Dog trainer Jacob Morgan says social media algorithms reward misinformation over what actually works. He contrasts trainers with real client results and competition credentials against viral personalities with neither, and warns that reactive owners demanding quick fixes fuel the problem.
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One of the biggest problems in the dog training industry is the transcendence of shitty information. So what I mean by that is that the algorithm is dictated by what people want to hear, not what they need to hear. It affirms people's preconceived beliefs, even if those beliefs are false. You watching this right now, you decide the algorithm, and therefore you decide what a content creator says if they intend to grow on social media. The algorithm decides which creator's content reaches more people, and this creates a feedback loop, an inaccurate feedback loop, an echo chamber. And what happens then? Dog trainers start saying things that they think people want to hear instead of what they need to hear. And that is exceptionally dangerous. I've been in this game long enough to know how people hold themselves, how they articulate problems. I'm talking dog trainers now. How they describe their perspective on dog behavior. And when you have the absolute pleasure of interacting with some of the world's best, you start developing a pretty decent bullshit radar, and you can very quickly identify those that are delivering information that is true and based off substance, and those that are delivering information because they are just concerned about getting more likes on social media. It's like thinking you need paracetamol for a headache when you actually need to drink more water and fix your sleep schedule, or thinking you need medication for your depression when you actually just need to walking, exercise, eat better, get off social media, and find some purpose, maybe through work. The same thing is happening in dog training. If I say paracetamol is the cure to all headaches, that information will travel further because it's being affirmed by the audience, because if that's an easy fix, that's the solution they want to hear, and therefore the algorithm pushes it further. Just because a lot of people are viewing something and maybe even liking something or sharing something, it doesn't mean it's good information. And I apologize for what I'm about to say. It's likely going to upset a lot of people, but if you're on this channel, you might have a reactive dog. And if you're searching the internet for information, chances are you don't know too much about dog behavior, right? Because you have a reactive dog. And that might make you feel defensive right now, but if you had figured it out, you wouldn't have a problem dog. No offense. And it is this large pool of reactive dog owners that are dictating which information is most consumed. But we be listening to that, theoretically, because it's the wrong information. It's what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. And you might have noticed recently on this channel I'm doing more to speak openly against current trends instead of virtue signaling, and it will probably affect how much this page grows. It will probably affect our viewership and all of the above, but I'm just fucking over it, to be honest. I'm not going to directly attack anyone. I've done that in the past, and I think there's not any good in it, and I trying to mature past it, to be honest. However, we do have to be very careful what information we're consuming. Just because someone uses big words or a nice metaphor that makes you feel great, it doesn't make it true. And this is how we've ended up with dog trainers who are idolized as messiahs after achieving next to nothing. As controversial as this sounds, these people have never had a dog training business, never competed with a dog, never delivered in-person sessions, not a single review on any platform from a client whose problem they have solved. There's just zero evidence that they can actually do what they're talking about. And they have just gone on the internet and just said things people want to hear. They read the algorithm, created a feedback loop, and gained traction across audiences of millions. Now, I appreciate the irony. We do have a fairly big audience, so I have played this game in the past to a degree. But I want to be clear in saying I play a lot less of it now, but at the same time, not to boast, we have probably more 5-star reviews on Google and all of the above platforms and literally a Google Drive that is gigabytes and gigabytes full of testimonials, before and afters, case studies, client interviews. So the information we're putting out there, it actually has fucking substance. I've traveled the world teaching other dog trainers. I coach other dog trainers daily. I've competed at very high level. In sport with my dog. The information we provide, I like to think it is actually substantiated by the results we've provided for people. And I think it's actually kind of sickening who we're listening to and on what basis. You only have to look at the current political climate to realize that the general consensus of the public isn't necessarily what's best for anyone. So I guess the point of this video is just to be careful with the information you consume, please. I'm going to make a vow today, whether the algorithm likes it not, I will say at least what I believe to be true regardless of the backlash. But hey, to my point, if I stand by it, then naturally everything I just said could be just as fucking nonsensical as those I'm pointing the finger at today. I guess I've just got to roll with those sorts of punches. I don't even know if that makes sense. Or a pinch of salt, or a big handful of salt. I don't know. Hopefully this video has helped to bring some clarity to someone, and it just serves as a bit of a warning. Again, I appreciate the irony. Anyway, on that note, you want to watch another video? No, I'm joking. But on that note, if you wanna watch, you know, us actually train a dog, you can click this video right here. Anyway, I'll see you in the next one.
