Educating Or Training A Dog: What Is Better?
Although they are often used interchangeably, when we talk about educating or training a dog we are not talking about the same thing.
Educating or training a dog: which is better? We talk about it in this article.
Differences between educating or training
First of all, it is important to understand how the two terms differ, since they are often incorrectly used to indicate the same practice. There is a difference between educating and training a dog. To understand it, first of all we report the lexical meaning of the two words:
- Educate : allows the development of certain faculties including the rules of coexistence, respecting those around us.
- To train : to teach the animal to perform some movements or skills useful to carry out the orders of its owner or another person in charge (the trainer).
If we consider these definitions we could be led to think that it is much better for a dog to receive training than education, since the latter seems to be reserved for humans. Yet even dogs are capable of learning education; and the younger they are when we teach them, the more receptive they are.
We cannot forget how teaching must be based on motivation and “reinforcement” or, in other words, in repeating the lessons with a certain frequency to avoid them being forgotten. In training, on the other hand, responsibility and commitment play a very important role, since to obtain appreciable results it is often important to resort to the support of a professional.
So, to educate or train a dog? What is better? The answer is … both! These are not incompatible practices, but rather deeply interconnected. Certainly different, but complementary.
A good trainer can get a dog, whether it’s a Shih Tzu or a Labrador Retriever, learning actions like sitting or not pulling on the leash when out for a walk. Through education, however, the owner can achieve excellent results from a social point of view; that he socializes with his fellow creatures in the park, that he doesn’t try to get on the table to eat or that he doesn’t suffer when he is alone in the house.
Poor training or poor education are equally harmful. What must take precedence in both cases is the integrity of the animal and, above all, that it is enabled to develop its full potential. Making sure that they give their all and live a happy life should be our goal and our pride.
Positive reinforcement
Much has been said about the various types of training or education to which our four-legged friend should be subjected. The latest “trend” states that, to achieve good results and avoid trauma in animals, teaching through positive reinforcement turns out to be the most appropriate.
This means not to use physical violence (such as punches or kicks), nor psychic (shouts), for any reason, during learning. There are much more effective techniques based on giving direct orders and giving rewards in the form of food, compliments, strokes or toys.
While education teaches the dog to coexist in society, training allows him to obey specific orders. Educating or training a dog is a very common doubt among puppy owners and, in principle, the education is done at home while the training is provided by an expert. A bit like it also happens for us human beings: we learn values thanks to the teaching of our family members while we know how to read and write thanks to school.
Furthermore, if we are interested in having the animal obey more complex or concrete orders such as lying down, giving the paw or sitting, it might be a good idea to enlist the help of a trainer. However, any kind of dog teaching or training works best when accompanied by positive reinforcement.
