Heard a Rumor!
Rumor: “To make (as a piece of information) the subject of common talk without any authority or confirmation of accuracy.”
As I’ve said many times, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, if they are holding the other end of the leash, and there’s absolutely no accountability if the information they are dispensing isn’t true.
This wouldn’t be so problematic if it were not for the lies being dispensed as fact and way too easy for people to believe because they’ve heard it over and over, like the urban legends, so it must be true.
Unfortunately, we’re leaving at a time when experts like Dr. Fauci are being maligned in favor of that cosplaying doc at the Department of Health and Human Services! And in the behavior and dog training industry, experts are being ignored in favor of the latest advice on TikTok given by, well pretty much anyone who owns a dog!
Some rumors are harmless, such as “I heard that Marvin is having an affair with Tammy.” It’s harmless if you don’t know them, not so much if Marvin is your significant other because whether it’s true or not, you’re likely to take some kind of action. And when it comes to our canine companions, rumors can also be harmless or harmful depending, such as the following:
Dogs age 7 years for every 1 human year. This can be relatively harmless if you use it as a guesstimate in that you believe Snoopy the Chihuahua, at age 5 is similar to a 35 year old person. Where this has the potential to be harmful is when Snoopy the Great Dane is compared to a youthful human, since in reality, giant breed dogs age differently than a smaller dog and with a much shorter average lifespan, a 5 year old could be considered a senior dog. The take away, is that it’s more important to schedule regular veterinary check ups throughout the year so that they can catch any health issues, regardless of your dog’s age.
Must be the alpha to establish dominance This unfortunately is harmful, outdated information that was originally written by ethologists studying wolfs. The problem is that the term alpha is used to describe the breeding pair, as being higher ranking than their offsprings. However to apply that to humans having rank over their dogs, is nonsensical. Your dog has the learning level of a human toddler, and the idea that the human must do crazy rituals such as eat before the dog, exit the house before the dog, to name just a few things to prove to your dog that you’re superior, is laughable. You are a caregiver and as such, you should treat your dog, as you would a 3 year old human by making sure he feels safe, that you meet his needs for social engagement, for nutrition, for physical exercise, and provide mental stimulation. You don’t raise an emotionally sound dog (or child for that matter) by using bully tactics.
Dogs feel guilt. This is usually harmful, because we, the supposed larger brain species, interpret dogs’ body communications, for example, cowering, paw lifting, ears pulled back, just to name a few signals, as evidence of knowing they did something wrong. What makes this especially insidious, is that the dog is actually reacting to the human yelling, while the poor dog is actually signaling, “Please stop threatening me!” Unfortunately for the dog, his ignorant owner is likely to hurt the dog as retribution for what the human thinks is a deliberate infraction!
Dogs like being hugged. This can be harmless and harmful. Dog to dog interactions do not involve hugging, and while many dogs, because they live with humans who, as the primates like to hug, may tolerate hugging. But the problem is that tolerating doesn’t mean liking something, and although the dog may allow a familiar family member to hug him, he may not feel comfortable around an unsteady toddler or stranger who grabs at his neck! The take home message is watch your dog’s body language; if he tries to escape, shows stiff body language or a growl, please stop. And by all means, supervise your toddler and do not allow strangers to become that familiar with your dog!
A shock collar when used correctly doesn’t hurt. I know this is too ridiculous for words, however, remember if one hears it by pseudo professionals enough times, it unfortunately becomes accepted as truth. First it’s designed to hurt, and second it’s electricity! How about instead of experimenting on your poor defenseless dog, who by the way, did not opt in for this, why not try using it on yourself to feel the tickle!
Mark Twain is one of a few who has been credited with, “A lie can travel around the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.”
Of course once the lie is out of the box, so to speak, the damage is done and difficult to stuff it back in!
Instead of accepting rumors as truth, learn to question the source of the information. Now more than ever, we need to think more critical, especially about our defenseless companion animals.
HAPPY TRAINING & ENRICHMENT
© Fran Berry CPDT-KA, UW-AAB all rights reserved 2025
