This is my rant for the day, after reading my "favorite" social networking site DogStarDaily.com, and managing not to bash my head against my desk into sweet oblivion. This has been building up for awhile, so these may not refer to recent postings.
Actually, DogStarDaily.com has surprisingly had quite a few posts on the fact that some of the rabid advocates of the "middle of the road" spin off of the "truly dog friendly" phenomenon use aversives.
(TRANSLATION: for most of my audience who doesn't know the politics of dog training. These people pretend to not be extremists while blocking comments, limiting posts, and not allowing answers from their blogger to information the blogger posted about. If you need to hide and control it, there is something there to hide folks!!)
No not aversives, you say (which may include the word no, body molding, or a leash correction)!! Yes, those that have been preaching to the choir, can not honestly say that they don't use aversives. Apparently they just like to in secret, so they can demean others who use methods that largely aren't aversive and compete with them in the market. Or that's my opinion anyway.
In the spirit of venting and serving up my Friday blog fishing in a different way, I am listing these as "there must be something wrong with me, as I don't do the following":
I don't have a "heart dog" as some trainers claim to. All my dogs and pets have been or are my heart dogs or pets. It's like saying you have a favorite child. Huh, that's positively dog freindly? Luckily dogs don't need therapy LOL. Or maybe they do and just can't ask for it!!
I don't ever wish that I did not have dogs, didn't have children, or wasn't doing what I currently do right now. I'm thinking some of that training some people don't like too much to do, or do well might help this situation.
Being bitten is not all in a days work. I have been bitten once, and deflected on once since starting. Both my fault, of course.
I am unable to train a dog fully around all distractions in two weeks. (It's the same blog as above, sigh)
If I have to hold up a cookie to get a command performance, then I have not trained the command. (It's the same blog as above) heavy sigh
I don't serve dogs or allow them to manipulate everything around them. (I do what is in their best interests to protect them and their freedoms. We have a partnership and both have duties to perform in that partnership.) This has more to do with what makes the human feel good, not in the best interests of the dog and family.
Dogs will obey commands, even when I don't have a treat or toy in my hand (unlike in this photo) once they are trained. A trained dog also does not need corrections. I don't consider a dog trained if I can only get them to perform with treats or corrections.
I am not afraid to give straight answers to questions, not conflicting answers or the run around. Still am very unclear as to what titles or designations her dogs may or may not have beyond CGC, TDI, or Rally titles LOL. And if you look on her blog bio or her website, you will be equally as mystified.
Then try and figure out, does this trainer use aversives or does she not? Hmmm, different answer everywhere you go. Then she says one should "show not tell". Sure saw this trainer doing a lot of telling on the Greatest American Dog, though sadly this trainer did not win. In fact lost to a dog owner. Seems she can't honestly say she doesn't do this just to live with her dogs, she just doesn't want anyone to know this:) Or heaven forbid, correctly try techniques at home that aren't even aversive.
I don't misrepresent training methods that I have supposedly learned by linking them to articles that inappropriately depict them. In my opinion, a person that does this hasn't learned very much about the method, as claimed in the blog. The article even talks about negative reinforcement correctly LOL. Negative simple means to take away, and reinforcement means to increase. It does not need to be aversive or a yummy treat, for the love of DOG. Koelher relies on you showing a dog gently and patiently with many repetitions. Those that don't do their homework and don't understand the method, may do harm to their dog as this blogger seems to be admitting she has.
I don't have promotional pictures of my dogs where they look afraid. Also can be found by scrolling down here.
I have a real problem with allowing dogs to hump other dogs. I would certaintly not leave them at a daycare that allowed this.
I don't put people down or demean them or villify them if they want a well trained dog. I understand that most people want the best in safety and freedom for their dogs, and that's why they do the best obedience training that they can.
I really feel for any of the general public that would give this social website with blogs from such "experts" any credence, whatsoever. The shame is there are some knowledgeable dog trainers on there somewhere, who very infrequently post. The main posters are people with minimal experience dog training, or who won't answer a straight question about their experiences dog training. IMO, this is all about money. Note that the bloggers have their products advertised on this site. Ian Dunbar's products are prominently displayed as well. He is notably well known for creating a huge divide in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, before trying to play both sides of the fence. Unfortunately, the reason he is doing this is not for the dogs, but soley IMO for his own profit. This couple of Ian and Kelly Dunbar can jaunt off to here and there all they want, but IMO they are hurting dogs and the profession of dog training in seeking to dominate the market.
Just my humble opinion of course.
No comments:
Post a Comment