The Difficulty in Training People to Train Their Dog

Elena, For me experience in teaching people, came not right away, but in my proggressive trail up the corporate ladder in another field. I think it's little steps, learning to talk to people about controversial subjects so both parties don't get upset, learning to give constructive criticism, learning different personality types in people and which ones you shouldn't necessarily have to deal with, and learning how to break down a task into small pieces. I began as a junior accountant under many people in one company, and then became the manager of the whole accounting department of a 56 million dollar public corporation in charge of daily operations projects, merger and downsizing projects, layoffs, budgeting, profit margin analysis, et et. But I never just started there. In my advanced years, this has given me somewhat of an advantage in my private and group dog training classes. However, now I have to learn to deal with another whole group of people!!! Especially the group people, the pet parents, the social situation, the retail environment, and oh yes the other dog trainers. (and I am not making a reference to this list at all, I am talking about local competition primarily in these retail establishments) If I thought corporate finance was cut throat.......it was nothing. In that certain group of dog trainers, there can be an appalling lack of professionalism speaking about their coworkers who they are supposed to be working with (and I am not speaking about me. they seem to talk about every dog trainer in the store as horrible, while they are of course wonderful, but meantime they are counting on working with these people to make part of their own bread) Sort of a story about people and training. Recently I wrote about (I think) a group class that I thought went particularly well. I saw this couple was having a real hard time with their pit mix, Lola, and they were reinforcing the behavior that they wanted a bit late. So Lola was plopping her but down on sit, but then lifting it ever so slightly, because that's when she was reinforced to do it. So I demoed for a sit, and I reinforced it right as her butt hitthe floor, and she didn't get up. I thought I was doing this couple a favor, as there was more than one trainer running the class, by giving them special attention and showing them how they could do this. Well, turns out, they thought I was picking on them and talking down to them, and complained about me LOL> And I feel bad that they felt that way, because I thought I was just giving them the feedback that they paid for. So I don't know what the solution to that is. Don't help the client in group classes, so corporate doesn't have to hear from them? Don't help the client unless they specifically ask for it? I don't think so, but I don't know. It's funny to me because here I thought the couple left with a smile on their face and a dog who understood what sit was. And of course I should say here, I was never officially told who the couple was, just a "sly" hint was given from another trainer who could not tell me "who had complained". So it is very possible, the couple that I think it was did go away happy. I only think it was them, because I know I gave them special attention, and was in fact asked to continue to help them by the other trainer. So it's the whole package of two legged beings that can be somewhat frustrating. I am also learning that clients of these group classes aren't necessarily going to train their dogs. It seems to be mainly lonely people who are getting out with their dogs to talk to other dog owners. Graduation class not to mention advanced classes are a complete joke, that is unless you think proper heeling is binding the dog to your side with a wooden spoon filled with peanut butter (as both the teaching method and final product). Advanced Heeling 101, I must have missed that seminar. It's almost never the dogs.

First Full Time Week as Dog Trainer

I just finished my first week of doing this full-time. I have to say, I love it. I especially find it rewarding to give help to owners that others have "given up on". One lady, that is part of a couple, was given up on as "clueless". However, she just needed a pep talk on not giving up and timing. It made all the difference in our last class, and I can't wait to see how she is doing next week. I almost saw the light bulb appearing above her help. I had private lesson number two with a dachsund owner today, whose dachsund tends to think he owns the house. Second lesson, she was really getting it. In the middle of the week I called, she was not practicing, so we had a little talk about that. I fully expected that i would need to correct her by singing Christmas carols to her today (I am somewhat tone deaf). Luckily, she took my warnings to heart, and a lot of progress was made in practice with her Dachsund. She was positively beaming when I left today, and her dog was learning place and recalls. His little behind was just about swinging back and forth when I left. Knock on wood, nothing horrible has happened yet. Only positive experiences with my group and private lessons, thus far. It feels really right so far, and so much more rewarding than making sure a corporation makes enough money so that the shareholders can buy the vacation houses/cars of their dreams. Sorry to gush. I just feel like I have been caught up in a really good dream in the last couple of months.