Mac!

Mac!

Sunday, July 26, 2015

I tried that and it didn't work.......

I love hearing that and I hate hearing that. Did you try it once or many times? Ugh. Usually once. Folks want a quick fix to all their dog training problems. Problem is dogs don't learn like that. Oh wait. Yes they do. If you use pain. That's not training. That's hurting and it carries a tremendous fallout with it. Don't. Do. It.

Instead I love hearing it because it makes me be more creative. What other positive idea can I come up with to teach this? There's tons of positive solutions for every dog training issue. Look from every angle. Look from the dog's point of view (which folks rarely do). What motivates your dog and start there. Food, smells, games, touch, water, bones. Use it all to teach.

Don't try one thing, one time and say "it doesn't work" You and your dog are a team. Work it out. But leave pain out. K?

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Teaching and watching

I was teaching a Help for Reactive Dogs Class last night. We were across from the dog park and were watching for dogs to use as triggers. And here she comes. Yanking this young dog on a leash. Hard yanks that had to hurt. Who does that anymore? What in the world could it possibly be teaching this young dog? We (My clients and I) were watching this and she's yelling and yanking the dog along. She stops and the dog backs up cringing and lowering it's body to the ground. I had to turn away.I can't stand to watch folks hurt dogs in the name of training. Did she get this from her trainer, her parents, her neighbors? We won't ever know and had I been closer maybe I could have given her some help. You have to be so delicate about it because folks get an attitude. But truly, positive force free training can really help her and her dog. Because without it, she is raising a potentially dangerous dog that will lash out and bite her or someone else one day. So sad and so avoidable.