5 Things Successful Dog Trainers DON'T Do! #2

5 Things Successful Dog Trainers
DON'T Do!

It's important to think about all of our habits as a whole so that we can have the best experiences and have effective training. Bad habits drag us down, tire, and frustrate us.

In case you missed it, here is yesterday's tip: #1 - Assign Blame

#2 - Blindly Follow

Particularly when we are paying for an 'expert', it can be hard to question them. We may have a sense of inferiority (they are the expert after all) or worry that if we ask questions, that we are being disrespectful.

Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. Good dog trainers will welcome your questions and not make you feel dumb or rude for asking.

Good dog trainers want our students to understand WHY we are implementing certain protocols. If you understand the WHY, you will be set up to adjust the plan as your dog progresses.

Social Media Influencers

It can also be easy to get caught up in following a trainer on social media, one you might not be able to ask questions of. On-line training can be great, but direct feedback from a trainer whether in person or on-line is indispensable.

Dog training is an unregulated industry. That means that just anyone can make a website, start social media accounts, and call themselves a Dog Trainer, Behaviourist, Behaviour Consultant, etc.

You have to pass exams to call yourself an accountant, a doctor, an electrician.. not so for dog training. Keep that in mind when watching social media. Often the accounts and even big dog training schools are based more on charisma and showmanship rather than skill and knowledge. The number of followers an account has does not indicate skill or knowledge.

Red flags:

promising quick fixes,
use of the words "Alpha", "Dominant", or "Leader",
talking poorly about other trainers, particularly if they use personal attacks, or
any type of bullying type behaviour towards dogs, clients, or people disagreeing in the comment section.

Another thing trainers might use to evoke emotional responses is a false dichotomy argument. A friend sent me one today. The caption was "A true friend would knock you out if it meant saving your life". The rest of the post implied that severe punishment saves dogs' lives and people who love their dogs would use their methods.

These kinds of emotional tactics work because they assume a false statement is true, then base their argument on it. Punishment does not save lives. And yes, I would knock my dog out to save his life if it was an emergency situation, but it certainly wouldn't be my training plan.

Here is a link to Something to Wag About where Erin and I discuss how to choose a dog trainer, red flags, and more.

The opposite is true as well.

Occasionally, we meet people who move from trainer to trainer, never giving 100% to a training plan.

When a dog has a significant behaviour challenge, consistency over time is key. If you don't think your trainer is a good fit, or if you want to try a different trainer, that is absolutely OK, but be sure you are switching for clear, definable reasons, not just looking for a quick fix. Behaviour change doesn't happen that way.

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