What I Mean by “Balanced”

[michele5611]

ruthcrisler.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/what-i-mean-by-balanced/

[michele5611]

"Balanced trainers acknowledge that the deliberate inclusion of aversives within a training program is neither inhumane nor unscientific."

HUH? Contradiction much!

[RealPitBull]

Two words: Poisoned cue.

[emilys]

balanced is just a politically correct way of saying "we"ll use force/aversives when we think they're needed." Which means a"balanced" trainer is just a force/aversive trainer who isn't secure enough in her beliefs to call her techniques what they are and defend them. And while Ruth is less guilty than some others, most of the writing I've read from "balanced" trainer is of the "we don't wave chicken in front of the dogs" and "you can't break up a fight using a clicker" mentality (i.e. dishonest")

Ruth wants to say "we'll use whatever technique works" at the same time she wants to believe "I don't mean ends justify the means". Those 2 statements cannot exist in the same reality.

Personally I don't argue that force/aversives DONT work.. it's clear they "work". Dogs are mostly compliant/forgiving.. almost anything we do can "work". That doesn't in itself justify the use of force/aversives.

[RealPitBull]

Nov 21, 2012 12:43:39 GMT -5 emilys said:

balanced is just a politically correct way of saying "we"ll use force/aversives when we think they're needed." Which means a"balanced" trainer is just a force/aversive trainer who isn't secure enough in her beliefs to call her techniques what they are and defend them. And while Ruth is less guilty than some others, most of the writing I've read from "balanced" trainer is of the "we don't wave chicken in front of the dogs" and "you can't break up a fight using a clicker" mentality (i.e. dishonest")

Ruth wants to say "we'll use whatever technique works" at the same time she wants to believe "I don't mean ends justify the means". Those 2 statements cannot exist in the same reality.

Personally I don't argue that force/aversives DONT work.. it's clear they "work". Dogs are mostly compliant/forgiving.. almost anything we do can "work". That doesn't in itself justify the use of force/aversives.

[emilys]

you should read her lastest... clicker trained killer whales have killed more trainers than dogs have killed trainers! Not that she means to indict clicker trainers.....