Dr. Ian Dunbar fears dog training may be going down the tubes.
Dunbar, arguably the most influential dog trainer of the past four decades, shifted the standard from punishment-based techniques to positive lure reward training, motivating through food and toys. Dunbar first appeared on the scene when most dogs weren’t even trained at all. It was Dunbar who supported the notion that good canine citizens need early socialization. In 1981, he developed the first puppy classes likely ever offered, and marketed the idea. Dunbar wrote several books and founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.