How is dog training like Roald Dahl’s Matilda?

One of the reasons I chose dog training as a career is because of my interest in behaviour. Be that human or animal, I have always been intrigued by why we act the way we do. The source of this is probably from my background in acting where we were encouraged to analyse character’s motivations and desires, not too dissimilar to the process of understanding a dog’s behaviour. Even though humans and dogs differ greatly in their behaviours, I have noticed many similarities between the two. 

I don’t like to anthropomorphise dogs, but find using human experience helps us relate to and empathise with our canine companions. This is why when I was recently watching Matilda the Musical, something clicked. Currently in the dog world, positive, qualified trainers seem to be in a battle to justify their training methods due to the rise in ‘balanced’ trainers on social media who are offering quick fixes, but often use methods that rely on pain and fear for compliance (we call this aversive training in the dog world). I had seen and read Matilda before, but never thought it would align so succinctly with this conflict us positive trainers are facing. 

Ok, I know you may be thinking this is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. If you don’t know Matilda, I won’t give you a full plot rundown, but basically a gal named Matilda goes to a school that is dark, cold, and seriously lacking in any fun or creativity. The head teacher (Miss Trunchbull) is a terrifying dictator who scares the children into submission. The only joy Matilda finds in the school is through Miss Honey, a teacher who is equally terrified of Miss Trunchbull, but sees the good in the children and starts to encourage them to act more like children and show their unique capabilities. 

Now, Miss Trunchbull has probably been running this school for decades and she has rarely had any issues with kids’ behaviour. Why is this? Because she uses fear, intimidation and punishment to get them to follow the rules. The kids do not comply because they want to, they do it because they have to, or else they may experience something unpleasant. To Miss Trunchbull, this method works a treat. She has produced countless well-mannered children who wouldn’t put a toe out of line, but at what cost? Do they like Miss Trunchbull? Do they have a trusting relationship with her? Definitely not. Matilda goes to school every day with overwhelming fear and anxiety that she will be punished for her behaviour. 

Then there’s Miss Honey. She treats the children with respect, and encourages them to learn through play and harness their creativity. She gives Matilda an outlet for her eccentricities and doesn’t make her conform to what everyone else is doing. Her kindness gains the childrens’ trust and they listen to her out of respect and mutual understanding, not fear. We’ve probably all had teachers like Miss Honey, who we become eager to please because we want them to think we are smart or talented and get the gold star. Matilda even goes as far as wanting to stay with Miss Honey! (sorry, spoilers!).

Let’s bring this back to dog training. Replace children with dogs, teachers with owners and trainers. If we take the Miss Trunchbull approach, our relationship with our dogs is based on fear. There is no bond and a huge lack of trust. Most of us want a dog for companionship and to have a sidekick who tackles the world with us, so if we train them like Miss Trunchbull ‘trains’ her kids, it is a relationship that becomes far from the one we have envisioned. If we take the Miss Honey approach, we are building a relationship based on trust. Our dogs listen because they want to. We let our dog be a dog and help them channel their desires into play and enrichment that enhances their lives and ours. Instead of constantly fighting against instinct, we embrace it and reap the rewards.

I am always looking to explain training concepts in ways that people can connect to and understand easily. Like Miss Trunchbull, many people will say ‘oh, but this method has worked for years!’, but does that mean it is the right method to use? The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour (AVSAB) released a statement on humane dog training that states ‘There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behaviour modification’. We look down on characters in books and films that use fear and punishment on children, so why don’t we do the same with dogs? I think we are on the right path, we just need to support each other and keep positive! 

If you need help to be more like Miss Honey, get in touch via encoredogs.com and let’s work together. 🙂