The Modern Art of Dog Training
"Portrait of Maurice" 1976, Lithograph, Andy Warhol
Mod·ern·ism
a style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional forms.
a movement toward modifying traditional beliefs in accordance with modern ideas.
For centuries, dogs have been represented in all forms of art, from prehistoric paintings to the famous balloon dog created by modern artist Jeff Koons in 1994. Today, artists create life-size canine replicas out of Legos, and we all post and admire artistic photographs of our pups on daily Instagram feeds. Even dog memes may be considered a subversive type of modern art. And, of course, agility, fly-ball, and freestyle are all forms of choreographed dog training that easily verge on dance.
But can dog training really be an art form? Let’s look at the evidence.
Modernism, as defined above - and as the greats such as Warhol and Basquiat have proven - is the ability to take established concepts and transform them into something new, forcing us to rethink our perceptions of items or ideals we once took for granted. Through something as simple as a Campbell’s soup can, Warhol forced us to reexamine our ideas about factory work and the items it produced. Through his art, we found ourselves questioning our idealization of labels, fame, infamy, glamour, and our obsession with money (Warhol was also a dog lover who painted photos of his own beloved pups).
“Balloon Dog” by Jeff Koons, 1993, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The science and evolution of dog training certainly mirrors this artistic process. Much like a modern artist, dog trainers gather existing information, test it, revise it, and present it in new ways that may go beyond the pre-existing standards. Dog training constantly forces us to reexamine our preconceived notions and look at things in a new way.
Like artists, good trainers educate themselves on the fundamentals first, beginning with the traditional works of Pavlov and Skinner, then moving on to Bob and Marian Bailey and all that has come since then. As a trainer, I have even read and viewed some of the debunked training material that is “alpha” and “dominance” focused so that I can help clients better understand why these aversive methods fail, and why force-free training is far more effective.
In fact, dog training most closely resembles performance art. As trainers, we go into a session with a basic script outlining what we want to train, then edit and revise it in real-time as we “work with the dog in front of us,” as trainer Denise Fenzi puts it. The elements of our performance are planned, but we leave room for improvisation based on what works best for the dog in that moment.
For example, I’m currently working with three very high energy pups who have each confounded my preconceived notions about what would work for them. The traditional idea that high energy dogs need more exercise was backfiring and the pups were becoming even more overstimulated. So I had to step back and look at things with a fresh eye. I sought out new resources, finding help in the works of Dr. Karen Overall and Leslie McDevitt who have developed relaxation techniques for overstimulated dogs. I reinvented my approach. I found new ways to move the pups from their reactive, limbic brains to their responsive, thinking brains.
The best trainers approach their students and training sessions this way, as partners in a structured improvisation. Like actors, we must be able to read, understand, and communicate with our performing partners from moment to moment in order to develop and create the finished piece.
Dog training is built on ideas from the past that trainers constantly work and re-work in fresh ways, improvising their performances as needed. Doing that skillfully and creatively in the moment is as close to modern art as you’ll find.