I am an animal trainer, but I'm asking because I am interested in learning how much dog lovers who are not involved in this business know about the kinds of training available and their options when they need a trainer.
sHOTTiExxHOTTiE
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ive got the privilege to get a puppy who was just smart. lol but we got her at 2 months old and she was VERY easy to potty train. we live in an apartment, so every time she went to the bathroom outside we gave her a little piece of puppy biscuit. (we broke them down beforehand cause we thought it would be alot harder for her than it really was.) so far i've only taught her "no", "down" and "sit". but that plus potty training in 2 months is more than awesome to me! ive also got it to where she wont enter or exit a room, a car, or anything without me telling her to. it only works with my voice, so my husband is out of luck lol. i travel alot with her (i visit my parents alot out of state and i have to take her so she isnt alone in the apartment while my husband is at work) and it was always hard to get her in and out of the car, she wouldnt budge, but saturday we were going to get her shots and we walked over to the car and i opened the door and said "get in" and to my suprise she hopped in happy as ever, i can say i was more than excited! and the same thing worked when we got there i told her to "get out" and out she jumped. shes a purebred australian shepherd, i dont know if thats got anything to do with it, before her i can honestly tell you i didnt know that was even a breed. (my mom was always a cat lady, i moved out when i was 18 and we only had 2 dogs in my lifetime .. one was a dalmation and the other was a lhasa apso (sp?)) but after i got her (she was actually free, the lady gave it to me cause she said she "found" her and her brothers AND mother deep in the country, now that i think about it that doesnt make any sense, i found an ad for the pups on myspace and called and she said she was a breeder too, but i wasnt going to question her, all i knew is she had adorable puppies that she was giving away for free!), after i got her and brought her home she seemed alittle weird, for a puppy not to eat or have much energy, but i thought it was just the change of location. but no, turns out she was in the last stage of parvo(actually about to die), the lady lied and said she gave them all their first shots and they wouldnt be due for another month or so. but shes all better now, i did a home treatment and now she actually does have her shots ! but my point is this dog is incredible, she is a big part of my life and shes so smart! i guess she is just naturally smart.
ozzy59
I know that all dogs are different and whatever method used to train 100 dogs successfully may just not work on the next 100.
I know you have to keep an open mind,be patient and if what you're trying to get the dog to do he obviously shows no interest in trying to comprehend you need to change your tactics.
I also know that dogs are like children and the rate of speed they learn at varies from dog to dog.So trying to force the issue creates more problems than it's worth.
I've never attended a training class with any dog I've owned over the years.My first stop after acquiring a dog has always been the library to read up on the particular breed.Then I've consulted some of the best and in my opinion the worst trainers in the world who've written books on the methods they use. And there are many of both.If I run into a particularly troublesome problem I've called local trainers and found them to be quite helpful and patient in answering my questions over the phone altho rarely have their methods worked in correcting the behavior.
I've not just read or listened to one person and taken what they had to say as it was written in stone.If something does'nt sound right or it may be in my opinion to be rather harsh to FORCE an animal to behave in the manner I want it to. I keep looking for a better explanation or a less harsh manner that will make the dog WANT to do what I want it to.
I've also read several books on dog behavior that by no means make me an expert but has long ago instilled in me the importance of exercise and socialization as well as given me some understanding on why dogs do what they do. And understanding certain behavior is the key to getting rid of it.
Regardless of the behavior problems I've had to deal with over the years my end result has always been a happy,healthy,well behaved dog.So I must be doing something right.
I hate clicker training.Certainly it works but what are you gonna do when you forget where you laid the clicker?
Shocking a dog works too and quite well but I feel it's cruel.
Using the reward method only gives the dog the idea that when he does good he gets food and he's sitting and begging all the time.And just praising the dog for a job well done does'nt always work either.Make training a fun time tho combining praise and treats and a chance to run off excess energy while he plays and bonds with you and it goes much faster and the dog wants to learn and files the lesson in his little brain where it will stay for life.
Anonymous
Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aL6LM
A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.
Anonymous
I like clicker training. I also believe in positive reinforcement, which I guess is clicker. I think different methods work on different dogs. I'd not have very good luck with my son's Rott the way I teach my toy. I find it upsetting when folks take Caesar Milan as God and use methods they see him do on TV thinking it is for every dog without taking into consideration the temperament of their own dog.
I took my German Shepherd to a behavorist once. She was picking up my toy and shaking her by the neck. Trainer told me she could show me how to stop it but I could never trust them together alone. I already knew how to stop it. Guess I wanted the impossible. I know some trainers board while they train. That seems like a good idea for aggressive dogs in a household with kids. She was pretty effective with the dogs I saw there.
Thanks for being upfront with who you are.
I've seen trainers drag and jerk dogs around a ring to get them to heel. I think there are better ways. I would not want them to work with my dog; big or small.
Not sure this is the sort of info you were looking for; but it's what comes to mind right now.
Reddii
I've used a wide variety of methods in just 12 months. (Bounced from one club to another until I've found a place I am comfortable.)
I'd summarise as follows:
Aversive Methods - check chain, growling ie -won't repeat behaviour for fear of reprisal/correction etc. On their own, not a good idea. Useful if used with a calm head and teamed with plenty of positive reinforcement. Would only use for obedience and general behaviour, NOT for fun stuff like dog sports etc where you need almost every interatction to be positive.
Food Methods - Can be useful and are always positive for the dog. Especially useful for activities where 'shaped' or offered behaviour is useful (like agility etc). Downside is that dog's can get to a point where they will do nothing if there is not a food reward involved. For this reason it is important that you phase the food out as quickly as possible.
Clicker training - used with food. VERY good for marking the correct behaviour accurately. ie: click instead of 'good boy' then they know exactly when they have done good. NOTE - clicker is not an attention getter!
Toy based training - with my two prey driven BC's I've found this to be the most useful method. They know when the do something right they get to play with their toy (squeaky toy, tuggie etc etc.). Only ever let them at the toy when they are with you, it is your toy, not theirs that way you are controlling the reinforcement.
Respect - The single best piece of advice I've had is make sure you work on building respect with your dog. They can only do something when you tell them they can, but they get heaps of praise when they have done what they have been asked to do. Occasionally there is a need to correct a dog (eg: bites a sheep, breaks a stay etc) but the correction should never be overly harsh.
Never hit your dog. You should be able to raise your hand to your dog and not have them shy away because they don't know what it means to be hit.
The other great piece of advice was never be cranky at your dog when they come back to you. You need to be able to call you dog back and have them come - are you going to come back if you know you are going to get in trouble.
Finally - pick a training method that works for you and your dog and don't listen to what 'experts' have to say. If you are both having fun and making progress then it is the right thing to do.
GOOD LUCK!!!