SINGAPORE – Shocking photos of a one-year-old golden retriever who sustained severe injuries at the hands of a trainer went viral over the weekend, and a local awareness group appealed to people with dogs not to bring their pets to trainers who use methods that cause harm.
The story of Cody was told on the Facebook page of Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore on Dec 31 (Saturday). “The photos are alarming, but it shows the reality of how using aversive training tools could go horribly wrong,” the group noted.
The group commented that while Cody is now in good hands, he had been “severely injured due to the use of electric and prong collars.”
The matter has been reported to NParks and is under investigation.
Cody belonged to “E,” a woman who had never had a dog before and could not handle his high spirits and constant activity, and he grew to 35 kilos with hardly any discipline.
“E struggled to hang on to the leash of 35kg Cody as he pulled and lunged towards everything – birds, kids, people, and other dogs. E tried different collars and harnesses, and she tried wearing Cody out with multiple walks and by using enrichment toys and snuffle mats. Nothing seemed to work; he was just too active.”
And when E applied adopted positive reinforcement methods she had learned from a trainer, these did not work either.
E later met C. “At the first meeting, Cody was in his usual state of pouncing and jumping and was absolutely out of control. C gave Cody a kick on his rear and calm him down. After discussion, C recommended” that Cody be boarded and trained “and also introduced the options of using tools.”
As training with C appeared to work and improve Cody’s behaviour, E left Cody with C for 10 days while she travelled.
When E’s friend went to pick up Cody, “she was horrified to find him dirty, his fur matted, and he smelled really bad. She noticed the wounds on his neck which were infected, foul-smelling, and filled with pus. Alarmed, she rushed Cody to an emergency hospital. The severity of the condition was not highlighted by C and was being brushed off like a small matter so E was not expecting Cody to be in such a bad state.”
The group went on to say that the story of E is “very common” and went on to recommend the LIMA approach (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) “because most importantly, any training method and tool must not cause harm.”
“From Dec 2022, the AVS-Accredited Certified Dog Trainer (ACDT) Scheme requires dog trainers to obtain certification specifically from one of the four independent animal behaviour and training organisations.
This ensures that accredited trainers possess a basic understanding of science-based training methods, dog welfare and behaviour, are committed to ethical training approaches, and meet international standards of competencies,” the group added.
No matter how stressful a difficult dog can be, the group advised, “we implore you to train with kindness and seek help only from trainers who focus on the welfare of your dog. Please do not fall prey to trainers who promise you great results in the shortest possible time.”
On Jan 3 (Tuesday), the group assured a netizen that Cody was now safe.
/TISG