Like many of you, I tend to consume much of my content on youtube these days, rather than on traditional television channels. And some of what I see when it comes to dog training worries me.
It may not surprise you to learn that harmful misinformation about dogs and dog training is rife on Youtube and elsewhere online.
In fact, some of the most popular content that will come up when you search for videos on various aspects of dog training, is the most damaging.
I want to offer a way to help you differentiate between quality dog training videos and those that can set you back in your dog training progress, and even damage the bond between you and your dog.
It’s OK to learn from dog training videos – but be picky
The internet can be a scary place. It’s packed with amazing information, but equally with misinformation and unpleasantness.
Any caring parent will understand the need for filtering some of that information when they buy their kid that first smartphone. But we adults are left to fend for ourselves, when it comes to identifying what’s good, what’s unhelpful, and what is downright dangerous.
Dog training is no exception.
I don’t want that to put you off though. Learning through watching others is a very valuable experience and there are some wonderful dog trainers out there, who are painstakingly filming their own training endeavours so that you can learn from them and pass on their methods to others.
Many of them provide their knowledge and expertise completely free of charge. And I’ll talk about some of the best ones below. And give you some tips for find more of the same.
The downsides of online dog training
The main downside of online dog training videos is the prevalence of old school punitive measures. It’s not as bad as it was, but it’s still bad.
And many newcomers to dog training have no way to figure out when they are watching a great trainer and when they are watching a really bad trainer.
Because they don’t know what to look for, and because the camera hides a multitude of sins.
I’m not going to name and shame. Instead I’ll give you some tips below to help you sort the good from the bad. Let’s dip into some great channels first.
Dog trainers to watch and learn from
There are some wonderful trainers online, that you can learn an immense amount from. You can trust them to use kind, and effective training methods and to give you information that is easy to follow and won’t let you down.
Dog trainers need to put food on the table and pay their bills, and making videos, especially editing them, is extremely time consuming. So different trainers have different ways monetising their skill and expertise.
Some trainers with a big enough following, and sufficient views of their videos, earn well through Youtube ads. These trainers often provide a ton of value with many excellent training videos available free of charge.
The Kikopup channel offers a vast library of wonderful free videos, presented by Emily Larlham. And I highly recommend Emily’s content.
Donna Hill is another great trainer that has been producing quality videos for 15 years or more. You can find many of them on her Dogs Explained channel
And don’t miss Tab’s Training Positive channel there is some great content there too.
Some trainers use their Youtube channel to showcase snippets, or a small percentage of their videos, with the aim of encouraging viewers to buy their training courses. Or join their local training classes.
There’s still great value to be had from many of these, but you will tend to find that their best content is behind a paywall.
Nando Brown has produced some great videos over the years, and the playlist (Incredimal) that follows his Malinois Fizz is especially enjoyable.
You can find most of his videos now under the umbrella of the School Of Canine Science channel
And don’t miss Chirag Patel, another very knowledgeable trainer that has been making great videos for over a decade.
New trainers appear on youtube regularly of course and many up and coming trainers give a lot of value on their channels, entirely free of charge.
How to find great Youtube dog training channels
Rather than me giving you lists of Youtube channels which will inevitably become dated, I think its better if I give you some tips on spotting quality training information, and sorting through the mountain of information that comes up when you search for a dog training topic on Youtube.
Dog training has changed immensely over the last few decades and sadly some trainers have not kept up with current thinking and scientific research. You can find more information on this topic in my article on the changing face of dog training.
Helpfully, the trainers that are not up to date, do tend to give themselves away in the language they use in their videos and in the introductions to their channels. And by the words that they do not use.
This is just as well because Youtube offers no filter when it comes to quality information. Anyone can post a dog training video and Youtube ranks these according to popularity and engagement. So a video that has lots of comments, even one where the comments point out the problems with the methods demonstrated, will tend to beat videos with less comments.
The point is, the number of views and even the number of subscribers a channel has, won’t tell you if the content will be good for you and your dog. Someone could have millions of subscribers and be producing content that is not based on up to date methods. And there are some good reasons why you should be training your dog with up to date methods, which I go into in this article: The Evidence For Positive Reinforcement Training
If you want to train your dog without force or fear, here’s what you are looking for when you search youtube
It’s nice to see the words ‘science’ or ‘reinforcement’ in the channel description. And you are looking for a channel that shows you how to build great behaviors from the ground up
A good channel will include some videos that teach dogs tricks and fun games. Because these are great ways to build your own training ability and your dog’s ability to learn and focus on you.
Here’s what you don’t want to see, these words are often associated with outdated training methods: respect, pack, alpha, leader, correction, pop, balanced. As are video titles that claim to fix a problem in a ‘few minutes’.
Dog training isn’t like that. Changing bad habits permanently takes time and repetition. And what a trainer can achieve using force or intimidation in a few minutes is not going to be something you can easily replicate at home. Or that will stand the test of time.
In many ways, the person with a well trained dog has a lot in common with the person that has a clean home or a nice garden. The way to get these things is a lifestyle choice. They cannot be achieved with a ‘once and done’ project. They need regular, even daily, upkeep.
Another clue is that a poor channel is likely to include lots of videos with quite negative titles. Stop This, Don’t Do That. Whereas a quality channel will focus more on teaching new skills and on showing you how to work with food and other rewards.
Learning to discriminate
Bear in mind that there is no definitive way to identify modern, effective dog training methods at first glance. These are just clues, not absolutes. So you need to develop your own ability to recognise good methods when you see them.
One of the best ways to do that is to watch quality content from any of those trainers mentioned above. And to build your own knowledge and understanding of what effective training involves. My article: First Steps In Dog Training is a good place to begin that process.
I hope you find it helpful, and that you enjoy watching some of those videos!
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