On the Fringe: The Positions of Dogs in Finnish Dog Training Culture

Abstract

Companion dogs are increasingly trained for sports using varying pedagogical ideas considering the human-dog interaction. We focused on the human-dog interaction by examining the characteristics constructed for dogs within the training methods, and on the definitions of ideal dogs as described by the caregivers. The data consisted of 85 thematic essays written by Finnish dog caregivers actively engaging in dog sports. Dog training was analyzed as a junction for the humanizing, animalizing, and instrumentalizing of dogs. Dog-centered and human-centered training categories were found. The first category depicts the dog and the human as equal partners enjoying the cooperation, and the second category constructs a hierarchical relationship between the human and the dog. While the dog-centered approach is prone to humanizing, the human-centered approach is inclined toward instrumentalization. The training approaches are interpreted as drawing boundaries: dogs are part of human society or of nature

Turning point of transformation: Consumer communities, identity projects and becoming a serious dog hobbyist

“…(Agility Sports Bulletin, ASB) So, dominance and affection are not contrasted (Tuan, 1984); they are here negotiated hand in hand when the human alpha establishes a relationship to the dog. The current finding does not directly refer to any particular training method, as identified for example by Koski and Bäcklund (2015), who distinguish two alternative approaches in dog training culture in Finland, dog-centered and human-centered, referring to equal partnership and authoritarian human-dog relationship, respectively. Instead, the position of alpha is intertwined with a more general way of interacting with one's dog; for example, Koski and Bäcklund (2015, p. 34) describe that regardless of the training approach "leadership is based on trust on the dog's part and consistency on the caregiver's part, for the sake of the dog's own well-being and contentment."…”

“…Yet, a couple of studies mostly in other -or transdisciplinary -research fields focus on seriousness in pet-related communities, of which the closest to the current study are Haraway's (2007) work on agility devotion and Gillespie, Leffler, and Lerner's, (1996) and Gillespie et al's (2002) examinations of goal-orientation in dog leisure communities, Hultsman's (2012) research on couple involvement and participation in serious leisure in the dog subculture, and Koski and Bäcklund's (2015) recent endeavor on positions of dogs in Finnish dog training culture. Similarly, Bettany and Daly (2008) touch on the dog show subculture, Scammon (1987) studies the "serious side of horsing" and, slightly differently, Sanders (2006) investigates non-leisure dogs, working police dogs, in order to give insights into seriousness in animalrelated communities.…”

Animal work, memory, and interspecies care: police horses in multispecies urban imaginaries

“…Koski and Bäcklund suggest that the desirable traits of an ideal dog 'reflect the characteristics of an ideal human being in modern society', 52 for example sociability, flexibility, tolerance of stress, and ability to co-operate and control emotions. In the data, however, the ideal police horse is depicted in almost opposite ways.…”

Kompositionen eingehen

“…Natürlich könnte man fragen, ob die "Hundhaftigkeit" (das heißt, dass Albin "nur ein Hund ist") tatsächlich in der Studie zu beobachten ist. Man könnte argumentieren, dass Albin, selbst wenn er klar ohne Leine ist, unsichtbar angeleint bleibt, da er durch sein Training geformt wurde und jederzeit von seinem Halter zurückgerufen werden kann (siehe auch Koski und Bäcklund 2015). Die "Hundhaftigkeit", die Albin in die Beziehung zu den Pflegeheimbewohner*innen einbringt, mag anders sein als das, was er ins "Feld" mitbringen würde, wo sich hündische Aggression oder "negative" Tiernatur manifestieren mag (Koski und Bäcklund, 2015).…”

“…Man könnte argumentieren, dass Albin, selbst wenn er klar ohne Leine ist, unsichtbar angeleint bleibt, da er durch sein Training geformt wurde und jederzeit von seinem Halter zurückgerufen werden kann (siehe auch Koski und Bäcklund 2015). Die "Hundhaftigkeit", die Albin in die Beziehung zu den Pflegeheimbewohner*innen einbringt, mag anders sein als das, was er ins "Feld" mitbringen würde, wo sich hündische Aggression oder "negative" Tiernatur manifestieren mag (Koski und Bäcklund, 2015). Dies mag zwar der Fall sein, doch in dieser Studie geht es darum, dass Albin imstande und willig ist, diese fürsorgliche Version der "Hundhaftigkeit" in Zusammenarbeit mit Pflegeheimbewohner*innen (und seinem Halter) auszudrücken.…”