As a dog trainer who has handled and worked with over 10,000 dogs over the past 10 years I have read on, researched and experimented with just about all methods of dog training. I teach shelter staff and others how to train dogs, along with training dogs myself. During an average week I will work with 15-30 dogs.
Thirty years ago William Kohler was the big name in dog training (The Koehler Method of Dog Training). There are few trainers in KC who still swear by his methods, which are now considered inhumane. His famous method to stop a digging dog. Fill a hole with water and submerge the dog's head in the hole. To teach a dog not to eat strange food - put the food on the end of an extension cord with bare wires. I think you get the idea. I actually read his book to be able to at least defend my conflicts with his training method. Then again, that was 30 years ago and trainers did not start to train dogs until 6 months of age. This was based on the thought that dogs could not learn until then. Since then they found out dogs can start training as soon as their eyes open (24-29 days). Then the positive reinforcement trainers came to light with Ian Dunbar and John Fisher. In my opinion, the masses took Dunbar's and Fisher's idea too far. Rewarding the behavior you want and ignoring the bad behaviors will not always work.
What is a punishment? It's simple, anything that is less pleasant than what the dog is doing at that moment. I won't get into the differences between positive punishment and negative punishment. If a dog is playing he does something wrong and you leash them and remove them from the play, that's a punishment. If you walk over and hang the dog. That's also a punishment, but it's also inhumane. As a trainer it's your job to determine what amount of punishment needs to be applied to deter an unwanted behavior and not go over the edge into cruelty.
This is where I run into issues with punishment based trainers. Or if you like "correction trainers". These are the trainers who have not picked up a book or even looked into improving their methods. I constantly videotape and try to refine how I train. A great trainer, takes a behavioral approach to working with a dog and adapts their methods to get the best results. Not all dogs respond to the same methods. Plus, not all dog owners can apply the same methods. It's sad to see old correction trainers in their 70's yanking the chain on a large dog with no affect.
I had chance to look at a dog for a local rescue that has been kenneled at a primarily correction based trainers facility. My first experience with this guy was several years ago. He had an 8-12 week puppy on a choker chain and every time it moved, he yanked the chain. Not hard, but a correction chain on a puppy? The dog I looked was a very sensitive female. I knew of the training methods used by the facility so I did a light correction to the dog. She collapsed to the floor and rolled over. This trainer did not look at the core temperament of this poor dog and crushed her spirit. He applied the same training he does to all dogs to this dog. Jerk,snap, jerk, snap make that dog submit!
I don't like the use of prong collars for one simple fact. People never, ever seem to get their dogs off these things. They walk around like, look it me! My dog is trained and does not pull anymore! Remove the leash and prong collar and the dog takes off. Like Patricia McConnell said "If you need the leash, is your dog really trained?" I think the same if you need a treat bag on your hip 24-7 to make your dog do anything. This is not a bag on Ian Dunbar or any positive reinforcement trainer. He stresses to phase treat rewards off within 10 repetitions. I think the Pos reinforcement trainers have gone awry from his original methods and rely too much on the treat as a bribe. This was never the intent of positive reward training. If you are a reward-based trainer can you train naked?
Training Naked- Take 2 days off from training your dog. Then take your dog somewhere with no treats, no electronic collar, no correction collar off leash for 1 hour at a local park. When you return to your car, do you still have the dog with you? Now I've had only 5 dogs in my life that qualified made it through this. My 4 dogs and one client- Orion the Shitzu. I challenge any and all trainers to do this with their dogs. Let me know how it goes.
Create a relationship with your dog, train off leash as much as possible and think about what a trainer is telling you to do! Is the trainer simply applying his same old methods to each and every dog, or does he really get to know your dog? Ask your self, "Is your dog really trained, or are they just trained on-leash?"
Two paws up!
KCDogGuy
www.gilbertsdogtraining.com
Thirty years ago William Kohler was the big name in dog training (The Koehler Method of Dog Training). There are few trainers in KC who still swear by his methods, which are now considered inhumane. His famous method to stop a digging dog. Fill a hole with water and submerge the dog's head in the hole. To teach a dog not to eat strange food - put the food on the end of an extension cord with bare wires. I think you get the idea. I actually read his book to be able to at least defend my conflicts with his training method. Then again, that was 30 years ago and trainers did not start to train dogs until 6 months of age. This was based on the thought that dogs could not learn until then. Since then they found out dogs can start training as soon as their eyes open (24-29 days). Then the positive reinforcement trainers came to light with Ian Dunbar and John Fisher. In my opinion, the masses took Dunbar's and Fisher's idea too far. Rewarding the behavior you want and ignoring the bad behaviors will not always work.
What is a punishment? It's simple, anything that is less pleasant than what the dog is doing at that moment. I won't get into the differences between positive punishment and negative punishment. If a dog is playing he does something wrong and you leash them and remove them from the play, that's a punishment. If you walk over and hang the dog. That's also a punishment, but it's also inhumane. As a trainer it's your job to determine what amount of punishment needs to be applied to deter an unwanted behavior and not go over the edge into cruelty.
This is where I run into issues with punishment based trainers. Or if you like "correction trainers". These are the trainers who have not picked up a book or even looked into improving their methods. I constantly videotape and try to refine how I train. A great trainer, takes a behavioral approach to working with a dog and adapts their methods to get the best results. Not all dogs respond to the same methods. Plus, not all dog owners can apply the same methods. It's sad to see old correction trainers in their 70's yanking the chain on a large dog with no affect.
I had chance to look at a dog for a local rescue that has been kenneled at a primarily correction based trainers facility. My first experience with this guy was several years ago. He had an 8-12 week puppy on a choker chain and every time it moved, he yanked the chain. Not hard, but a correction chain on a puppy? The dog I looked was a very sensitive female. I knew of the training methods used by the facility so I did a light correction to the dog. She collapsed to the floor and rolled over. This trainer did not look at the core temperament of this poor dog and crushed her spirit. He applied the same training he does to all dogs to this dog. Jerk,snap, jerk, snap make that dog submit!
I don't like the use of prong collars for one simple fact. People never, ever seem to get their dogs off these things. They walk around like, look it me! My dog is trained and does not pull anymore! Remove the leash and prong collar and the dog takes off. Like Patricia McConnell said "If you need the leash, is your dog really trained?" I think the same if you need a treat bag on your hip 24-7 to make your dog do anything. This is not a bag on Ian Dunbar or any positive reinforcement trainer. He stresses to phase treat rewards off within 10 repetitions. I think the Pos reinforcement trainers have gone awry from his original methods and rely too much on the treat as a bribe. This was never the intent of positive reward training. If you are a reward-based trainer can you train naked?
Training Naked- Take 2 days off from training your dog. Then take your dog somewhere with no treats, no electronic collar, no correction collar off leash for 1 hour at a local park. When you return to your car, do you still have the dog with you? Now I've had only 5 dogs in my life that qualified made it through this. My 4 dogs and one client- Orion the Shitzu. I challenge any and all trainers to do this with their dogs. Let me know how it goes.
Create a relationship with your dog, train off leash as much as possible and think about what a trainer is telling you to do! Is the trainer simply applying his same old methods to each and every dog, or does he really get to know your dog? Ask your self, "Is your dog really trained, or are they just trained on-leash?"
Two paws up!
KCDogGuy
www.gilbertsdogtraining.com
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