I find it enormously disappointing, and upsetting, when I meet a new client and I hear the 'training history' of the animal and hear that they've spent money on failure. Sometimes, yes, it actually is the fault of the family or Human that handles the dog, but most of the time, it's not. I don't profess to know everything, nor do I think my methods are the end-all be-all of dog teaching. But when I spend one or two sessions with a dog and its family, and the results are life-alteringly good for that situation, I have to blame the previous "trainers."
Folks, this is why I put the word "trainer" in quotations. These so-called "trainers" are so into grubbing every cent possible out of these Humans who are reaching out for help, that they sometimes drag out sessions needlessly. Or they fail to teach the Human how to do it right. Sure, they give you just enough to keep you coming back, or to be awed by them and their own dogs, but it breaks my heart when I hear "He is just so good for the trainer! I can't make him do it at home."
If this is happening, you may think about getting a new Teacher. I get that there's a learning curve, and that nobody who isn't doing this for a living is going to be quite as nit-picky about method as I am. I understand that some Humans don't grasp the subtle body cues or miscommunications we make to our dogs, but that's my job....Right? Did you not hire me to teach you how to do it?
And what about safety?
I run into situations where the "trainer" who was supposed to be the "best" in the area, or the "field" has overlooked something so basic, so necessary for the safety of the client that it caused an accident. Remember the talk about using a safety collar with a prong? One of the "best" forgot to set one up on a dog aggressive dog, and the links came apart, and the client's dog got loose and almost killed this clients' neighbors' dog.
On top of that, this "trainer" also didn't bother to show this Human how to properly correct with the set-up, and was letting this person use a rope leash, which of course had burned the skin on the owners hands from trying to hold back the dog. No wonder the dog wouldn't behave for anyone but the "trainer." Kept them coming back for more expensive sessions, but was anything being actually taught to the most important person involved?
That dog who went to 5 weeks of boot camp and came home still too forward and "aggressive?"
These "experts" were allowing this animal to be in front of the pack it feels necessary to protect, on a tense leash, held back from the threat, while the owners repeated "NO! Leave It! NO!"
In case anyone doesn't understand why that's an accident waiting to happen, look up some videos on how Protection Dog Training looks, and you'll see why that was only promoting "aggressive" behavior.
This same dog also saw another "trainer." This time, the dogs' owners made it more clear they were struggling in the home environment with his "aggression" (it's in quotes, 'cuz the dog is actually not aggressive at all; truly kind of a sweet wuss who felt like it had no choice but to act this way) and this "trainer" insisted on meeting in a public place. This animal has never presented an issue off its turf. So these people were charged for an evaluation that didn't even touch on the actual problems.
Those "experts" were not bothering to observe the dynamic of the dog's relationship with the pack (i.e. the Humans). Simply placing the dog behind the pack leader, and allowing the owner to face the 'threat,' and this went dog went "WHEW! Thank god someone's taking care of that!" and laid down.
There are wonderful trainers, rehabilitators, behaviorists and teachers out there. If I'm presented with something that's out of my range, or expertise, I'll be the first to admit it, and help you find someone who can help.....Because I want your dog to succeed. I don't want to see your family lose a member because of a behavioral issue that could be helped by finding the right Teacher.
If you don't feel like it's helping; if you are not seeing progress, or if you feel like it's actually getting worse, perhaps it may be time to find a different way. Dog Training is not magic. It may take time, but you know your dog better then you think. If your Teacher isn't showing you what to look for, or explaining why your dog is responding a certain way, you aren't getting the whole story.
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