Michael Baugh CDBC
Phenomenology is one of my favorite geek words. It’s the study of subjective experiences, how another individual perceives the world from his or her point of view. It’s also the philosophical study of other being’s awareness of self. Think about that for a moment, and then let your thoughts wander to your dog.
Those of us who love dogs have all contemplated phenomenology. Chances are you’ve looked at your dog and wondered what he or she is thinking or feeling. We try to figure it out with our own thoughts and experiences. But that’s the thing about phenomenology. How do we know for sure what another being’s (our dog’s) private experience is?
Short answer: We can’t know, but we can try. We have to try..
You don’t have to know me very long to know my thoughts on training dogs. Teaching and learning are keys to opening a door between us and our dog. We are both thinking, feeling, living beings. What better way is there to search for our dog’s inner experience than by pushing that door wide open? Let’s be present and aware of what our dog is doing. How does our dog respond to what we do?
We know from experience (and the great work of behavior scientists) that dogs learn from the feedback we provide them. And yes, we are learning from the feedback they are providing us (their understanding or misunderstanding of us is clear in their behavior). So, here we are: dogs and humans in a steady exchange of information, learning the world as the other perceives it. We could call it a phenomenological approach to dog training.
As long as we’re geeking out, let’s talk about the philosopher Martin Buber. He brought us the idea of the I-Thou relationship between two beings. These are genuine connections in which the individuals see or strive to see who the other really is and how the other sees his or her existence. It’s a quick hop to phenomenology and what psychologist Carl Rogers referred to as a phenomenological approach to counseling and teaching (see, I didn’t make it up). At the root of all this, of course, is empathy.
We go into this process humbly. Neither being is above the other. We meet our dog on equal footing. Pause. Breathe. Be here now. It might do you and your dog both some good. What’s it like being you? What is being like for your dog? Open mind. Open heart. I-Thou.
How different is it now to think about training? Could we take a phenomenological approach, learning together and from each other? As equals. That’s a fresh approach. It’s fun, actually..
It’s ironic that the dog trainer’s hero, B. F. Skinner, frequently disagreed with and publicly debated Carl Rogers. Skinner is the one who showed us how to influence another being’s behavior by providing or withholding reinforcement. Folks back in the day (most especially Rogers) thought the approach was sterile and non-feeling. The irony here is that it’s exactly this approach that fuels communication with our dogs in the real world. It takes little more than a few minutes to realize that what we call training sessions are actually conversations. We are showing our dogs how we’d like to live with them, reinforcing their behavior. But aren’t they also showing us what they want and need? Don’t they reinforce our behavior? Let’s meet, dog and human, and work this out. I-Thou, indeed.
Phenomenology. Seeing the world as you see it. Understanding the idea of another being’s self as you understand yourself. And the big question: love. Does my dog love me? Can we know for sure?
Maybe we can’t know. Perhaps the answer balances on that equal footing we share with our dogs, in those moments we are teaching and learning. Searching. I keep searching for you who are.
Do you love me, dog? Is that even the right question? Pry open my heart. Get in here. See how much I love you.