The Value of Training Your Own Dog

As I get older, I find a new category of clients who seek training for their dogs - owners looking to have the dog soak up some of the experience of the "handler". With practice, any handler gets better with his ability to communicate what he needs his dog to do for him - often, this is the practiced ability to know when and how to work a schedule that "predicts" success. In other words, working alone, or in quiet groups.....or using high intensity treats to improve performance. But, can your dog do these things in a regular, populated setting?.

I have constantly referred training questions back onto the owners for more than 5 years now - some owners understand that, as a resource, my ability is best directed in training and informing the handler on ways to succeed in teaching and cooperating. Others, still want to have the dog "trained" and then given back. This is the old way of dog training - dont fall for it - when it comes to general behavior and obedience, you are better off working with a handler that trains you on how to handle situations and assists - opposed to a trainer in the drivers seat, who will later expect to transfer the sum of his work to a less experienced handler (you), who will be expected to maintain that schedule to maintain that success. Overall, the handler is better served struggling through training their own dog and understanding the push and pull of learning to communicate needs to an animal that doesn't speak your language. The trainer, generally, is better served to help the handler "smooth" out rough spots and be a reference of support. Your dog places a much higher value on behaviors that they feel they play a role in figuring out, and will retain that ability longer than, obedience commands and related punishments that motivate response. In other words if your dog "sits" to trigger a response/recognition from you as part of a 2 way communication - as opposed to sitting to avoid a punishment, you have a behavior that will last longer in the dogs vocabulary with less maintenance. The obedience sit, will always diminish along with the availibility of the handler to punish or reward on demand. This same application lays across all of our communication with our dogs, understanding the need to dictate some commands and when to expect communication is key. Especially, when you are looking for training or help in molding your dogs overall behavior. Apply all of your resources, and use them to help you build a lasting language between you and your dog, that you can build on.