Find
a Trainer
Q:
How can I find a trainer in my area who
uses the positive, nonviolent training
methods that you teach?
A:
You can find a local trainer
by going to the web sites of the Association
of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com)
and the National Association of Dog Obedience
Instructors (www.nadoi.org).
Referrals from friends can also be a good
source.
But
no matter how you find the trainer and
what anyone says about their methods,
don’t assume that they use only
positive methods. Check the trainer out
by asking a few questions:
1. |
What
training methods do you use? Do
you use physical corrections at
all?
|
2. |
Do
you use choke collars, pin a dog
to the ground or shake a dog as
part of the training process?
|
3. |
How
would you deal with problems like
mine? Mention barking, jumping,
inappropriate chewing, or whatever. |
Trainers
who use a combination of negative and
positive methods are sometimes referred
to as traditional or “balance trainers.”
Traditional training uses physical punishment
as well as rewards to shape behavior.
Praise, petting and life rewards (getting
to chase a ball, go for a ride, tug a
toy, etc.) are employed by many of these
trainers, but choke, prong or shock collars
are also frequently used and methods can
include jerking the dog, pinning him to
the ground and “scruff shakes.”
Traditional trainers represent the vast
majority of trainers in the world today.
Another
category of trainers are those who use
severely abusive methods. These methods
can include hitting (including the use
of fists, newspapers, rubber hoses), kicking,
extreme shocking, biting (both by the
trainer and/or another dog), hanging the
dog or holding him underwater until unconscious,
and ear pinching. Many people, desperate
to change their dog’s behavior,
feel that negative training is the only
way to get him to obey. It is not. Through
positive, nonviolent training you can
achieve everything you want.
As
you interview the trainer and get responses
to the questions above, remember that
words such as “positive” and
“reward-based” don’t
necessarily mean that aversive methods
aren’t used.
If
you hire a trainer and then find that
you don’t agree with the methods
he or she is using, you and your dog can
leave at any time. With that in mind,
ask about fees and policies.
And
even if you like the individual’s
training methods, there’s also the
issue of chemistry. If you don’t
hit it off with a trainer, your dog probably
won’t respond to him or her either.
|
