According to research by Raymond Coppinger and others, these breeds were developed from wolves whose development was arrested at a particular stage of development. Dogs developed from wolves caught in the adolescent stage would never progress to the hunt and kill conclusion, so would make good guardian dogs for livestock. Fisher considers Coppinger's work to provide guidelines for assessing dog behavior and devising training programs to prevent and solve behavior problems. He said that pack behavior is a useful guide for working with dogs, but that the dominance structure tends to be flexible between animals in the household and between the humans and the dogs in the family. Dominance is only a problem if it gets out of control, Fisher said.
Some dogs get relief from expressing aggression.
Dogs can build on the things they learn , so early socialization by breeders is necessary to produce a dog that has confidence, is adaptable, and recovers quickly from change in the environment. Dogs should be praised for only for choosing the correct behavior , not for ceasing unacceptable behavior. Dogs with a job are happier than dogs with an idle mind. Fisher talked briefly about the advantages of the click and treat method of training . Fisher made great use of video-taped cases in his presentation.