TRAINING METHODS
ONE METHOD DOES NOT FIT ALL DOGS!
We conform our lessons to your dogs needs. After conducting a temperament test, we are able to evaluate your dog's motivation and tailor our curriculum to his specific requirements. Don't Hire a Dog Behaviorist that is a method extremists (A trainer who only believes there is only one method to fixing ALL dogs.)
While current marketing trends are advocating the use of treat bribery for training dogs, many professional dog behaviorists are urging dog owners to implement a more holistic style of dog training or a blend of the two based on the situation and temperament of your dog. Others are even blaming treat training for the increase of euthanasia rates of unwanted pets in the united states (more information can be researched on the Internet search engines under "food bribing dogs creates aggression" )
On a personal note I feel there is no such thing as one method which will fix any dog and I will take any precautions necessary in saving my own dog's life. Rattlesnake bites as an example are responsible for many dog deaths each year but thanks to qualified trainers and the use of remote training collars, avoidance training may sound aversive to some, but will not result in the death of a loved one should the snake be the one to teach the lesson in a real life situation.
On the other end of the spectrum it makes no sense to use "force" on a fearful dog? Food/praise rewards help build the bond between you and your family pet. I feel in order to call yourself a real dog behaviorist you must have a complete understanding of all methods and start off with the least aversive but be ready to move on to something else should things not go as planned.
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CUSTOMIZED TRAINING
At Grumpy Puppy Training, we customize our approach to each dog, which is why we require people to get a few private lessons before they begin training as part of a group with a pack. With young, nervous, or shy dogs, we use food, treats, toys, and other forms of positive motivation. With scared dogs, we build confidence through urban agility using equipment such as park benches, beams, and stairs and running. With truly aggressive dogs—those that aren’t aggressing out of fear—we apply more pack leadership concepts.
Different breeds display different genetic temperaments. For example, if you have a retriever, the cross you may have to bear is his tendency to put everything into his mouth. With a terrier, you may be challenged by more digging and barking. A border collie may exhibit a strong herding instinct and nip at the heels of family members. It helps to know the strengths and weaknesses of your dog’s particular breed and train with those characteristics in mind. I usually help my clients to understand they're dog’s innate tendencies and teach them to redirect the behavior in a positive direction.
It can be argued that dogs in their natural environment do not communicate and manipulate by withholding or giving food for another pack members cooperation. But food can sometimes be useful to distract or re-direct a dogs attention. What may interest some people is that most trainers contribute their training methods based on the scientific research of BF Skinner and his learning theory based on "operant conditioning". B.F. Skinner was actually researching human psychology and and never did research on dogs.
Although humans learn through operant conditioning it would be cruel to reduce us to simple creatures when we are capable of sacrificing our lives to save another life, even knowing this would be self inflicting “positive punishment”. It is also inhumane to not take into account that each species has its own natural instincts and structure that it lives by. Yes we all learn by operant conditioning, but all living organisms are more complex then a learning theory can possibly teach you.
Not all animal behaviorist who hold a P.h.d agree with each others philosophies, just like dog trainers don't always agree with each others methods.
