There is a war raging outside of the eyes and ears of your average dog owner. The war is over the right to define the words dog and friendly together, to meet the political ideals and needs of some dog organizations. Why would something so simple and seemingly innocent be creating such a stir?
Before that question is answer, let me explain what my own personal definition of dog-friendly is. To be dog-friendly is to offer your companion dog what they need in terms of food, shelter, exercise, training, and affection. The key words here are "what they need".
Each dog is an individual. As a dog trainer, there are no two dogs that have received the exact same training by myself. The differences may be subtle in some instances, and very obvious in others. Furthermore, personally witnessing improved relations in dogs who were problems to families, I don't go by the theory that only the most sedate and friendly of dogs should be pets. Indeed, in order to have a certain drive and high intelligence, a dog might not be for most average families, but may be for families that wish to do some very specialized activities with their canine companions. My family for instance is one such family. Finally, in that some negative behaviors in dogs come about from the lack of training and care by their human owners, it is our responsibility to make that right insofar as it is safe and possible to.
The above paragraph and experiences in socializing dogs at shelters with no training programs, and training dogs in shelters that offer such programs have helped me develop for myself the idea of dog-friendly. Certain professional organizations are folding to the pressure of what is called "purely positive" training. This is a whole different can of worms that I can't get into in detail at this point. However, this political movement in the dog training world is the belief that EVERY dog can be trained without leash corrections, collar corrections, verbal corrections, body corrections, or any kind of negative or stressful stimulus no matter how slight it may be.
Many results based dog trainers use different tools in their trade. These tools vary from trainer to trainer based on their interests and specializations. There are tools such as the prong collar, metal training collar, nylon slip collar, and electronic collars that are used properly and humanely. These tools can not only quickly help an owner obedience train their dog quickly and effectively, they can also provide such things as increased freedoms and safety for the dog due to the speed and effectiveness of their obedience training. This is the friendliest thing that I can do for both the dog and the dog's family.
This is the reason that I am highly offended by the hijacking of this term by parties with only their own interests in mind.
Before that question is answer, let me explain what my own personal definition of dog-friendly is. To be dog-friendly is to offer your companion dog what they need in terms of food, shelter, exercise, training, and affection. The key words here are "what they need".
Each dog is an individual. As a dog trainer, there are no two dogs that have received the exact same training by myself. The differences may be subtle in some instances, and very obvious in others. Furthermore, personally witnessing improved relations in dogs who were problems to families, I don't go by the theory that only the most sedate and friendly of dogs should be pets. Indeed, in order to have a certain drive and high intelligence, a dog might not be for most average families, but may be for families that wish to do some very specialized activities with their canine companions. My family for instance is one such family. Finally, in that some negative behaviors in dogs come about from the lack of training and care by their human owners, it is our responsibility to make that right insofar as it is safe and possible to.
The above paragraph and experiences in socializing dogs at shelters with no training programs, and training dogs in shelters that offer such programs have helped me develop for myself the idea of dog-friendly. Certain professional organizations are folding to the pressure of what is called "purely positive" training. This is a whole different can of worms that I can't get into in detail at this point. However, this political movement in the dog training world is the belief that EVERY dog can be trained without leash corrections, collar corrections, verbal corrections, body corrections, or any kind of negative or stressful stimulus no matter how slight it may be.
Many results based dog trainers use different tools in their trade. These tools vary from trainer to trainer based on their interests and specializations. There are tools such as the prong collar, metal training collar, nylon slip collar, and electronic collars that are used properly and humanely. These tools can not only quickly help an owner obedience train their dog quickly and effectively, they can also provide such things as increased freedoms and safety for the dog due to the speed and effectiveness of their obedience training. This is the friendliest thing that I can do for both the dog and the dog's family.
This is the reason that I am highly offended by the hijacking of this term by parties with only their own interests in mind.
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