Dogs And Consent

I just read a post by a social media self-proclaimed dog trainer who claims that dogs should “consent” to whatever we ask of or do with them. The claim is to do otherwise is cruelty. 

Consent has a definition, meaning permission or agreement. Dogs are incapable of either. Humans can give permission. Humans can enter into an agreement. Dogs can’t. 

The claim is that if a dog is made to do something, that is cruelty. If that was the case, then should we take and shelter all young animals after they are born, because letting that youngster be around another animal, even their parents, might violate their right to consent? Do you think that prey consents to being eaten? Do you think predators ask for consent before they hunt? Do you think that male and female dogs should obtain consent from the others, dogs and people, before they breed? Do you think a dog feels happy when a stranger knocks on the door? Should we close our doors and gates, or should we get the consent of our dogs before we do so? Should our dogs consent to us entering a room, or holding hands with someone, or talking? Should they consent to where they sleep in a room, or where the food bowl goes, or the materials used in the making of a dog bed? What about whether we should have a dog go into a crate, car, vet office, wait at the curb as we wait for the light to change, or come away from that rattlesnake near that bush?

No species, not even humans, do everything by consent in this manner. Pick any species, and find any social system that is governed by consent. It does not exist, and would be unnatural.

This consent business isn’t science. It isn’t natural. It isn’t good dog training.

I sometimes wonder if such ideas are a product of some kind of psychological disturbance: possibly a personality disorder?

Plan accordingly.