Biography
Dog Psychology
It all started in the 1960's, the creation of a new science, a new occupation and new methods in dog training.
Fighting a very conservative system
Still in the middle of the 1960's a dog with a behavioral problem, like aggression or fear, was classified as a dog with mental disorders and usually put to sleep. In a leading dog book at that time only half a page dealt with problem dogs. The conclusion was that if force didn't cure the dog, it was mentally bad and the only solution was to kill it.
Obedience training has its roots in military training and discipline. The heeling for example is reminiscent of the drill. It was tough on dogs, walking sometimes nearly an hour without pause. Punishment for wrong behavior was the rule and rewarding good behavior was the exception. Harsh jerks with leashes and pinch collars and choke chains were used in the exercises. Dogs became very submissive by this training, and obeyed more out of fear of punishment than out of willingness to cooperate with the owners.
In this atmosphere I began my career - as an opponent against the harsh ways to raise and train dogs. Also I objected to not giving dogs with problem behavior a fair chance to change with training instead of being labeled as "mentally insufficient".
I had earlier found that dogs that were afraid of people really weren't afraid at all. They reacted to the unintentionally threatening body language of strangers, as for example eye contact and walking right up to a dog. So I could show that these dogs were not insufficient in any way. This was considered a new landmark in dog psychology.
"Dog Psychology" - a new science
When my first book was published in 1971 (Hallgren, 1971), it was considered to be a break through in dealing with both obedience and other training problems in dogs by most critics, and was considered the starting point of a new science, "dog psychology", though it would take some two more decades to be fully accepted.
In 1974 my second book (Hallgren 1974) was published, dealing with "every day obedience", not the ordinary training that had been prevalent up to this point. It was considered almost as revolutionary, because it pointed out a quite new type of training, as opposed to the military type of training.
Both books, though in updated versions, are still best sellers at ICA Publishing Company.
Ideologicial framework
During my career I've persistently opposed all harsh methods in training dogs and always tried to present alternatives to such methods. With an uncompromising obstinacy I emphasized that any form of violence never is necessary in teaching dogs, whether it be obedience or correcting problem behavior. I've never used tools like electric collars, pinch collars or whips, which were (and still are in some places) in use by some dog trainers.
In the 1970's I pointed out the importance of a code of ethics, or ideology, in raising and training dogs. This was the starting point for many training clubs and trainers in Scandinavia to begin to declare their ideology in advertisements and handouts, so dog owners would know what to expect from training courses.
The non-violent ideology created an approach to dog training that inspired the creation of new methods; better knowledge in ethology (for example dogs' ancestors, wolves, seldom display violence in their relations and the relation between mother and puppies is very affectionate /Hallgren, 1988/); a deeper knowledge of learning psychology and a concentration on causes of behavior problems, rather than methods of coping with the symptoms.
Causes of problem behavior
Today little or no training of problematic behavior is necessary, because there are so many determinants of problem behavior, and devoting efforts to change and correct these usually is enough to change the behavior of a dog.
I have devoted much of my time into mapping the causes of, and contributors to, different problem behaviors and succeeded in the construction of some psychological "tools" that are used all over Scandinavia by animal behaviorists today.
Through follow-up studies and research I discovered many different causes behind problem behavior in dogs. As an example, there is a study from 1978 that showed that around 40 % of dogs rest at least 20 out of 24 hours (Hallgren, 1978). Therefore, I created the "stress analysis" (which shows the rate of understimulation, among other stressors).
I also showed that there are some 20 determinants causing aggression, the most potent being pain. Therefore, I created "pain analysis", solely based on behavioral parameters. I also created methods to
analyze hormonal and nutritional deficiencies, which are now in use by dog psychologists.
Among the different causes of pain, "athletic wounds" are the most common, earlier not recognized by veterinarians. In a study (Hallgren, 1994) I was able to show that spinal problems are just as common in dogs as they are in humans, and problem dogs have significantly more of these deficiencies than "normal" behaved dogs.
Training dogs for disabled
In 1989 I was commissioned by the (internationally established) MANIMALIS organization to educate the first service dog in Sweden, "Lajban", a female border collie of one years of age. There is also a video about "Lajban" and her owner and they have appeared in many TV programs, radio and newspapers.
Since the training of "Lajban" in 1989, I started the "Service- and Signal Dog Team", a non-commercial association of trainers and disabled persons to promote training of dogs for disabled people. One basic principle of training is that the disabled person is very much implicated in the training and in control of decisions about what the dog must be able to do etc. This person is also the one who trains the dog. The role of the instructor is to help to find ways for the disabled person to train his or her dog. This concept has proven to work very well, and the disabled person becomes very active - not only in training, it also has an impact on his or her every-day life.
It must be emphasized that the technical support from the dog is just a small part. To be able to have a dog, to be able to enjoy the friendship in a warm relationship, is the main thing. Modern research show that people profit medically, psychologically and socially from the relation with dogs, and disabled persons should not be excluded from this.
Research studies
I have made ten studies, which are listed here.
Euthanasia of dogs in Stockholm (1968)
This study is based on a questionnaire sent out to veterinarians and animal hospitals in the Stockholm area, asking them to state how many dogs that were destroyed during 1968, their age and of what cause. It revealed that many dogs were destroyed of causes not related to the dog, but to the owner, "convenience euthanasia". It was widely published in newspapers in Sweden.
Heredity and environment - influences on dog behavior (1972)
This study was my dissertation paper for the psychologist exam (Ph. Lic.). It showed, amongst other things, that the environment a dog lives in has a dramatic influence on its' behavior. It was published in a popularized version, "Hund och Människa" (Dog and man), see book list. The result started a debate that is still going on in Scandinavia and there are many references in books and articles to the results of the study.
New method for testing mental behavior traits in dogs (1974)
The Swedish Boxer Club was faced with testing their dogs with the existing mental test, based upon testing dogs in the army. This is a method that scares many dogs and boxers are very sensitive. So the Boxer Club asked me if I could create a more gentle way of testing, which I did. It was based upon questions about the dogs’ behavior to the ones who knew them best - the owners. This simple method has later been used with other breeds and has been saluted for its' simplicity, efficiency and that it never would harm a dog. (For further details, see "Idel, Ädel Avel" in the book list.)
Dogs and mailmen (1975)
This was a very small study, consisting of 12 dogs that were aggressive against mailmen. I conducted it just to test a simple training idea I had. It was only published as an article in a dog magazine (Vi Hundägare). Every day I sent an envelope, addressed to the dog in the household, containing a treat. All dogs in this study associated the treat-envelope with the mailman and after two weeks they were no longer aggressive. Since that time, this has been the most used and the most effective training method for this problem.
Dogs rest too much (1977)
This study was conducted with a questionnaire to 215 dog owners in the Stockholm area. They were asked how much their dogs were walked, how much time they spent active in the yards (if there were any) and how much time the dogs’ were active inside the house. I noted the dogs’ hours of activity in 24 hours, and the total hours which they spent resting, building up energy. The owners also were asked to tell if the dogs had any problem behaviors and if so, which and how serious these were.
The result showed that nearly 40% of a normal population of dogs rested 20 hours or more, and hence were active 4 hours or less. In this group the majority of the dogs were problematic in some way. Dogs that were more active had lesser problems.
This study was the fundament for the program of mental activation that I developed, and it has echoed all over the western world. Today mental activation courses are beginning to be popular in USA.
This study was followed up by two others, in 1985 and 1986. The 1985 study consisted of 374 dogs and confirmed the first one. The 1986 study consisted of 342 problem dogs and revealed that 86.5 % of problematic dogs rest 20 hours and that 26 % rest 22 hours per day.
Dogs that protect their food (1985)
This was a small study that gave a big echo. It was done with 14 dogs that aggressively protected their food. I wanted to test a hypothesis I had, that such a simple thing as sugar could cure the problem. I had observed that most dogs that protect food also are very hungry, so I concluded that hunger was the prime motivator. Because of the fact that hunger and satiation are decided in the brain, it is easy to give a dog a sense of satiation by giving it some fruit sugar 10 - 15 minutes before normal feeding time. This was done with an astonishing result. In one week the protective behavior had disappeared in 10 of the dogs and almost all the others showed some improvement. The study has been published in the American Newsletter for the Animal Behavior Society. This simple method is in use all over Scandinavia as the most efficient therapy for this problem today.
A pet means so much (1986)
In this study, made in cooperation with the University of Örebro and sponsored by Pedigree Petfood, I compared the reactions between dog owners and parents when their dogs or children were in dangerous or in threatening situations. It revealed that the reactions were very similar between the two groups and I was able to conclude that the feelings of dog owners for their dogs are "parental" feelings and should be taken seriously, for example when a dog dies. The result has been widely spread in newspapers and magazines and referred to in books. I presented the study at an international conference in Boston, Massachusetts 1986.
Mother and pups (1988)
In this study 149 dog breeders were asked questions about the relationship between mothers and their puppies. It showed, contrary to what many dog experts and trainers have stated, that the mothers are extremely gentle and kind to their offspring. Trainers that want to motivate harsh training methods often tell dog owners that dog mothers are severe in relation to the pups and this is an argument for the owners to be severe as well. The study has been referred to in many instances and has been published in the American Newsletter for the Animal Behavior Society.
Follow up study of result on dog behavior consultations (1993)
This study was mostly published for veterinarians, behavior consultants and others with special interest in result of the kind of analyses and training strategies that I and my students conduct. It reveals the most common factors and contributing factors behind problem behaviors and shows that the over-all success rate is very good.
Spinal problems in dogs (1994)
That dogs have back problems came as a surprise to most dog owners, trainers and other dog people. And that the frequency of these problems equals that of man was also surprising. In this study I could not only tell about the distribution of the problem, also I could pinpoint different causes. For example I could reveal that dogs get neck problems from harsh pulling of leashes - and pulling leashes is the most widespread training technique of all. So no wonder this study has been cited world wide.
Conference participation
I have been a speaker at the following national and international conferences.
Pets and People in Focus, arranged by Groruddalens Djursjukhus
(Animal Hospital), Norway 1986
Living Together, arranged by Delta Society, Boston USA 1986
The Dog in Service of Humanity, arranged by Society for Norwegian
Rescue- and Avalanche Dogs, Norway 1987
The Rescue Dog in the Society of 2000, arranged by Scuola
Provinciale per Canida Ricerca e Catastrofe, Trento in collaboration
with UCIS - ENCI (Italy) and NASAR (USA), Italy 1989
Living with Pets, arranged by AFIRAC, Monaco 1989
Internationalen Rettungshunde-Symposium, hosted by
Bundesverband für das Rettunghundewesen e. V., Germany 1991
The fifth International Symposium on Rescue Dogs, arranged by
Statens Räddningsverk (The State Rescue Department) and Svenska
Brukshundklubben (Swedish Working Dog Ass.), Sweden 1993
Problemhundskonferens (First International conference on
Problematic Behaviors in Dogs), arranged by private dog psychologists
and the city of Hofors, Sweden 1993
Etologi 94. Scandinavian conference mostly for veterinarians and
veterinary nurses, but also for dog owners, hosted by Etologisk Institut
(Ethological Institute), 1994
Vargsymposium 1995 (Int. conf. on Wolves), arranged by the Gillhov
Education Centre, Mitthögskolan (University College of Jämtland), Inst.
for Tourism Science and WWF, Sweden 1995
Polis 95, (Conference about, among other topics, pyrotechnics -
injuries on people and animals), arranged by the Swedish Police Dept.,
Sweden 1995
Nordic Canine Behavior Symposium, arranged by KIVA TEAM, Finland 1995
International Symposium on Dogs, arranged by Animal Learn, Germany 2002
International Symposium on Dogs, arranged by Animal Learn, Germany 2004
SOS International Conference (Service- and Hearing Ear Dogs), Malmoe, Sweden 2006
Adventure Dog Conference, arranged by HundUtbildningsgruppen, Sweden 2008
First Dog Conference, arranged by Dogfriend Publishers, Moscow, Russia 2009
Articles that have been published in English (mostly in USA)
1. "Carsickness in dogs"
2. "Dogs that are shy of people"
3. "Stressanalysis"
4. "Dogs that protect their food"
5. "Mother and pups"
6. "Leadership"
7. "Dogs need activation"
8. "A pet means so much"
9. "Shaping"
10. "When things go wrong"
11. "Spinal anomalies in dogs"
12. "Fear of fireworks"
13. "Aggressive dogs"
14. "Punishment"
15. "Analysing problematic behavior"
16. "Case reports"
17. "Semantics and Ideology"
Miscellaneous
• In the 1970:s I helped several humane societies to set standards for what was to be considered good living conditions for dogs. Earlier these societies had their emphasis on physical abuse of animals. My work helped them to focus on the psychological life quality too.
These standards have been recognized by the Swedish (and others) Kennel Club, materialized in a poster ("Hundens Rättigheter"; "The rights of dogs"), sent enclosed in the Kennel Club magazine "Hundsport" to every member and also sent to different dog clubs and humane societies.
The standard is based upon canine ethological and psychological needs, depending upon species characteristics. As for example, a dog is a highly social animal, with a great need for company and closeness to its family. Therefore we must not leave it alone for to long or forbid it to be inside the house together with the rest of the family. The agreed upon time limit for adult dogs to be alone in Sweden is set to five to six hours at most per day. Of course there still are dogs alone at home for more than that length of time, but the majority of Scandinavian dog owners now recognize the time limit and many of those who cannot solve the problem otherwise, have their dogs in day care. This has resulted in a lot of dog day care centers and has created several work opportunities.
• In the late 1970:s I pointed out that many dogs are problematic because of hormonal deficiencies. This was met with skepticism from the established dog community and from veterinarians. I especially pointed out that the thyroid gland often was dysfunctional in many dogs, often at remarkably high frequency in some breeds. I also had some tentative statistics to back this up. This resulted in an increased interest of hormonal deficiencies, especially among some veterinarians. When Mats Larsson, a Swedish veterinarian, in the early 1980:s made a thorough study on the thyroid gland in dogs, there was a revolutionary break through in this field. Today there is a big interest and no resistance to this line of thinking all over the world. I also constructed a "masculinity test" that is in use by many animal behaviorists in Scandinavia that reveals if a problem behavior is caused by an abnormal production of testosterone.
• In the early 1980:s I inspired a Danish man, Kurt Lind Jorgensen, to develop "the Buster Cube", a mental activation toy for dogs that now is a big seller all over the Western world, sold by Kruuse A/S, a Hills Company. It was at a seminar in Denmark, where I spoke about mental stimulation of dogs, and told the audience that an activation toy for dogs would be a very good thing to develop. A few months later this man called me and told me he had made this toy.
• In 1986 I developed the "Kennel-Data" for breeders, an enterprise designed to do tests of the outcome of breeding, based upon the method of testing mental traits I developed earlier (see "Idel Ädel Avel" in book list for further details). I had before that tested the method in different breeds, making surveys of the outcome of different combinations of different breeding dogs.
• Many dogs have phobias for fireworks and I have worked in different ways to help dogs and dog owners regarding this. I also wrote a pamphlet about how to help dogs, both with preventive actions and cures against firework trauma. This has resulted in a nation wide recognition of the problem. A cooperative effort has developed between police, firefighters, humane societies, the Swedish Kennel Club, local and national dog clubs, senior citizen organizations, Home and School associations and more. There is now a combined effort to decrease the harms of fireworks in the whole Swedish society and it is spreading to the other Scandinavian countries.
• As the first animal therapist, at least in Europe, I started to work together with chiropractors and other physical therapists, homeopaths and biopaths. In the early years, responses from veterinarians were mostly negative. But since my statistics could show that many problem dogs were in pain related to muscles, joints, the spinal cord etc. - just as in humans - the climate for alternative medicine in diagnosing and treating dogs changed. Today many veterinarians work together with representatives from other fields of medicine. This corresponded very well to a growing interest in this subject in other countries.
• During the years I have developed a world wide network of contacts. I have been invited by several organizations in several countries to hold seminars and lectures. I am also functioning as an adviser by correspondence to organizations in different countries.
• I am a constant correspeondent in the Swedish Kennel Club magazine and in Petlife, a new magazine. I am also interviewed in other dog magazines quite often.
Litterature 1971-2007
1. Problemhund och Hundproblem
ICA 1971/-85/-94/-04, 192 s, 1) 2) 3) 4)
2. Lyckliga Lydiga Hundar
ICA 1974/-84/-94/-04 103 s 1) 2) 3)
3. Hund och Människa
x) Bonniers -74/Eget förlag 1982, 128 s
4. HIT - om inkallning och inkallningsproblem
x) Hunden i Fokus 1975, 31 s
5. Skotträdda Hundar,
Hunden i Fokus 1975/1981, 32 s
6. Arga Hundar,
x) Hunden i Fokus 1976/1981, 32 s
7. Idel, Ädel Avel,
Eget förlag 1985; MBAB 2006, 35 s
8. Shaping,
Eget förlag 1985/1988/1990, 48 s, 1) 2)
3) (Ny titel: Din hund - en lydig hund) MBAB 2000
9. Hundens Gyllene Regler,
Eget förlag 1986/1989, 120 s, 1) audiokassett x) Jycke-Tryck AB 1986
10. En Jycke Betyder så mycket
(forskn.rapport) Masterfoods, Malmö 1986, 36 s 5)
11. Lexikon i Hundspråk
Eget förlag 1986/-88/-91, 160 s 1) 4) 5)*, 6) (MBAB 2000)
12. Fria Hundar
(samprod. med Marie Hansson), Jycke-Tryck AB 1987/1994, 118 s
13. Tikens Dominans
x) Jycke-Tryck AB 1988, 37 s
14. Hunden i våra hjärtan
ICA 1989. Fr -92 Jycke-Tryck AB, 128 s 1), 2), 3)
15. Kantarellsök med hund
(samprod. med Marie Hansson), Jycke-Tryck AB 1990, 80s 2), 3)
16. Ryggproblem hos hund
(forskn.rapport), Eget förlag 1994, 32 s 1), 4)
17. Uppslagsbok i Hundpsykologi
ICA 2001, 207 s 1)
18. Smoke alarm training for your dog
Hallwig Publ, 2002 32 s 1), 2), 3), 4) 5)* (Livräddaren på fyra ben - brandvarning för hundar M B Bokförlag, 2002 53 s)
19. Mentales Training für Hunde
Cadmos Verlag, Ty., 2003, 96 s
20. Drive and Motivation in working dogs
Animal Learn Verlag, 2004; Tro-Fast Forlag, 2005; Motor och Motivation hos arbetande hundar M B Bokförlag, 2005, 1) 4)
21. Kraschlandning
Roman, Tro-fast Forlag Dk, 2004 1)
22. Gengångare
Roman, inte publicerad f n
23. Därför gör hunden så
Bonniers 2005
24. Den gamla hunden
Prisma 2004
25. Råd och Dåd om skott och fyrverkeri
Skrift, x) Eget 4 s 1)
26. Alfasyndromet
ICA 2006 96 s 1)
27. Stora boken om att skaffa och leva med hund
(samprod. m Åsa Ahlbom) SEMIC, 2007
Översatt och utgiven i
1) Danmark
2) Norge
3) Finland
4) Tyskland
5) USA
6) Kanada
x) Utgången
*) Månadens bok i USA, juli 2003 (Dogread.com)
bok nr 11 + nr 18
Books in other languages
The Alpha Syndrome – about leadership and rank order in dogs
Published in German, Russian and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Animal Learn Verlag”, in Russia by ”Verlag Dogfriend Publishers” and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
Drive and Motivation
Published in German and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Animal Learn Verlag”, and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
Mental activation
Published in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Danish languages. In all countries by ”Cadmos Verlag”.
Firework prevention training and therapy for scared dogs.
(Out of print; will be elaborated and reprinted later). Published in Danish language by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
Smoke Alarm Training for Your Dog
Published in German, English, Norwegian and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Buddies Hundeschule”, in English by ”Hallwig Publishing”, in Norway by ”Canis A/S” and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
Back Problems in Dogs
Published in German, Russian and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Animal Learn Verlag”, in Russia by ”Verlag Dogfriend Publishers” and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
The ABC:s of Dog Language
Published in German, English and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Oertel & Spörer Verlag”, in U S A it will be published soon by a new publisher (earlier published by ”Eliasens”, Canada), and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.
Problem Dogs and Dog Problems
Published in German and Danish languages. In Germany by ”Oertel & Spörer Verlag”, and in Denmark by ”Tro-fast Forlag”.