Dog Training in the 20th Century

"Pavlov? His name rings a bell with me..."

The research of Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov led to an important theory of animal behavior.

In fact, Pavlov's famous experiments are often noted as an important turning point. In the late 1800's he focused on dog research which involved reflex or classical conditioning. He used a bell, a dog, and some food. The bell was rung, the dog began to salivate, and was given the food. Eventually the dog learned to salivate just by hearing the bell. It was an example of stimulus and response training that became an important training principle, which is still in use today.

In 1910, Conrad Most, a German trainer wrote "Training Dogs", one of the first comprehensive training instruction manuals. His legacy in the 20th Century included his breakthrough work with police dogs and guide dogs for the blind.

What is operant conditioning? Basically, it's a pattern of learning that uses rewards for the good/desired behavior, and ignores or punishes the bad/unwanted behavior. Fido is motivated to perform if he gets a good reward (positive reinforcement), usually in the form of food, play, or praise. Fido’s bad behavior will decrease when he receives an adverse reward (negative reinforcement), such as a verbally firm remark...."no!" or "stop!". Operant conditioning forms a connection between a behavior and a consequence, and was the basis for many dog training techniques in the 20th Century.

What would a look at training techniques in the 20th Century be without discussing dog obedience trials? These tests were introduced at dog shows in a gradual process. In the 1930's, Helene Whitehouse Walker, a breeder of standard poodles, brought the idea of competitive trials to dog clubs and shows in the United States.

Inspired by the behavior tests for dogs in England, she held America's first obedience trials. Her pamphlet on procedures was submitted and approved by the AKC in 1936.

Her assistant Blanche Saunders, accompanied her throughout the country as they gave training demonstrations to enthusiastic crowds.

Blanche Saunders went on to promote dog training through numerous organized events. Her book, "The Complete Book of Dog Obedience", published in 1954, was the first of its kind. It was written for obedience instructors and remains in print today. She stressed the use of reinforcement, and set the tone for the positive training techniques used by today's trainers.