FAQ: Dog Training

Do you guarantee your training?

Curious? Have a question? Email me and ask!

No.  Be wary of trainers who guarantee dog training results.   Behavior is fluid and ever changing, and your dog is not a furry computer that can be reprogrammed – it is a living, breathing thing with desires and feelings of his or her own.   The success of any dog training program depends on many factors, many of which can’t be ethically placed under a guarantee.  As a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, I have pledged my dedication to a better approach to training.

What I can, and do, guarantee:

• a commitment to the latest and most sound methods offered by the scientific community, as well as ongoing continuing education
• a commitment to humane, gentle and fun training
• Customized training plans that fit your lifestyle
• A kind, gentle and productive professional relationship (meaning that I will treat you, the human, with the same kindness, understanding and respect with which I treat your pets.)

Is my dog too old to train?

There’s no such thing!  Dogs of any age can learn whatever you wish to teach.  In fact, sometimes, more mature dogs are easier to train because they have less energy!  Whether you have an 8-week old puppy or a 10 year old shelter dog, the outcome of training depends on many factors, none of which include age.

Jackson: candidate for Cutest Puppy Ever Award?

What do you think of the Dog Whisperer?

I think it’s fantastic that he’s brought so much awareness to pet owners about the possibilities of dog training – gone are the days when the family pet had to be relinquished or euthanized because he has behavior problems.  Gone are the days when it was acceptable to tie a dog up in the yard instead of train it.  Milan has taught dog owners that there’s hope out there, and that it takes work, but improvement is possible!  He’s also brought awareness to the plague of both homeless, and loved but grossly underexercised and understimulated dogs in our society, which is wonderful.

However, my methods are fundamentally different from his.  I think we need to shift our focus away from simple dominance hierarchies in considering animal behavior.  Dogs are socially complex animals, and contrary to popular myth, they don’t spend all their time trying to figure out how to usurp their humans or other dogs! Consequently, physical shows of punishment do nothing but damage a dog-human relationship.  Knowledge is power.  The more you know about how dogs truly learn, the more tools you have for enhancing your relationship with your dog.  Have a look at this fabulous dog training article from 4Paws University; it also links to more scientifically-backed articles for more information. The Dog Whisperer Controversy

Do you use food in your dog training?

Yes! Food is what behavior professionals call a “primary reinforcer,” that is, it’s a stimulus that is rewarding (or sometimes pleasurable) in and of itself, and most likely has obtained this function through evolution and its role in a species’ survival.  For us land mammals, primary reinforcers include food, sleep, sex, air and water.  Out of that list, food is obviously the easiest to manipulate to our advantage (and let’s face it, if we asked most dogs, they’d be pleased to be offered food).  Food is also instant gratification for your dog.  It’s not by any means the only positive reinforcement tool used in dog training, but it’s often the easiest and most powerful.

Won’t my dog need food forever, then?

Not at all.  Once a dog has mastered a behavior thoroughly, food is no longer necessary (but I’m sure it’s greatly appreciated!)  To be quite blunt, if you need to use food every time you want your dog to behave, you’re doing it wrong!  I will teach you how to “fade” the food as quickly as possible.  Have a look at this excellent article, written by Dr. Ian Dunbar, world renowned animal behaviorist: Food Critics

My dog doesn’t like food.  Can he still be trained?

Yes.  Some dogs aren’t born immediately inhaling everything you put in front of their nose; that’s OK (and beneficial in some ways!)  The important idea is to reinforce good behavior!  Even better, it is possible (and not too hard) to actually teach a dog to enjoy certain foods.  Contact me for more information; together we can put together some ideas on how to train your dog.  This is not an insurmountable problem and it doesn’t mean that a dog training class won’t work; it just requires thinking out of the box a little!

Why don’ t you use choke, shock or prong collars in your training?

Because there’s a better way.  When you induce pain or discomfort in an animal, you increase anxiety and frustration. (And that is how these tools work, by the way – by inducing pain or discomfort as an incentive for a dog to correct his behavior.  They’re not magic, contrary to popular belief.)  Anxiety and frustration tip over very easily into fear and aggression.  This is not a sound way to train a dog, any more than it’s a sound way to train a giraffe or a lion!  It is much safer (and more pleasant for the dog and owner alike) to avoid these tools as much as possible, especially since better ways have been proven even more effective!  Increasingly, studies are showing that aggressive or aversive dog training methods can breed aggression in dogs.  Have a look at a quick synopsis of the most recent research here: Karen Pryor Risky Training article Also have a look at Penn State’s recent article on aversive dog training, particularly of the type seen on television: Questions about aversive training