The Netflix documentary “What Dogs Think” is currently exciting many people on Netflix. Anne Bucher, a dog trainer who specializes in behavioral biology, is less enthusiastic.
Leverkusen. “The Netflix documentary shows beautiful images of dogs that are quickly edited and, when summed up, seem emotional, but overall too many opinions are sold as facts. Statements such as that 20 percent of dogs suffer from ADHD are more than questionable.
Ultimately, the documentary is not about what dogs think, but about how assistance dogs are trained in the USA. The realization that we should treat dogs with kindness is generally welcome, but it is not new.
Attempts to teach dogs a language using buttons with different meanings are cute, but have not been scientifically classified. “In addition, dogs communicate with us all the time anyway. Whether through their body posture or with sounds – it would be more important to teach dog owners the language of their four-legged friends instead of humanizing dogs. In addition, some of the statements in the documentation are simply wrong.
The statement that tail wagging combined with butt shaking always means a good emotion is completely wrong. It is often a submissive behavior that is intended to reduce aggressive behavior in the other person,” says Anne Bucher.
Your conclusion: By and large, the documentary is not about what dogs think or feel, but rather how people can best use them. Overall, such documentation is dangerous because it leads to frustration among dog owners when the dogs do not function as hoped.
People who believe that they are the center of every dog's life easily ignore the basic needs of dogs, which quickly leads to aggression and behavioral problems. A dangerous combination when you consider that there are almost 13 million dogs living in Germany.
About Anne Bucher
Anne Bucher, www.annebucher.com, is a qualified dog and animal trainer, life coach and a sought-after speaker and lecturer in German-speaking countries. After many years in animal rescue, she wanted to understand how problems can be avoided after adoption. Her fascination with the behavioral biology of dogs led to her own concept: Different with dogs. The needs-oriented training aims to develop dog-human teams and does not involve violence or coercion. The basis is a deep understanding of the needs and psychology of dogs, coupled with the demands of life in modern society. In addition to her training as a dog trainer, Anne Bucher has completed numerous advanced training courses, including in the areas of physiotherapy and nutritional advice for dogs. She has already helped thousands of dog-human teams to understand each other better and live together more relaxed.