"A healthy bond between dogs and their humans should rely on mutual understanding, empathy, agency, and freedom of choice." –Marco Adda
Books, essays, and opinion pieces about the behavior of dogs and the nature of dog-human relationships abound. Detailed understandings of, and a deep appreciation for, the complexities and subtleties of dog-human communication, behavior, and training play a critical role in considering how to reduce human supremacy in dog-human relationships, including dog training in which educating dogs and humans is essential, along with working for more symmetrical, less stressful interactions as dogs try to adapt to a human-centered world. One detailed research project showed that one-third of dogs have behavioral issues, the most common being fear.
A recent essay by dog expert Marco Adda titled "(toward) a canine anthropology" caught my eye and opened many new doors into coming to understand who dogs are and what they want and need from humans.1 Here's what Marco had to say about his extremely important, forward-looking paradigm-shifting piece.
Marc Bekoff: You often write about the nature of dog-human relationships and what you call "canine anthropology." Please tell us more about what you mean.
Marco Adda: Echoing theatre anthropology, which addresses humans’ pre-expressive behaviors in a context of representation, canine anthropology investigates human’s pre-expressive behavior while interacting with canines. It brings our attention to the psychophysical and kinesthetic roots of dog-human interactions. We focus on how to use our bodymind in the presence of a dog, the quality of our movement, the distribution of our weight, the tone of voice we use, and the feeling and the intentions expressed in each action. From this angle, dogs are intended to be spectators of our actions, and we don’t have to ask anything of dogs or train them at anything. It is our behavior and the presence of the dog that generate meaning. Dogs have based their opportunistic connection to humans and their species' thriving on this process since the beginning of domestication.
Canine anthropology gives the human-dog interaction phenomenological significance. Dogs witness and affect human behavior and flip their roles from followers to leaders and spectators to actors. Meanwhile, humans enter an empathetic state of listening instead of seeking obedience or punishing and assuming to know everything. This progression, which I call role-flipping, happens when dogs express their whole potential and reveal themselves as an originator of action and meaning. Thus, as receivers, humans learn and are transformed by dogs.
MB: Many people need the help of dog trainers, whose techniques vary from being positive and force-free to being downright abusive and harshly punishing and shocking dogs. How can your philosophy about dog training and what we know about canine cognition and emotions from ethological and psychological studies be used to develop easy-to-use positive and force-free methods that work for dogs and their humans?
MA: The conventional "dog learning agenda," encompassing commands like sit, stay, come, and wait, even when delivered gently, tends to confine dogs to established behaviors. However, research since the late 1990s has unveiled the remarkable abilities of dogs to comprehend human communicative signals. Numerous studies have demonstrated that dogs not only read these signals but also show sensitivity to a human perspective, surpassing some primates in understanding human social behavior.
In delving deeper into the human-canine connection, insights from attachment theory, initially formulated for human relationships by psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, come to the fore. The evolving understanding and evidence indicate that dogs are emotional partners capable of forming deep, attachment-based bonds with humans. Much like human infants seeking proximity and security from their caregivers, dogs exhibit attachment behaviors, relying on their human counterparts for comfort, safety, and a sense of security.
When dogs feel secure in their attachment, they are more likely to exhibit positive behaviors and less likely to display anxiety or distress. The reverse is also true for humans to develop attachment-based connections with their canines (and other animals). This reciprocity is significant. Human and canine psychologies intertwine and expand into an intricate and continuous exchange.
Positive, force-free training methods may align with attachment theory. We can foster security and a reliable bond by facilitating a relationship built on trust, mutual respect, and compassion. Both dogs and humans thrive in an environment where positive interactions and a sense of safety prevail. Remember, though, that a secure attachment implies a great degree of independence.
MB: What would your first encounter with a human and their dog look like?
MA: Upon meeting a dog's parents, in person or online, I express a genuine interest in their experiences, asking questions about the dog's history, behavior, and any specific concerns or goals they might have in mind. Simultaneously, I am mindful of their body language and emotional involvement. Also, I typically observe the dog's behavior and let the dog initiate interaction. Those essentials help me to understand the context, the concerns, the “behavioral issues,” and the dynamics behind the surface. As the conversation unfolds, I share insights and observations, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the context.
Knowing some details on all the family members may also be crucial. Often, dogs mirror a dysfunctional dynamic within the human-canine family. Said otherwise, dogs are often pointed as identified patients who “sacrifice themselves to maintain the sacred illusion that what the parent says makes sense” (Bateson 1972). I understand that addressing the needs of the dog often involves supporting the entire family system. Dogs, in this sense, may manifest behavioral issues as a response to underlying familial dynamics. Therefore, assisting a dog effectively requires a holistic approach that considers the broader family context, acknowledging the interconnectedness between human and canine members. This perspective allows for a more nuanced understanding and comprehensive support system to address the dog's behaviors and the underlying family dynamics contributing to those behaviors. We cannot fully help a dog without supporting the whole family system.
MB: Why is positive force-free training the only way to teach dogs to learn or unlearn something that is perceived as a problem?
MA: Punitive methods, such as those involving force or intimidation, can lead to fear, anxiety, negative psychological impacts, and trauma for both dogs and people. In contrast, holistic and force-free approaches create positive emotional states. What is at stake here is more than the distinction between aversive and reward-based methods. A healthy bond between dogs and their humans should rely on mutual understanding, empathy, agency, and freedom of choice.
Within canine anthropology, canine participated somatic experiencing represents a new area of multispecies somatic practice. In this setting, dogs can be themselves, and humans re-learn a balanced and natural way to interact with dogs. It is a powerful experience that rewires human-dog communication.
MB: Is there anything else you'd like to say?
MA: Dogs should be allowed to be themselves as much as possible, empowering their unique personalities and natural behaviors. Appreciating how dogs perceive the world is critical to building a trusting bond. Let us always remember that dogs are our mirrors. In them, we see ourselves individually and collectively.
References
In conversation with Marco Adda. For more from Marco, see Demystifying Dogs Requires Studying Their Diverse Lifestyles; Anthropocene Psychology: Dogs as Mirrors of Human Behavior; and Can Dogs Keep Up With Human Cultural Whims and Stressors?
1. This essay appears in Non-human Animals in Open Societies. Anthrozoology Studies, pp. 5–29. Publisher: PPRESA UNIVERSITARĂ CLUJEANĂ, Romania.
Bateson, Gregory. 1972. Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Northvale, New Jersey and London: Jason Aronson Inc., p. 237 and p. 243.
Dunbar. Ian. Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training. New World Library, 2023.
Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine
Dogs Watch Us Carefully and Read Our Faces Very Well; The Psychology and Art of Positive "Do No Harm" Dog Training; "Bad Dog?" The Psychology of Using Positive Reinforcement; Science Shows Positive Reward-Based Dog Training Is Best.
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