He didn’t know it at the time, but Dunbar introduced a concept so revolutionary he’s credited with launching what is now commonly regarded as the modern era in dog training: Train puppies before six months of age– off leash (the way they live at home)–and use rewards rather than punishment to teach proper behavior. (With 19 locations, it’s become one of the country’s biggest training centers.) Dog training was changed forever. Discouraged that he couldn’t find a training course for his own young puppy, he started a school, Sirius Dog Training in 1981. He moved to Berkeley in 1971 and later taught a dog behavior course, which was the first time he realized how hungry dog owners were to understand their own pets. “But biting’s an issue for vets, so it’s in our best interest to know a bit about behavior.” “People don’t bite their hairdressers or the ob-gyns,” says Dunbar. in animal behavior at the University of California, Berkeley, merging–what at the time were–two very discrete aspects of animal study: medicine and behavior.įor him the pairing was natural–and long overdue. After attending the Royal Veterinary School in London, he earned his Ph.D. Raised on a farm in England, Dunbar’s connection with animals formed early and undeniably. “He converted an entire generation of yank ’em, crank ’em dog trainers into better communicators.” “Ian carried the torch for lure-and-reward training,” says Sue Sternberg, founder and owner of Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption in upstate New York and author of Great Dog Adoptions: A Guide for Shelters and Successful Dog Adoptions. He emphasizes that communicating with your dog is far more satisfying than dominating your dog and stresses that even children can use his positive reinforcement methods to become able trainers. He deserves tremendous credit for teaching us to be loving with our dogs and to have fun with the training.” Let’s not get physicalĭunbar’s hands-off, reward-based approach stands in contrast to Millan’s dominance-based philosophy and physical corrections. “Ian Dunbar created an entirely new perspective about dog training. “His contribution to this field is immeasurable,” says Patricia McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash, co-host of NPR’s Calling All Pets, and founder of Dog’s Best Friend Training. Talk with the most respected names in the dog training world and you discover Dunbar’s impact is unparalleled. Ian Dunbar has been winning over dogs, dog owners, and dog trainers for years with his accessible, effective positive-reinforcement approach.
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