Many people seem to think calling a dog good, bad, happy, sad, aggressive, stubborn, bold, shy, vicious, alpha, pessimistic, optimistic, or abnormal can help us understand what they’re thinking and feeling, but stereotyping isn't always accurate or helpful. Here we point out how using labels that characterize a dog can have serious shortcomings and how context must be given serious consideration when pigeonholing a dog as "this" or "that." This post was written by force-free dog trainer Mary Angilly and Marc Bekoff.

The words we use shape our thoughts, beliefs, and judgments and ultimately how we feel about dogs and other living beings. For example, If you consistently tell yourself that your dog is a "good" dog, you will be more inclined to notice and appreciate positive behaviors. Alternatively, if you consistently tell yourself that your dog is a “bad” dog, you will likely more often notice and observe behaviors you deem to be bad and undesirable. These positive and negative labels can affect how you interact with your dog based on often unfounded generalizations and expectations. This can be especially harmful when it comes to dogs who are already regular victims of misinformation and myths.

Let’s look at these sentences from a client (names have been changed) with whom Mary has worked. “My dog is stubborn on walks. I know he’s being alpha, but my last trainer told me I need to be dominant and it isn’t working.”

There are key pieces of information missing from these statements. When someone is labeling, it’s important to look at the overt (observable and measurable) behavior that’s leading to these labels to arrive at a more accurate definition. What does being........

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