Professional boundaries can vary from field to field. In the field of dog behaviour and training, we often find ourselves bending boundaries that might be much firmer in other fields. For instance, although behaviour consulting is very similar to counselling, I probably have more personal relationships with clients than a typical counsellor might.

Once both my client and I are aware that we are in uncharted territory we need to make a plan to find out. I have a very large library of books related to dogs, behaviour and training so often a trip to my library is a good starting point, but these days, I will usually use my cell phone and look it up. I might also share with my client that I can ask a colleague or post to an online list of colleagues (members of the Crucible have access to a vast library of experiences when they post on our forums!). Sometimes I ask my clients to gather more data on their observations if the information I don’t have concerns what action to take next. There are lots of ways to make plans for the next step when I am unsure how to answer a question.

Within each science, we have definitions. A definition is an agreed upon meaning for a given word. In training, reinforcement is defined as anything that increases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring. This isn’t MY definition, and it isn’t MY opinion. It is the definition that those who study behaviour agree upon for the word. If I had a nickel for every time someone would challenge a given definition with “that’s your opinion” I would be rich. When we are using terms, we have to use them the way that they are defined within the discipline that we are talking about.