Quote:
Originally Posted by moondog  I guess if you lack that or decide it's not worth the effort, then of course you would disagree and sacrifice some things to gain another. No skin off my nose. |
Your assumption that if someone does it differently, they automatically 'sacrifice' the relationship they have with their dog is what I have a problem with. The idea here seems to be that if you use a spray bottle, your dog absolutely, positively, without fail hate you. Well, not only have I personally used a spray bottle without making my dog hate or fear me, but I have seen it used before with similar results.
My 'position' is when and where corrections are needed or used DEPENDS ON THE DOG. My position is that every dog is different and before one uses aversive methods OF ANY KIND, one should consider the personality and temperament of the dog. The idea that there is one 'right' way for every dog is probably, in my opinion, the most close minded and 'old school' method of them all.
Do you know when I decide a trainer isn't worth working with? When I say, "What if you redirection doesn't work?" And they say, "Keep doing it!" I have ABSOLUTELY seen people who claim that they've 'redirected, redirected, redirected' their dogs to avoid nipping behave for MONTHS with NO RESULTS. And the advice everyone seems to have is is, "KEEP DOING IT!"
Why keep doing something if it's not working? The only thing you accomplish is frustrating yourself and frustrating your dog. Why not instead work WITH your dog until you figure out the best way to get through to them?
Not every method will work 100% of the time with every single dog. Training is 1/2 science and 1/2 art, in my opinion.
Furthermore, I see a lot of times people on this board will ask questions like, "How do I find a GOOD trainer?" Most everyone here seems very vague on answering this question and will often insinuate that a 'good' trainer is someone who echoes exactly what they've always thought.
How, I ask, is this FURTHERING our education?
Not once has anyone mentioned anything about checking to make sure their trainers have their CPDT, are members in good standing with APDT, or have any sort of degree or doctorate in zoology, animal behavior, etc. (By the way, the trainer I work with now has the CPDT, APDT AND the Doctorate. Not to mention 35 years experience.)
Ultimately, my advice is to find one of THOSE trainers, the ones who are actually committed to furthering their education, and ask THEM what THEY think of a squirt bottle over a prong.