Who’s the Best Dog Trainer?

December 30, 2012 | By More

who me
YOU!

Consistency is essential for a well trained dog.   You can teach your dog anything, but maintining proper supervision and follow through beyond the classroom is paramount to a reliable behavior.

Since you are there to supervise her daily routines, how well she plays with others and follows the rules of the house; you provide food, water, exercise, and reinforcement for good behaviors, you are better suited than anyone else to be your dog’s trainer.   As we all know, dog training is not just for six or eight weeks–it’s for a life time.

My clients will often tell me “you’re really training me, not the dog.”  Even though it’s said in jest, it is in fact, true.  Any professional trainer should be able to train your dog.  But unless you’re taking your trainer home with you, that’s not good enough.  A responsible trainer will go beyond teaching basic commands and will teach you why certain techniques work better than others and how your dog actually learns  (association vs. consequence, etc.).   You should be able to read simple body language (i.e. wagging tail does not always mean happy dog).  It’s important to be familiar with all the tools, from basic handling equipment, to the most important motivator…you.   To realize how much you can influence your dog’s behavior with visual signals, facial expressions, voice, body movement, praise, etc. is empowering.  And that’s before you even pick up a treat or a toy!

There are not enough dog trainers in the world to train every dog.  So it’s the responsibility of every professional dog trainer to teach dog owners to be the best dog trainers for their own dogs.

Whether you enroll in classes or hire a dog trainer for private training, you should achieve two things for yourself: knowledge and independence.  When you understand how dogs learn and know the most effective methods to train them, you will have the confidence to continue training on your own.

YOU can do it!    Positively…of course ;-)

 

 

 

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Category: All Posts, Behavior, Dog Training Tips, Obedience

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