Remember Room 101? That brilliant 90s tv programme where celebrities would argue for banishing their biggest pet peeves? I didn't realise until recently that it actually comes from George Orwell's "1984". It’s basically a torture chamber filled with everything you hate! As a dog trainer, I thought it was high time we had our own Room 101 discussion. So grab a cuppa and let's chat about the things I'd happily lock away forever!
Retractable Leads – Straight in the Bin
Right at the top of my list? Retractable leads. I know some people love them, but honestly, they're dangerous. Your dog can be 20 yards ahead of you one second and in the road the next.
With a normal lead, I feel I've really got a good grip. But with a retractable lead, you're basically just hanging onto a bit of plastic. Your hands don't go all the way around it so it's really easy for it to be pulled out of your hand. Plus, you can't just grab hold of the cord if you need to because it's so thin it'll hurt!
We don't allow them in our classes - into Room 101 they go.
Harnesses That Tighten
This sounds random but there are loads of harnesses that tighten when your dog pulls. Harnesses are supposed to be a comfort thing, to help your dog feel safe and snug. That's not going to happen if they tighten.
Many people don't realise that sometimes dogs pull on the lead
because they're uncomfortable in their equipment. We tend to disregard that but it really is “a thing”.
The "Fur Baby" Phenomenon
Oh boy, this is a real pet peeve. Cannot stand dogs being referred to as a fur baby. It winds me up something terrible.
I love my dogs completely. I adore them. My kids would probably say, "You love the dogs more than us!" But I still have that clear distinction - they are a dog and they need to act like a dog. Of course I'll get off the sofa if they ask me but they're not a baby.
Occasionally people have written content for me and used the term. I'm like, "Get that out! Cannot stand it!" Dogs are dogs and that's wonderful exactly as it is.
Picking Up Small Dogs
I really discourage people from constantly picking up their dog because it takes away choice. Obviously, I have big dogs so I can’t just pick them up. That's why I go to the gym - to try and get stronger so I can pick my biggest one up. He's a wriggly mass, but that's my goal anyway.
Because I can't just pick my dogs up, with a big dog you have to put more effort into training and communication. Whereas with a small dog, you can just pick them up and move them out of the way.
What I find is that dogs lose their choices. We're not helping them work through their emotions - we're just taking away choice. I'd say 90% of the time when people pick them up, it's because they've lost patience and that's not fair on the dog.
Aversive Training Methods - You Don't Need Them
Slip collars used out of their intended working purpose, prong collars, choke chains, e-collars – in my opinion, there is absolutely no need to use any of these.
I don't see why, in this modern day and age, we think it's okay to inflict pain on our dogs. It's bullying, it's coercion and it's not fair. We wouldn't do it with children - you'd be arrested. So why are we allowed to do that with dogs?
Dog training is an art. It’s a skill. You learn patience, compassion, problem solving through working with your dog if you're taking the slow route. But that's the problem - most people don't want to take the slow route. We want quick results. Gone are the days when you'd have to wait five days for delivery. You order on Amazon Prime, it can be there by that night.
Our training methods use positive reinforcement and science-based learning theory. Effectively, we're just kind. We are nice to dogs. That's why we're absolutely anti all of those pieces of equipment in our training facility.
Ball Flingers, Short Leads and Dog Costumes
You may have seen a few months ago I did an episode on ball flingers because I tried one out on my holiday, thinking it can't be that bad. Oh my goodness! Dogs end up running mindlessly, putting too much pressure on their joints. There are better ways to exercise your dog than repetitive fetch.
One-metre leads? Far too short! Dogs need to sniff, move from side to side, being a dog. I don't want a robot, I want a happy dog. Absolute minimum is two metres.
And dog costumes - apologies if this offends you! Out of my three dogs, two would hate any form of costume where one is so chill he wore one of the kids' Harry Styles jumpers for a photo. If your dog truly likes it great, but majority of dogs don't. A little bandana or bow tie? Absolutely plenty.
Your Turn!
These are my personal opinions - don't shoot me! If you agree, wonderful. If you don't, that's fine too. You do you, I'll do me. What would you throw in Room 101? If you’d like to share your pet peeves or chat about anything else dog-related, check out our
Potter Paws Facebook Group. We’re a supportive and friendly bunch of dog owners sharing stories and training tips. We look forward to seeing you there!
Hear more about this topic: