The Curious Case of the 'Cultist' Dog Trainer on Social media

By Steve Goodall

Facing the 'Cult' Label

If I were to stop writing this right now and head over to the main PACT Facebook feed I would be “treated” to a barrage of posts, some sponsored, some not, by (mostly but not exclusively) male dog trainers telling the world that “force free” and “positive reward based” dog training is akin to a cultist ideology. Yep… A cultist ideology! This will likely be followed by a sentence along the lines of: “If you want a no nonsense approach to dog training, where the trainer isn’t afraid to do what’s necessary and tell it how it is, then book now”. I see this all the time and it got me thinking…

Before I continue it’s worth mentioning that I rarely see this content on my personal feed. I assume this is because I carefully curate the algorithm and don’t engage with this kind of content so I simply don’t get shown it (which is lovely). I do, however, wonder how this kind of content lands with the general public and what the outcomes might be for our industry if this type of inflammatory advertising becomes more and more prevalent.

Labels: Our Best Friend and Worst Enemy?

Having labels (like force free) can be, simultaneously, a help AND a hindrance. Labels can help communicate our values, help educate the public, curate a clientele, build a brand and attract a community (all of which is not only great for trainers but also essential for a healthy business). The hinderance can come from the fact labels can also alienate people, give the mistaken impression no guidance or boundaries are set and oversimplify what it is we do.

Behind the Buzz: Why Are These Attacks Happening?

If I was being charitable I’d like to say that the misunderstandings of our “brand” of dog training is what has led to this onslaught of claiming “force free” and “positive reward based” training is an cultist ideology. Sadly, however, I suspect it lies in a darker corner that needs a light shone on it.

One thing I’d love to see explored is that this is a backlash to how vehemently our community will fight for the voiceless on forums like social media. I’m not here to pass judgement on whether we should, or shouldn’t, be activists online. Some people thrive in this mindset and advocate in the most effective and courageous of ways for dogs. I’ll never begrudge the want, need or calling that these people have. I do, however, feel that this type of “fighting the good fight” will inevitably lead to the sort of backlash we are experiencing now and, just like all stories of light and dark, you can’t have one without the other.

Another avenue worth exploring is the seemingly world encompassing shift to a more right side of the political spectrum. I’m no political commentor but it’s hard to see how this shift, that has effected most other aspects of society, won’t be effecting our beloved industry as well. Luckily, on the ground, this still feels like it’s not yet a universally accepted trend but the far rights association with traditional hierarchical views, emphasis on control, visceral reactions to seemingly anything that they might perceive as "permissiveness" and pushback on much of what we have come to expect from a kind, fair, enlightened society over the last few decades seems to reflect what I’m seeing online.

Cults, Ideologies, and Critical Thought: Drawing the Line

So what is an ideology? In a nut shell an ideology is like a lens through which people view the world. It shapes our understanding of: How society works, what is important, what is right or wrong. Everyone has some form of ideology, even if they don't consciously label it as such (think Capitalism, Socialism, Conservatism etc). A “cultist ideology”, however, has a few different qualities. Cultist ideologies often, amongst other spurious nuggets of joy,  view mainstream society and its values as corrupt, misguided, or dangerous and often prioritizes the group's beliefs and the even the leader's authority above individual autonomy and critical thought.

The critical thought part of the last sentence jumped out at me when I read it back. I think this is where we (at least most of us) can draw the line in the sand against these ongoing attacks and accusations. Critical thought is a lynchpin of the scientific method and science isn’t an ideology it’s a methodology. I do concede that it could potentially stray into the realms of an ideology but there are, tried and tested, safeguards in place for this. The critical thinking that a cultist ideology would despise and discourage is what would act as a filter against bias, flawed reasoning, and unsubstantiated claims. It ensures that the scientific method is not just a series of steps, but a rigorous and intellectual process that strives for an accurate and reliable understanding of the world. Without critical thinking, the scientific method would be vulnerable to personal opinions, logical fallacies, and premature conclusions AND cultist ideologies.  

What We Actually Do: Grounded in Science

However you cut the cake, “force-free" and “positive reinforcement based” dog training is strongly rooted in behavioural science, specifically (but not exclusively) in the principles of operant and classical conditioning and learning theory. We focus on positive reinforcement, emphasise the importance of antecedent arrangement and environmental management, minimize undesirable consequences, avoid aversive cues, learn the emotional side effects of our actions, strive to understand canine communication, live and breathe the Human-Animal bond and come at all this with a heavy dose of, welfare and wellbeing informed, ethics. Yes, I know the often trotted out argument that “ethics are subjective” but I have to believe that, overtime, our ability as humans to move in a kinder, fairer direction speaks volumes and, at the very least, hints at an objective ethical standard.

Navigating the Noise: Staying Calm, Confident, and Effective

The whole point of me writing this is so hopefully the next time you’re exposed to this kind of disheartening content you can be calm. The next time someone invades your own feed, uninvited, with angry faces and poop emoji’s along with outlandish claims about what you do, you can be sure and safe in the knowledge that you’re awesome and the individual in question is likely experiencing a number of varied and complex motivations for this behaviour. They could really believe in their own methods, have a fundamental misunderstanding of yours, be looking to get a financial gain or motivated by scarcity and competition, be entrenched, unreachable or perhaps even had negative experiences of their own that are informing their own behaviour. Perhaps they are just seeking attention and engagement or even more likely a (not so) delicious cocktail of all of it.

You keep on doing you, however that manifests. Keep doing it well and keep it coming. I’ve often thought of this quote from one of my favourite songs by John Cale – “Whatever thrives inside the dark, decays on the outside”.