As Seen on TV...

This blog entry is not intended to offend anyone. As I mentioned before, my blog entries will be used to express my opinions and share my experiences as a dog trainer. Feel free to make comments, positive or negative (criticism should be accompanied with an explanation) and share your own experiences.

I am the first to admit that I am not certified as a dog trainer, have not earned diplomas or had any "formal" instruction when it comes to dog training. This is not because I am lazy, lack commitment or dedication. I have a college diploma in Graphic Design and 15 years experience in that field and own my own successful small business(es). I am not closed-minded or, in my opinion (others may vary) an ignorant person in general, nor do I feel that my way is the only way (but it is my favourite way:). The simple fact is that there is no institution that I have found that offers a complete program for K9 training. I would imagine that if there was such a program that it would be a rather long course, be expensive and provide little in the way of monetary compensation when completed. Each and every program that I looked into was slanted towards a specific method or philosophy, which is fine as long as the students attending the program understand this and realize that there is much, much more to learn (most of which can only be learned through first-hand experience). It is impossible to learn everything you will need to know to be an effective trainer in a single course offering only one viewpoint. I am a firm believer that there are things that cannot be taught and even though individuals may learn the basic theory and mechanics behind a process, they may lack the "feel" and natural ability to adapt when what they have been "taught" fails to work. Add to this ability the need for the trainer to relay this information to the dog owner/handler and suddenly the situation becomes very complex. At this point, unless the trainer has experience and truly knows what they are doing they are simply relaying instructions and losing some very subtle but important details in the process.

So, how did I learn?

Many people who are interested in training or becoming trainers often ask me "So, how did you learn all of this?". This is a very difficult question to answer completely. I guess it's best to start at the very beginning (you may want to grab a coffee at this point because this is going to take a

while)....

Like most children, I was raised by my parents to be kind to animals, to respect them as living things that have feelings, but, unlike most children, I was also raised to understand that their motivations and goals are not the same as mine. I was not misled into thinking my dog "loved" me unconditionally and that my dog enjoyed or understood human displays of affection (something children today and tomorrow should understand). I was taught that my dog relied on me for providing basic necessities, something that was my (our) responsibility to provide once we established this commensal relationship. They also relied on us for assistance when medical issues came about (mostly porcupine-related in our case:) and to provide shelter for extreme weather. In my opinion, my parents did a great job teaching me this, leaving me with a respect for animals that left room for warmth, affection and compassion but a strong dose of reality accompanied with a well-defined understanding of the responsibilities of pet "ownership" (with the exception of preventing unplanned littersof which my dog had 4 that I can remember...yikes). It kept me safe as a child (for the most part) and allowed me to look at dog training from an angle that many would not. Sure, I feel that my dog enjoyed my companionship in its own way, even loved me perhaps, but this was never something that clouded my judgement (at this point I could spin off into a definition of "love" that would start a debate, but this is not a relationship blog :). For those of you who have met me, I am sure many of you think I am cold when it comes to my dogs, but for those of you who really know me, well, you know a much different person.... enough of the sappy crap for now.

My dogs have always been treated/respected/trained like dogs. My challenge as a child was to manipulate that motivation to my advantage. I do not believe that my parents ever realized the amount of time I spent with my first dog Buffy, the things I taught her to do, and how much I relied on those interactions with her to give me confidence (I never even realized until recently). When things would get "turbulent" at home, Buffy and I would escape across the road and up the hill or into the forest behind my home where we would spend a great deal of time searching for things, playing games and just spending time until things at home would settle down. I never realized that what I was doing with my dog was training... it just happened, it was natural and was a great deal of fun. I was not inhibited by the utilization of this "method" or that "method". I did not approach training as a process, more as an experience. I simply looked at each scenario as a challenge that WE had to work at to find a solution. If it meant using direct physical manipulation/force, so be it, but often times I manipulated what meant most to my dog and that was food and attention (play, interaction, etc.) and, of course, anything my dog could retrieve, tug on or search for. This would prove to play a great role in my training later on.

Earning Patience as Opposed to Learning Patience

Having patience is something I have had to re-learn. Learning patience (in my mind) is something that is required when there are expectations that are well beyond your ability (and your dogs) that could leave you expecting more at the end of a training session. Your agenda outweighs your ability to teach and your dogs ability to understand what you are asking. When I discuss "earning patience" I am referring to someone (most often a child because adults are tainted by schedules and agendas) who enters into a situation with little or no expectation and allows a process to unfold naturally, where there is great reward simply in what happens, the results of your actions and the response.

As a child, I grew up in a rural area where I would spend countless hours outside interacting with the animals (aside from my dog) earning patience as I went. My home had a creek in the front yard where I would spend my entire summer examining the crayfish, fish and other aquatic life. We used to throw our scrap bread crusts into the creek to feed the fish (primarily trout). I soon realized that by doing this repeatedly that the fish became aroused when we would approach. It was, by no means, an "Aha" moment for me in training. The words Pavlovian Conditioning had no significance to me at this time... it was just, in my mind, "really neat". Eventually, I would spend hours working with the fish in the creek, conditioning them to eat out of my hands, allow me to catch them, examine them, put them back and catch them again. I learned to earn their trust and develop a relationship with them. I learned to recognize specific fish by physical markings, and patterns of behavior (some struck your fingers vigorously, some would calmly suck on your fingers, etc.) and I could almost predict the times at which certain fish would feed (off topic side note for my wife: I accredit this experience with me being able to recognize very subtle details, especially when it comes to identifying specific vehicles that people drive, etc.). It got to the point that when the fish would get whipped up enough, the crayfish would come out and check out the scene. This experience led to me being able to control the schools of fish in the creek by tapping the creek bank to get them to come to me and then rewarding them.... essentially my first lesson in patience when teaching recall. I was a very patient child (with skin like a prune most of the time:)... I wish I could have bottled that patience and kept it with me for now...

In winter, the creek (sadly) froze, leaving me to reach out to other animals for something to do. My mom has, on occasion, reminded me of how patient I was as a child when I would spend countless hours standing by the bird feeders like a statue, waiting for the chickadees to land on my frozen, open palm full of sunflower seeds (this was an exercise in learning patience as I had an expectation/agenda that was developed from my fish experience). This was not an instantaneous process, in fact I logged numerous, 8-hour days waiting for them to come close (damn neighbours always had their bloody feeder full of the best sunflower seeds so the birds had options). Eventually I earned the trust of the Chickadees and they would land and leave quickly to avoid being caught. Eventually they would land in my hand and hang around but, it was not long before they would land on a moving, outstretched hand and even allow me to run a hand over them (not sure they really liked that, but I did it anyway). They would even take seeds from my mouth, but that was sometimes a bit intense, and often a bit painful. In time, it was not not uncommon to be shoveling snow outside and, if you stood still to take a break, the birds would land all over you like mosquitoes in the summer. My grandfather, who encouraged me to feed the birds in this manner was shocked when he could not stand still without them landing on him also. One day I caught him cursing and swishing them away as they landed on him while he was trying to shovel the walkway. This upset me. He quickly realized that I was present and he assured me that he was not upset with me or the birds, but that he was afraid that he might accidentally hurt them if they landed on him while he was moving. He told me I had done a very good job and he chuckled. I remember him covering his cup of tea as he drank so the birds would not land on it. It made me happy to do such a good job and that my efforts had been recognized. Although I was flooded with attention from adults as a kid, I especially enjoyed when people recognized my successes and abilities... some things do not change :)

There is a large gap where I "lost touch" with animals. One might assume that becoming a teenager may have had something to do with it, but I know, deep down, that the reason was the loss of my first dog Buffy. As she aged she slowly began to lose her mobility. One day I found her huddled under a creek bank, and she could not get up. Eventually I got her to the car and mom and I brought her to the clinic. I carried her in to the clinic be euthanized with the intention of staying with her to the end but was talked out of it by the clinic staff and was persuaded to wait outside while they euthanized her (something I regret to this day). I brought her out in a simple cardboard box, took her home and buried her in that same, flimsy cardboard box with the help of my mom. That burial in that makeshift coffin was so unworthy of such a great animal, but I had nobody to help me or teach me to build an appropriate container. This single event had more of an impact on me than I believe I realized at the time, to this day I get choked up when I think about it. My family had other dogs after Buffy, but the connection was lost and my desire to work with animals faded...

Starting Over?

It was not until my wife and I got our second dog together from Bowmanville Animal Services that I slowly became interested again. I watched as my wife was instructed by an old-school, jerk n' pull trainer on the finer points of making your dog "mind" you. Dogs that did not comply were labeled as defiant, especially if they pulled on leash. I remember thinking about how abrupt this was... how I had never required this "harshness" to teach my dog these silly, simple things, but then I was only a little kid at the time, so obviously I didn't know any better. Besides, the people teaching me had "titles" on their dogs, some of them even equating their dogs titles to "university degrees" in relation to dog training. I eventually accepted the idea of using force to train, abandoning what I knew was right and replacing it with a feeling that I needed to be the leader and how my dog would defy me if I didn't have the upper hand. I would start teaching a using punishment to shape a behavior, not because it worked best, but because my dog was going to obey.... eventually, pinch collars and a variety of other devices including slingshots, riding crops, e-collars etc. would be used, but none of them really stuck because I never really liked using them. My timing was great, but for what? To inhibit and intimidate my dog more while it is trying to learn something? It was more of a power trip than a training exercise when these methods were employed...My interest in training began to slide again. I looked for new exciting opportunities and learned about decoy work/bitework with a local trainer who, although talented, was in it for the wrong reasons and I ended up learning a great deal about what not to do with regard to humane treatment of animals and the deception of clients. This experience was an eye opener. I was now beginning to realize the flawed logic that many trainers operated by and the ridiculous theories (that made little sense) that they based their programs on. At this point I had enough experience to question what I was being taught and really analyze what I was doing. Questioning the theories of many of these trainers led to great conflict surprisingly enough... and very few answers to my probing questions.

We eventually had the opportunity to attend an obedience trial at a facility in Pickering where my wife Paula had entered an all-breed obedience contest with Xena, our Bouv/Rott X. After doing very well in her obedience routine, the instructor and facility owner commented on Xenas performance and also mentioned that she would do much better if we weren't so hard on her..... she was right, although I did not know it at the time, and did not want to admit it. From there on, Paula began to look at reward-based methods and apply them to cross train Xena. Things improved, considerably. I was not sold on this... and I don't know why. I was so caught up in the mindset of making my dog respect me and view me as a superior, I could not recognize what had worked so well for me when training my own dog as a child. Eventually, after many intense discussions while traveling to dog training conferences, trials and seminars, Sharon D. as well as Sue G. wore me down, LOL. I began to turn my training processes back into where they were almost 20 years prior. It felt right..... I owe a lot to these two people, they helped me to get back on track and make me "think" (like a child) again.

Being patient when "teaching" when working with animals was something I have had to learn all over again. I still struggle with this occasionally but it is getting easier. I still become impatient and physically abrupt at times but I no longer use force to "teach" but more as a standby and as part of the overall conditioning for the service dogs I raise. Training my dog(s) is (now) about working together, with emphasis on communication. The key for me is to avoid thinking about "getting things done" and concentrate on the process itself. This might be the reason that I prefer not to train my dogs with other people around and do not enjoy the "club atmosphere" when it comes to training. To be honest, the only reason I ever competed was because I knew I had a good chance of winning, otherwise, I had no interest (I am a bad sport at times... most times). I am convinced that my lack of patience was/is not related to my experiences with animals, but due to the experiences I have had with people, mostly trainers who rushed the training process by expecting immediate response from an animal that had no clue what was expected. These trainers would label the dog as "stubborn", "defiant" and "dominant". I reluctantly adopted this mindset. Besides, who was I to judge? I had no formal training and the people instructing me had a great deal of experience (or so they said). I, in turn, took this approach and now realize the flaws in this philosophy. I do not regret learning to train in this manner and I believe that anyone who has not experienced this first-hand has absolutely no right to knock it or come to conclusions about it without experiencing it. There are way too many people preaching about reward-based training and poo-pooing the use of force who have never even experienced both. These people lack experience, pure and simple, and are almost as detrimental to training as those who have a force-only approach and do not have a solid understanding of the use of reward as a training tool. They simply do not know and refuse to learn/experience it for themselves. You can never understand something fully unless you have experienced it for yourself. There is no theory that can replace experience.

Okay, I have gone way off course now... (I am sure you are all very surprised, LOL)

The initial event that sparked this post was a visit from a potential client who had been given bad advice as well as board & train service from someone who was a "certified trainer" who received their certification by way of a popular tv show. They assumed that the certification meant something, especially coming from a source that is so successful and in the public spotlight. This "certification" was all the experience that this trainer had, not even a year of hands-on, but this is not that uncommon. There are dog training franchises you can buy for $48,000 to "secure a territory" and in mere months you will be trained and unleashed on the public with your vast amounts of experience (oh, and you pay royalties as well).

Ugh. What a joke...

Here comes my rant about certification...

Much like a title on a dog (obedience, show, sport, etc.), a certification is an achievement and a show of dedication. It does not prove that the individual who is certified has natural ability, instinct and ability to adapt. For instance, being licensed to drive a car means you have basic skills but does not mean you are a good driver. A doctor may have years of medical school and still be useless (we had one such doctor who nearly killed my brother when he was an infant). Driving a car and practicing medicine have specific guidelines that have to be met and still there are certified individuals who are potentially dangerous.... for dog training there are no standards and no criteria set, except for those set by the course instructors (which obviously can vary). I could certify someone for dog training if they pass my dog training course (which could involve hours of kennel cleaning, washing my car, doing my laundry, etc :). Of course, I would never do this.... but I have seen it done... accompanied by a $1200 fee for the course, which was not much different than what I just outlined. This is an absolute scam, a waste of time and money for the student, not to mention misleading for both the student and the customers using the services of this "certified" trainer in future. Often times these students, having made a significant investment of time and money, feel that they have a "complete" education and that there is nothing more that they need to know, which could not be further from the truth. Now, to really stir the pot, add to this "certification" the backing of a star of a dog training tv show... how is that for credibility and excellent marketing!?!? Much like the popular dog foods that are sold through the emotional appeal of their tv commercials, the trainers (graduates) produced by this tv program are as appropriate and beneficial to their clients as the crap kibble is to the health, behavior and overall well-being of the dogs it is fed to. Their (the trainers) utilization of inaccurate theories to justify their intimidation of animals through force is ridiculous and their inability to teach their clients to successfully use these intimidation techniques often leads to enhanced behavioral issues, mostly reactivity/aggression. These intimidation techniques can work, but if the client cannot replicate them or does not want to do so the result can be less than desirable. The huge "grey area" created by a half-assed effort to "correct" the dogs reactivity usually leads to intensified behavior. This is the point at which most of my clients contact me (perhaps this would explain my critical view on "certification").

Aside from this tv show that is pumping out trainers, there is another program (that touts itself as a "college") that also concerns me. Although it puts more emphasis on reward-based training I question its legitimacy, specifically its choice of "mentors" for its distance-learning clients.... they are shaky at best. I have actually witnessed one particular mentors' training first-hand and I cannot, for the life of me, understand how that individual was even considered for this position. It indicates to me that this program is very, very flawed and lacks credibility.

So What Do I Recommend For Aspiring Trainers?

Now that I have basically bashed everyone but myself (yes, I am that good in my little mind) the question still remains.... how does someone acquire the knowledge and experience to provide dog training services?

It is not easy... been there and I am still there. I continue to learn from people all the time, sometimes from people with great amounts of experience but most often I learn the most from watching novice, talented handlers. It is humbling to watch someone take instruction from me and immediately work through an exercise better than I could ever imagine. On occasion, I actually request some of my students to perform exercises repeatedly so that I can pick up something new from them or just simply admire their ability. It is the closest thing I can come to experiencing it first-hand. I recommend that (rather than take a course) aspiring trainers volunteer to help out at dog training facilities free of charge, to teach classes or audit the classes. Spend some time, see what is happening, look at the successes but also concentrate on where the facility falls short with regards to addressing peoples concerns and the behavior of their dogs. There will be trends in some facilities that will be very obvious, both positive and negative. I see these shortcomings in the dogs that are referred to me by different facilities, in which case most of the issue is truly with the handler and sometime with the instructor not taking the time to ensure that the handler grasps the concepts being taught and ensuring they can apply them.

The next suggestion is one that I make with caution (sorry for anyone involved in rescue but...) and that would be volunteering with a rescue group. There are many out there, many with big hearts but lack common sense and rational thinking. There are others who lack morals and are simply wanting to make a buck and still more that would best serve dogs by closing down altogether due to their poor conditions. After years of volunteer work I am very, very suspicious when it comes to these organizations and although I like to help where I can, I keep my distance and only help out when asked ... and asked ... and asked. No, this is not to have my ego stroked but more to evaluate the agency's commitment.

Next, look into working with your own dogs. Look at what your breed (or mix of breeds) was intended to be good at and try it. Then, choose something that they are not really cut out to do and teach them/motivate them to do that also. Challenge yourself, set goals but do not have a set agenda as to when you should achieve these goals by. Gaining experience is not a race. While doing this, watch other handlers who are successful, whose dogs are excited to work and who work well. These people are often "naturals" who can provide you with a great deal of information if you pay attention to what they do. These people often cannot tell you why their dogs work so well so it can be a challenge to figure out for yourself. In conjunction with this, watch videos, use the internet and read articles about training.

Finally, commit to learning different styles of training, apply them consistently and once you have a good "feel" for what you are doing, note the differences in performance of your dog or the dog(s) you are working with. This in itself is a long-term commitment but will provide you with a great deal of hands-on experience.

Final Thoughts

Training is not a perfect science and I would hazard a guess that most trainers would agree with that. Not being a perfect science makes it necessary for trainers to be flexible and be able to adapt to change by not being resistant to "changing gears", should the need arise. Sometimes it is necessary to look outside of the process itself to make change happen (eg. diet change, access to environmental stimulus, etc.). Trainers who do not know how to change gears are prone to responding in frustration and simply do the same thing over and over (sometimes using greater and greater levels of force, more treats or more exaggerated lures) expecting a different result (Einsteins definition of insanity?). Speaking of frustration, this leads me to the next point... the moment that personal, emotional energy is applied to a training process, the ability to think rationally, to be proactive or react properly goes out the window. Acting purely out of frustration will only undermine training endeavors (and reveal the instability of the trainer in the process). Finally, and this is most important, do not become "loyal" to a process or method. This is something I see all too often. Clients and even other trainers become so wrapped up in what they have learned or what a certain well-known trainer says that they ignore or close their mind to other ideas. This is ignorance, plain and simple. Instead of doing this, take a look at how children discover and learn things. They are shaped by experiences, and learn best from them. Think like a child with no bias towards anything you experience, let it shape what you learn and do not be influenced by what others "tell you" is right. Watch a child handle a dog and watch how they work through a problem (keep your mouth shut and watch them work). They have no agenda, no time limit and are happy with any progress. Adopt their ability expect nothing,

their patience (and sometimes impatience) when working through many repetitions and how they never hold a grudge, make excuses for the dog or for themselves, or have anything to prove, a competition to prepare for or someone to impress.

This is what real training is, and how it should be.

Natural, rewarding...

Fun.