Embarrassing Training Moment

I've started training two large St Bernards to go to the bathroom in one area on this fenced in estate. Owners know they are supposed to be training with me, but so far they are only following directions that I leave with them, instead of coming out and trying it with me. Any way, first day there I bring the dogs out one by one. First the older 175 pound dog, and then the younger 135 pound dog. The older one finishes first so he gets unhooked and gets cookies, and I go to my truck to get the prong collar to train him to be sent to the area. Just as I get there, the younger pup goes number two, so I close the door to my truck (I think I do any way), and I rush over to give the cookie and say good bathrooms when he is done. I look back, and I see Tango's face looking back at me from my truck window----later on it was too steamy to actually see his face. Seems I didn't close the door all the way, and the smarty pants figured out how to nudge it open and get in. I walk around to the back and open the door. "Come on Tango". Now this is the first day of training, and this is either dogs first day on a collar at all (he's still on just a flat at this point). Tango looks at me and stretches out full length along the back of my truck. Clearly he is enjoying Jazz's comfy and very fluffy doggie bed. Alrighty then, I take my trusty leash and hook it up to his collar (which I told the owners was to large), and begin to tug. I successfully pull the collar off of Tango's head. Tango does not look very impressed by me, and shows no signs of moving. This is the point where you are praying that the owners are not peeking out of the window to see how you are handling their very large dogs. I figure at this point, I will take Cash out and we will begin training. Jealous Tango will certaintly want to come out then. Bingo, thank God. I really was not relishing asking the owners to remove their dog from my vehicle. Now it's week 3, and Tango still looks longingly at my vehicle, and I shut that door but tight!!!

First Trial Observed

At the AKC event that I just went to in Fitchburg, I was very surprised that just about every dog there was well behaved. Some of the show puppies were somewhat pulling on their leashes, but by and large, everyone, human and animal, seemed to be getting along, and focused on the task at hand. While hanging around the Novice and Open A events, I talked to pet dog owners who were competing. While their dogs were not doing as well as the Novice B competitors, still the dogs were in control and performing the obedience commands in and outside the ring. During the group part of the competition, no dog broke. Most of these pet owners belonged to obedience clubs. I was surprised and pleased that I saw all these pet dog owners competing, and I was the only training apprentice looking on. I was expecting more people like me, and less owners, but there I was the only one. In talking with them, their dogs were not always so well behaved going into these situations, each one had issues to work on, and they worked hard at their training. While they weren't perfectly in position, it still showed in the ring. Many of them got their first leg that day.

Some People Give Me Nightmares

Oh yes you are!!!!---different that is than the general public. The range of people out there looking for dogs is staggering. Granted most are good hearted people. I used to work as a controller for a manufacturing plant that employed.....cheap labor. Okay, translation, people who were not incredibly bright or kind hearted. Now don't anyone get offended, some of these people were great hard working people who earned very little money because they didn't complete high school (but were still smart and hard working), but some of them deserved the low pay they got, in fact, in my opinion they were paid too much. One such employee lit himself on fire with gasoline one day just to see how quickly it would get out of control. Burnt himself pretty bad, and he wasn't fired. Anyway, another of his ilk went out one day looking for a dog. Imagine my horror when he said he went to Sterling Animal Shelter where I was currently volunteering. This is a shelter that does minimal screening, but they do require proof of house ownership or landlord approval. He was denied and pissed, and eventually gave up his quest. "Fire boy" was successful in his quest (went to a different shelter but he may have had landlord permission). Got a lovely pit bull. Thought it was funny when the dog got all protective of him with his friends, dog bit several of his friends (while "Fire Boy" laughed at the antics), and finally one bad enough to be put to sleep. I saw this person's (Fire Boy) interaction with the dog, and the dog only did what he was taught to do. You may mean something different then screening processes. In my opinion the local shelters around here do not have adequate screening processes. Some of these dogs come out of a bad situation just to land in worse. You can never guarantee that a rescue will get the right home, but shelters can do their best with the budgets and staff constraints as far as I am concerned. Even the good hearted people sometimes have not aquired enough knowledge to adopt certain breeds or temperments.

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.