He offers 3 different types of training. The one I am interested in is where he keeps my dog for half of the week. He showed me his german shepherd and all of the things my dog will learn.. I want that in my dog. Should I do it? The trainer will help me in making my dog obey me as well. The only problem is.. do you think that it will be less effective since I'm not there?
I can't go through with weekly classes. It'd be embarassing and annoying. I have a 2 y/o mini dachshund that does not like stranger's (to the extent of biting). All of my other dogs are great! I don't want him to bite a 2nd victim and get a law suit or have him taken away.
Answers:
Your dog has bitten and his problem is not a training issue. Any qualified professional will diagnose this as an advanced behavior problem that requires you to be involved in all aspects of the behavior modification that is usually a very long process, although you have not given enough information for anyone to really know the extent of what's going on and how serious it may be. A diagnosis needs to be made face to face with a qualified trainer and will probably require an intake that may last up to two hours. There is no reason to be embarrassed, but this dog cannot be in a "normal" training class among other people and dogs, based on the small amount of information you have given. Please seek the advice of a qualified trainer who has extensive experience in behavioral issues (aggression and biting). There are many people in the same situation as you. It is emotionally difficult for both you and your dog, I'm sure. Dogs bite when they feel they have no other options left. It is not a moral issue. Your dog is not a "bad" dog. ALL dogs have the capacity to bite and will bite, no matter how nice they are or how well trained they are when all other options have either been exhausted or cut off from them, or they have a physical ailment. "Aggression" is an emotional issue that stems from a combination of fear and/or stress, and anxiety, or it may sometimes be biologically driven. The particulars of it range for each dog and their situation (ie. resource guarding, on-leash-aggression, self-body-guarding, location-guarding, stranger aggression, dog-dog aggression, barrier-frustration). Treatment is usually done in the form of classical conditioning by way of systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning. Additional components in a treatment modification program will and should include anxiety-lowering measures (daily exercise that raises heart rate for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, work-to-eat puzzles, buster-cubes, fetch, tug with rules, hide n' seek, etc), management (setting up the environment so he does not fail, for example if he has bitten children when he is eating then you would never have children around when he is eating, have him behind baby-gates or in an ex-pen with food, etc. when you are not actively working on the specific treatment program), and suspending all reinforcing events (in this case, situations that lead him to exhibit aggressive behavior). Note that any type of modification program for aggressive behavior should never include any type of aversives in the form of positive punishment, and any trainer who would suggest otherwise is not competent to help you with your situation. You may want to contact a veterinary behaviorist, if there is one in your area, or perhaps do a trainer search on the APDT website. You still must, however, choose wisely. Not all trainers are alike and just because they sound confident does not mean that they have the necessary knowledge to help you. Find a trainer who understands learning theory, how it works, and how to apply it. Again, this is not a training issue and it is not a quick fix that can be solver within a couple of weeks. It will take everyone's commitment and time, but the alternative will be more emotionally and physically draining for both you and your dog, not to mention the liability issue and heartbreak if he bites again and causes real harm to another person. Good for you for realizing that you need to seek help. A dog that bites or is constantly in a state of anxiety is not a happy, healthy dog. This is not going to "go away" by itself and will probably become worse with time if nothing is done to address it. There is lots of good (and bad) information out there. You may also want to read some books by Jean Donaldsen to help you understand a little more about what you may be up against and to try and get a better grasp on the immediacy of the situation. Try going to the San Francisco SPCA website for some basic guidance and call them to see if they can help refer you to a competent trainer in your area. Good luck and shove the embarrassment aside for the sake of you and your dog's mental well-being, and the safety of others.
I am a firm believer in training your own dog.
one... even though someone tells you about their methods, does not guarentee they use them when you are not around.
two... training is a special bonding time. Why give that away?
three... how are you going to learn how to handle the dog should he back slide and start messing up again.
Please, train your own dog. If you think that it is going to be embarrassing and annoying to go to weekly classes and work with your dog every day, how annoying and embarrassing is it going to be when you are stuck somewhere not knowing for sure how to handle a situation so your dog has to go back to live with the trainer for a week or so? I would be more annoyed and embarrassed that i could not handle my own dog when he relapses. (and they all do it to some degree)
Everyone i know that has tried the method of letting a trainer train the dog had to still be trained themselves and then they had to send the dog back for brushups.
Take the time and deal with your dog with a great trainer by your side.
I would especially since you have to do none of the work and show up at a class. That is cool.
It's important that the trainer shows you how to handle your dog. I believe you might be having difficulties communicating with your dog because your technique is poor. Training classed and a good trainer will fix both you and your dog.
I have known numberous people who have had this type of training done on their dogs and it is essentially useless. If you don't know how to train your dog it doesn't matter what someone else does to your dog, it will never listen to you. I have trained dogs for a half century plus - have held public and private classes and 99% of the training is the person, not the dog. The dog picks up fast when it is properly cued and worked with but the person takes a lot of training. It isn't 'embarrassing' to learn - were you embarrassed to learn to read and write in school? This is no different - you have to learn. It isn't that the dog doesn't understand your english - the dog can tell what you want because you are not consistently and properly training it. English/Spanish/German/whateve... isn't dog language so they have to learn - their primary language is body language and regardless of what words you use if your body tells them something else, that is what they will hear. YOU need to get to classes. YOU are allowing your dogs to be a nuisance to the public and you should be sued for being a dangerous dog owner and neglecting their care. Go to weekly classes with a good trainer and learn to train your dog - that is a daily thing - not just weekly - You go weekly but you train daily.
His German Shephard does those things because he trained it - if you want your dog to do those things then go to the classes and learn how to train your dog. I think that as usual the hardest part will be training you as you have preconceived ideas that don't relate well to dog training and you are putting your ego into the situation instead of wanting to do what is best for the dog.
Hi Plastic flowers,
I do not think that any body should leave their dog with a trainer no matter how good the trainer thinks he/she is.
In halve a week I do not think that any body can train a 2 year old to the level you was promised. You did not mention what method was explained to you that this trainer will use to train the dog.
I trained my Border Collie from nothing and as I was not experienced I know what I went through to get him to the stage he is now. He is CDX titled and working for his UD title. I now use the reward system because the old pull and jerk system that I was taught at the obedience school I first attended with him did not work. I think that this trainer will use a heavy handed method to try and break your dog, I do not see why you cannot be there to learn what the trainer is doing to the dog and besides any trainer should train the handler to train the dog so that the handler and the dog will acquire respect for each other. There is no embarrassment in training your dog only enjoyment.
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