Jean Donaldson - nominated for best dog training book and best dog training video

Nominated for best video by DWAA

I studied with Jean Donaldson at the Academy for Dog Trainers in 2002. From the moment I read the legendary Culture Clash, I was hooked on Jean's combination of science-based methodology and completely humane dog training techniques.

If you have never read a book by Jean, heard her speak or watched one of her videos, you are missing out. She is one of the top positive reinforcement minds in the dog training field that is unfortunately still full of "whisperers", dominance junkies, and "dog trainers" that spout the need to "show your dog who's boss". Ugh.

Jean Donaldson is the Director of the Academy for Dog Trainers in San Francisco, California. The Academy is a rigorous, positive reinforcement school to train dog trainers. When she is not teaching, writing books, or speaking all over the world, she studies evolutionary biology and is a self-described "rabid baseball fan".  

When I found out that Jean was nominated for best book for "Oh Behave! Dogs From Pavlov to Premack to Pinker"  and best video for "Perfect Paws in 5 Days" by The Dog Writers Association of America, that was just the excuse I needed to conduct an email interview.

How long have you been training dogs?
As an amateur, since 1975. As a professional, since 1987.

How did you get into dog training?
I showed dogs when I was a teenager in both conformation and obedience, had a few years without a dog when I moved out to go to college. Then got Lassie in 1986, then Meg in ‘89. While in school doing a degree in music, I found myself taking more and more psych and science courses, and enjoying them more than the music stuff. I ended with a degree in comparative psych along with my music degree. I was also doing tons of competitive obedience, tracking and flyball and toured for a year or so with the Canadian “Superdogs” show. In 1990 I attended my first Dunbar seminar and was blown away with his straight talk about how a lot of what dog trainers were doing was not well grounded in animal learning, the most studied phenomenon in all of psychology. I had been having a hard time reconciling what I had learned about behavior and learning in college with the party line at the club I was instructing at, as well as the information being given at seminars. But I didn’t have the courage of my convictions until 1990, when I opened my own school.

For those that might not know, can you explain the title of your book?
Pavlov was a pioneer in a (still underused in my opinion) powerful technique that can influence how animals *feel* about things. David Premack had an incredibly useful framing of what reinforcement is (and started up the research on theory of mind, which is something that separates us from dogs), and Steven Pinker, a huge personal hero of mine, is an effective science advocate and cognition researcher whose work on language does still more to reveal how we are different from dogs. He also coined one of my all-time favorite lines, which is that intelligence/language is but one act in nature’s talent show. One terribly over-valued by humans.

I know from reading Oh Behave! that it can be fairly technical but also written in a user-friendly style. Do you think it is appropriate for the novice trainer?
Sure. I’d prefer them reading that than some of the garbage that’s out there.

There are many dog training videos out there. What can everyone expect from your video, Perfect Paws in 5 Days?
Production-style (i.e. highly systematic) training made friendly for pet owners.

It looks like you had a lot of fun making it. What was the most challenging aspect of your video?
Getting Buffy (her Chow Chow) to do multiple takes under hot lights at the end of long days of shooting. LOL!

Having studied with you, I know your training style, but for those that might not know your philosophy, how would you describe your method for training dogs?
Highly influenced by Bob Bailey’s production training: it’s all about getting motivators that work, mechanics, rate, criteria and strategic delivery of primary reinforcements.

The success of the Dog Whisperer has made him a household name. How would you explain how your training style differs from his?
I don’t hurt, scare or intimidate dogs and I have some education in the science of how animals learn.

How has dog training changed since you started training?
The migration toward production training from a more traditional lure/reward/clicker style. Also, Janis has influenced me very heavily in how I teach skills to students.

We have seen a progression in this country from much more physical methods to a wider understanding that positive reinforcement training is the most effective way to train dogs. What do you see as the next big thing in dog training either in philosophy or style of training?
Hopefully more critical thinking, a higher bar for what can be presented at conferences, in the pop lit etc. I think we are taking our eye off the behavior modification ball every time we go crazy on a new made-up interpretive body language or mind-reading fad.

It’d also be nice to see breeders held accountable for breeding spooky dogs. Pet owners should be at least warned that they are being sold an accurate historical artifact in some of these guard/herding/aloof/one-family dogs, that in spite of their best efforts to socialize them, they may be stranger shy or stranger aggressive.

Mass body-language literacy would be nice so people can tell a shut-down, stressed dog from a “calm” or relaxed one.

Having graduated from the Academy, I know that you are very science-based in your approach and do not like to quantify dog behavior unless there is research to back it up. With that said, are there questions you have about dog behavior that you want to study some day or wish that someone else was doing this research?

1. Whether early soft-mouth training in puppies works to achieve a soft mouthed adult dog
2. Genetics of fear and, once understood, breeder scrutiny – if they are breeding dogs with predispositions toward fear, this should be stated up front so consumers are informed
3. Best way to impart information and skills to people in a class format

Can you provide encouragement to someone just starting out with a new dog and feeling overwhelmed?
Watch your Watch and Train videos, pick up a copy of “New Puppy Now What?” by Victoria Schade or pick up my “Perfect Paws in Five Days".

Thanks so much for your time, Jean.