Everything you know about dog training is wrong. Here is why - PART NINE

This article continues our exploration of the second branch of Human-Dog problem tree.

In the first section of the series, I've laid out the misalignment of our biology and its effects on human-dog relationship.
In the second section, I've laid out how modern day living puts us out of balance with our psychology which affect our relationship with ourselves as well as everything and everyone around us. Dogs make this imbalance really apparent.
In this section, I will talk about a transitional nature of today's society.

Let me start by admitting that saying something like "today's society is in a transitional phase" is really easy. We are always in a transitional state and the only thing that's constant is change. Here is how I mean it.

As a species, we've spent 90 thousand years

• Hunting
• Gathering
• Scavenging
• Migrating
• Living in small tribes (up to 150 people)
• Focusing really hard on our needs at Level 1 and 2 of Maslow's Hierarchy

Then for the next 10 thousand years we've spend our time

• Settling in larger farming and living communities
• Planting
• Growing
• Building

Note that the second phase (the Aggrecoltural phase of human progression) lasted considerably less time.

Then about 200 years ago we embarked on a new chapter in our journey and the Industrial Revolution began; characterized by the following

• Massive migrations to more populated areas
• Change in our work habits (work became more sedentary and results were invisible to the worker) 
• We started developing entitlement for basic needs and safety

Again, notice that the Industrial age lasted only about 200 years, much shorter than the Agricultural age and shorter still than hunting/gathering phase.

In the last 50 years or so, we've experienced Information age. Some say that the Information age is over and that we are in the Communications age. In either case, this phase looks all too familiar.

• Our sense of entitlement to basic needs and safety is now a full blown addiction sometime to our own detriment
• Our work habits are now even more sedentary; our lives are arranged to expand as little energy as possible (cars, escalators, chairs with wheels on'em, etc)
• Corporation dictate government as well as personal policies. This point deserves its own post, but we'll save it for later.

So first we must presuppose that our biology (both mental and physical) is best tuned for the kind of environment we as species spent most time in. There is an overwhelming scientific data that supports this assertion.
If thats the case, then our biology is best tuned for hunter/gatherer type of living. Let me ask you a question.

If you did live as a hunter/gatherer, what kind of relationship would you have with your dog?

If you answered "a symbiotic one" you would be 100% correct.

If we lived the way of the Paleolithic man, all issues -or what we perceive as issues- we have with our dogs would disappear and this I can guarantee.

So first lets take the responsibility and say that we are at fault and not the dog. Second, lets recognize that our needs have changed. We needed dogs for hunting, tracking, alarm, etc. Now, we need them as baby-replacements and companions.

In some ways, we have made a very clumsy leap "forward" but we cant expect dogs to do the same. If they are to give us what WE need, we must give them what THEY need. In this regard, dogs are perhaps the most important factor in humans successfully transitioning into the next age, the age of Enlightenment. How?

Lets save that discussion for the next post.

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