John Rogerson - "Aggression - In Depth" Review

As part of regular continuing education, I try to review several DVDs annually. Over the past month I've taken time to review an 11 DVD set from John Rogerson on aggression. The material was recorded at a three day seminar in California during October of 2010. From viewing the DVDs (20 hrs in total), Mr Rogerson indicates that he is a primarily positive reinforcement trainer from England, with 40 years of experience.

The seminar was provided to what Mr Rogerson calls "dog enthusiasts" - the material in the lecture and on the DVDs is really meant for people working with dogs on a regular basis, not typical owners. I think this is important to point out, as much of Mr Rogerson's theories (shared in the DVD) would likely be difficult for someone without a training or dog behavior background to fully understand and implement properly. Mr Rogerson has published a book ("The Dog Vinci Code") which he indicates is geared for typical dog owners. This particular seminar was hosted by a dog rescue group.

While I cannot cover the seminar in depth over a few paragraphs, I thought it would be worth sharing some points I found of interest. I applaud Mr Rogerson for "thinking outside the box", and his willingness to explore new options when dealing with training and behavior problems.

The focus of this seminar was the increasing amount of aggression being seen in domestic dogs around the world, with some discussion of various cultures and their role in this problem. In general, much of what was shared in the lecture attributes increasing aggression problems to poor breeding, poor early socialization, and poor life concepts.

For example, Mr Rogerson contends that the popularity of pedigree dogs has diluted the gene pool, while mixed breeds with good temperaments and health are often spayed/neutered before reproducing and adding helpful genetic stock for domestic dogs. He also discusses the important role of early and proper socialization, and suggests the over-selling of inter-dog play increases feral behaviors rather than helping dogs to bond with humans. He categorically calls dog parks a dismal experimental failure, and I would strongly agree with most of these points.

As he compares aggression issues in various cultures, Mr Rogerson discusses differences in lifestyles that likely contribute to problems. While many of his points criticize improper use of treats and lack of solid human-K9 bonding (with which I also agree), he fails to draw any correlations between the popularity of purely positive training in most cultures and increasing aggression. In fact, he admonishes the use of any collars for corrections, including "shock collars". His use of this term suggests to me he has no understanding of electronic collars, and his failure to consider how purely positive training may be contributing to aggression left me wondering whether he is thinking far enough "outside the box".

In terms of solutions offered for various problems, Mr Rogerson does have several interesting thoughts provided in the presentation. Some of them I may use and add to my 'toolbox'. Most of these solutions rely on a strong friendship with a dog that he feels will avoid or diminish problems. While I believe he is on the right track here, I would offer that friendship alone it is not enough to improve significant problem behaviors. Respect is actually the key ingredient.

Without respect in the mix, I question some of the solutions offered in this lecture. For fear aggression, tips were given on simply avoiding the problem. For separation anxiety, recommendations on tricking a dog into thinking the owner is still at home. For poor recalls, leaving a dog when it doesn't return. And for dog to dog aggression, the use of other dogs to intimidate. While these solutions may in fact work to some extent, I'm not confident they will actually enhance the relationship between owner and dog. I prefer a simpler approach that teaches and builds respect, while correcting problems in manner that is simple for owners and clear for dogs.

Again, I enjoyed the presentation and found several points thought provoking. I have no doubt should Mr Rogerson and I ever meet we would have a long and interesting conversation. I offer this review to contrast some viewpoints and hopefully spark further debate and thoughts. Aggression is a growing problem, and I applaud Mr Rogerson for having the breadth of view to consider popular thinking may not be on track for best outcomes.

PROS: Some out of the box thinking, entertaining speaker, cares about the welfare of dogs in general.

CONS: Convoluted presentation of topics, not reaching far enough out of the box, oversimplifies many problems.

RECOMMENDED?: Yes, if you have training or behavior background.