, regardless of our definitions.
We, dog trainers, do a good job.
Well, we do.
We meet our client’s needs, understand dog behavior, and adapt our approach to unique situations. We’re skilled at refining dog performance through various exercises and we understand how important practice is.
Do we train the same way?
Of course not.
We’re individuals with different beliefs, upbringings, mentors, and choices. We practice and teach the most effective exercises in our specialties and, likely, the ones we enjoy the most.
The information we have to pull dog training exercises from is massive. Between traditional science and psychology, specialties, and our practice, there's a vast vocabulary to share with clients.
Our vocabulary keeps getting bigger.
Adding to traditional terms, dog training culture expands into dog teaching. Animal cognition, canine communication, and social learning provide information that highlights qualities, including emotions, we share with our dogs. Measuring emotions has been a challenge for traditional science.
Other branches of science, such as neuroscience, neuropsychology, and psychophysiology, further enrich our language by offering creative methods to measure human and canine emotions.
But something is missing in the conversation.
Measuring emotions has been a challenge for traditional science."
The most essential things in life.
There’s a gap in our vocabulary between what clients want and what dogs need. A technical vocabulary is great, but the terms can overwhelm clients. Categorizing exercises by the source of information they came from doesn’t always align with what clients are looking for.
We need another level of language.
A natural language with common meaning across cultures. A language that stands the test of time and remains stable as science evolves. One that strengthens our nurturing pathways so kindness becomes our default response.
This language can act as a filter between available sources of training information and the exercises we apply to dogs.
Values as a filter.
Love
Peace
Respect
Understanding
Trust
Freedom
Happiness
Values we have in common.
Common values are the ones we all agree on. With so many perspectives, it's almost impossible to agree on a set of words that describe aspects we all want.
Agreeing on burdens we want less of is fairly easy. Whatever our paths, dreams, goals, and ambitions, it's likely that we want less:
Loneliness, Anger, Needing, Confusion, Fear, Frustration, and Stress.
The opposite of burdens can be called values... the things we do want:
Less Loneliness, more Love.
Less Anger, more Peace.
Less Needing, more Respect.
Less Confusion, more Understanding.
Less Fear, more Trust.
Less Frustration, more Freedom.
Less Stress, more Happiness.
Values need not be "evidence-based science" to be necessary in our lives.
Values are not a scientific way to describe the essential things in life, but they are headings for states of being we want, need, and understand.
Even though we have different definitions, each value communicates a general state of being. A component of well-being that can be seen as a category of needs. A conversation starter about options to fill specific needs through the principles of our source of information.
The language of values is not always at the top of our consciousness.
One challenge on our path toward happiness is that our day-to-day tasks, distractions, work, and shorter-term goals. Sometimes, these tend to push our values aside instead of allowing them to lead.
By bringing values to the surface, we're more likely to design our daily tasks and actions in a way that supports what we genuinely want and need on a deeper level.
Values in families.
Peace
Respect
Understanding
Love
Trust
Freedom
Happiness
Most families acquire dogs for companionship.
Dogs contribute qualities to our lives that are common in human friendships. The qualities we share with humans and dogs can be called values.
After all, clients choose to train dogs to make life better. But what words describe what “better” means to the dog’s family?
We can ask clients:
When your dog is trained the way you want, what will you have more of?
Love, Peace, Respect,
Understanding, Trust,
Freedom, or Happiness?
"More of" is important.
It's more fun to get more of something we do want, than less of something we don't want.
Here's some answers I've heard to the question...
"What will you have more of when your dogs are trained the way you want?
"I'll have more Love if she lets me pet her."
"I'll have more Peace if they stop fighting."
"I'll have more Respect if he stops biting me."
"I'll have more Understanding when she hides."
"I'll have more Trust if she reliably comes when I call."
"I'll have more Freedom if we can leave her home alone".
"I'll have more Happiness if we can walk him without pulling on the leash."
This exercise prepares clients for the next step: Viewing life from the dog's perspective. It helps them imagine what values their dog needs to provide what they want.
Values for dogs.
Peace
Respect
Love
Freedom
Trust
Understanding
Happiness
Viewing life from the dog's perspective.
I believe that thinking in values to change dog behavior is a simple way to sort individual dogs' needs.
By thinking about values, trainers, and clients can verbalize the general category of well-being the dog needs more of to change behavior. This moves our thought process away from stopping annoying behaviors to starting new behaviors. The new behaviors we teach may fulfill the dog's needs. This may be enough, without using force to eliminate the way the dog was trying to communicate. Thinking in values sometimes immediately answers the question. Why is he/she doing that?
We can ask clients:
If your dog could say:
"I’d be willing to (stop or start) doing:
[blank behavior], if I had more
[love, peace, respect, understanding, trust, freedom or happiness],"
Which would your dog choose?
Answering for their dog is easy because they've just answered the question for themselves.
Examples:
Trixie, a rescued dog, is shut down from a previous life. Of the short list of values, her family will likely choose Love to bring her out of her shell.
As trainers, we can explain to our clients how love and bonding may increase by practicing specific exercises. It's much easier for the family to stay on track by remembering a value, such as love, rather than an exhaustive list of words, behaviors, theories, and instructions. Clients remember and incorporate the exercises into their lives by associating them with their target values.
Jake, is bouncing off the walls. He may choose more Peace.
Daisy, a former street dog, guards her food. Her family may think she wants more Respect.
Sandy, a puppy, hides during fireworks. She needs Understanding.
Fluffy, a senior dog, is afraid of people. She needs more Trust.
Rex, a sporting dog, loves to run; he may be asking for activities involving Freedom.
Buddy, an emotional support dog, looks sad. It's easy to see that he needs more Happiness.
Sources of information, tools, exercises and values.
Nature
Science
Psychology
Neuroscience Learning Theories
Social Theories
Specialized methods
Alternative methods
Intuitive abilities and Holistic approaches
A suggested structure for neutral language.
If practicing neutral language makes sense, you may be "in the flow" in the dog training world. By that, I mean always thinking about dogs, how to increase quality, searching for new information, and striving to communicate in a way clients understand and comply.
Consider a modified interpretation of terms that are often used.
Sources of information can be pools of knowledge we incorporate into our training approach such as:
Other sources include Emerging methods
Trainers Frameworks
New Concepts
Buzzword methods
Cultural methods
Traditional methods
Mentored tips/tricks
Social media videos and more.
I'm suggesting that there may be concepts from many sources of information that we can use or modify to meet the needs of dogs and clients. If our filters are based on true universal common values, we can use that as a guide to increase quality, ethics, and kindness.
It also puts the question of 'what are my values' front and center. By using a common language, it's more comfortable to discuss definitions of values with other trainers because basically, we all want the same things.
Tools can be designed based on sources of information.
Some tools that were designed from sources of information are:
Protocols
Procedures
Sound makers
Collars
Leashes
Treat bags
Talking buttons
Ramps
Our body language
Smiling
Waiting
Props for practice
Tone of voice and
Clothes we wear
The tools we've designed are just that: tools. No different from the wrench of a plumber, the structure in which a poet writes, or the recipe for sweet potato pie. For the purpose of neutral language, I see tools as anything we use during a dog training exercise.
All have the potential to affect the dogs actions.
Tools are no
different than the wrench of a plumber, the structure in which a poet writes, or the recipe for sweet potato pie."
Exercises can be the way we use the tools.
The exact recipe (a tool) for sweet potato pie can produce different results depending on the baker's preparation and baking of each pie (the exercise).
A dog training tool may be a flat buckle collar. The way we use the collar during one training session with one dog, is the exercise.
A protocol to teach a dog to walk by your side is a tool. The way we conduct the exercise using the protocol for one particular dog during one session is the exercise.
We may use the same protocol (tool) and the same collar (tool), but the exercise on day one may differ from the exercise on day two. We can control the way we conduct each exercise by adding values to reduce burdens on the dog.
I'm asking, "Why are we judging tools when judging exercises may be more life enriching?
Why are we judging tools when judging exercises may be more life enriching?"
Values between dog trainers.
Values are a way to filter exercises.
Try it in the app at the end of this article.
The information you enter will not be saved. Feel free to screenshot the form after you fill it out for your own reference.
Values are not new to dog training.
Most trainers speak of values in their practice. Putting values into action by using them as a filter for exercises can build trust with clients and create a safe place to share ideas with other trainers.
From my conversations with other trainers, it’s clear that we have blind spots. We rarely create an opportunity to see the positive results in methods different from our own.
It's easy to criticize and judge colleagues because, in much of our society, we're programmed to notice what's wrong before what's right.
We often ignore critiques of our practice from other trainers because we've spent considerable time and effort honing our skills. We're understandably proud of what we've accomplished and comfortable with our routines.
A fun thought:
Some industries are competitive and some collaborative. Personally, I hope dog training industry chooses to be collaborative.
We may benefit by choosing to look outside our bubble.
Thinking in values stimulates curiosity and sparks creativity. For my pet-dog, behavior clients, a needs-based, cognitive learning approach works well in most cases. Dogs pretty much train themselves this way, which is more fun on my part, more stimulating for the dogs, and easier for clients to replicate. That's my way, for what I do. It may or may not be what your clients need, and I respect that.
Judge exercises, not tools.
It’s important to understand that not all reward training makes dogs dependent, and not all aversives cause harm. Dogs are adaptable individuals, and resilience is an essential factor.
Indeed, a dog whose first experiences with humans were designed to make the dog stop a behavior will immediately change the dog's true nature. Stopping a behavior that made sense to the dog took away part of who the dog is.
The trainer, who uses physical touch in dog-human communication, has a lot to teach about helping dogs to build resilience. Resilience can be helpful in emergency situations and, in those moments when clients lose their cool. The flip side, as I see it is, the trainer who starts a dog with aversives, will never have the oppertunity, to see who the dog can be if they had built new behaviors by providing options for the dog to choose.
Trainers who advocate no-aversives, have a front row seat to cognitive communication with animals. It's a different level of understanding. This understanding may be in line with the reason we are so attracted to animals and dogs in the first place. Those who advocate no-aversives and choose to apply the same principles to all colleagues, no matter what their methods, demonstrate the tremendous power of choose.
Changing the way we define and use a tool provides hundreds of steps for trainers to increase values by making each step a little kinder from the dog's point of view. In the moment before we commit to an action, all options are possible.
In the moment before we commit to an action, all options are possible.
Values are personal.
Filtering exercises by our personal definition of each value makes sense to me. It encourages us to choose to define our current values (which can be eye-opening) and makes it simple to choose to refine values that have potential to make life better for all.
I'd much rather have respectful, spirited discussions with trainers about the definition of a value than to be judgmental and argue over theory and tools.
As far as I know, we don't have access to a peaceful forum to increase understanding with those who train differently than we do.
This is one of the purposes of:
Values Based Dog Training.
It's more than just training dogs.
As trainers, we aren’t just teaching sit, stay, down, and jump through a hoop. We're honoring the connection between two species that have walked side by side for thousands of years.
Looking into the eyes of a dog is a simple reminder that ego, power, money, and fame are sometimes complicated attempts to satisfy simple needs.
I know you have stories about how a dog’s trust in humanity was restored. I know that because of your patience, a frightened pup found the courage to trust again. I know you've experienced the feeling of love and bonding between your heart and the heart of a canine.
Think of the humans whose lives were improved because you took the time to help them understand and lead their dogs.
You did this, and I acknowledge your success. You know it's true. You feel it. I know you do.
It's not that much of a stretch to think dogs share the same values that we do.
You did this, and I acknowledge your success."
We are in the mists of an age where each human is left with only a fraction of unique knowledge. The bulk of what we know as a species has been given freely to the mind of technology.
Values give us what automated intelligence can only imitate: a biological connection with each other... and our dogs. That is important enough to preserve.
One way to preserve values in human society is to extend the values we want more of to our dogs; another is to teach non-competitive, non-dominating, collaborative, nurturing, and essential values to AI. That's another article.
As facilitators between two amazing species, let's lead the way to bring the important things in life, to the top of our consciousness. Considering about half of American homes have dogs, that's increased values for thousands of dogs and humans.
What if...
No one will know but you.
There’s no need to announce you’re doing this. Simply think of an exercise you use and ask yourself which value it supports.
If it increases values that promote happiness and well-being, keep it. If it decreases essential values, toss it, modify it or seek a new one. With all the perspectives, variables and sources of information that go into each exercise, the options are limitless. Don't let fear, beliefs, and current practices get in the way of positive change. We don't know what we don't know.
What if we can increase happiness and well-being simply by encouraging clients worldwide to practice values with their dogs?
What if the side effect carries over to human-to-human interactions?
What if it's that easy?
Hang on to values.
Adopt new ones.
Reinforce them whenever you can.
Hypothesis for Values Based Dog Training :
The potential benefits of creating a neutral language of values in the dog training realm are:
Between trainers:
-
Increases understanding by reducing assumptions.
-
Creates commonalities in training goals by neutralizing vocabulary.
-
Increases collective knowledge by avoiding the us-versus-them paradigm.
-
Increases willingness to try new exercises by nurturing curiosity.
- It creates a language of goodwill and more opportunities to exchange ideas for a common cause.
- Gives us more opportunities to complement each other.
For clients:
-
A simple neutral language builds rapport with the trainer.
-
Strengthens important naturally understood concepts.
-
Assists clients in understanding life from their dog's point of view.
-
Motivates clients to practice by highlighting success.
-
Creates a choice of goals that the client defines based on their perspective and personal definition of their values.
For dogs:
-
Increases opportunities for dogs to feel love.
-
Increases peace and relaxation.
-
Increases a dog's respect as a sentient being.
-
Increases understanding of confusing concepts.
-
Increases trust with family, trainer and environment.
-
Increases freedom to choose.
-
Increases happiness and well-being.
Filter your exercises
Type a behavior to brainstorm about exercises.
What tools do you use?
What exercise do you use?
From the dog's perspective, which values are likely to increase or decrease by the way you conduct your exercise?
Slide the dot to select Increase, Decrease or No change"
Increase
Decrease
No change
- Love
- Peace
- Respect
- Understanding
- Trust
- Freedom
- Happiness
Result
Change is a choice, based on your level of curiosity, creativity, and your personal definition of your values. Are you thinking of ways to alter your exercise to increase values?
Keep the exercise and think about which value it increases.
Toss it out and find a new one that promotes more kindness.