Theory VS Application

Recently, Django and I trialed and succeeded in our Level 1 Obedience and Tempermanet Test under Iron Dog Canada. (Hold for applause)

I've written about a similar topic before, about Why Trials and Titles Matter. And on a related note, from a few posts and articles being shared across social media and several delightful conversations I've had with other professionals (trainers, competitors and judges.) here's something more people need to consider that can be distilled down to a common phrase in dog training circles: Run your dog, not your mouth.

Often, it's the people who have spent years and quite a bit of money on a formal education and because of this, they're right. Doesn't matter what the subject is or if they have any valid experience in it, their (nearly) entire theoretical education trumps all lived experience.

I won't drone on forever and ever, the simple point boils down to a very old philosophy concept or phrase: a priori posteriori

A priori: knowledge gained through reasoning and logic, independent of sensory experience.

You can read or listen to learn about concepts and principles of training.

Posteriori: knowledge gained through experience or observation.

Who you read or listen to has hands on experience applying the concepts to be able to deliver the conceptual knowledge to you. Otherwise, there's no proof it works or doesn't work. Posteriori is tangible evidence of theory in practice.

People can talk till the cows are blue in the face. And discussing theory isn't totally useless, it is important. What matters more however, is the knowledge you earn through real, hands on experience, failures, hard, painful, sometimes, disaster filled lessons. No amount of theory and talk will ever equal lived experience, observing and being involved in the real work of applying theory in the material world.

Some of the best advice or general practice is to study and learn some theory that most applies to you and your training and goals then go and test it with your dog.

The proof is always in the dog.

Always.