Dog Training - Training the Trainer...

Dog training philosophies vary as greatly as dogs and trainers do. Most professionals agree, nonetheless, that a big part of training dogs consists of training the trainers.

Whether those trainers are pet owners or professionals they require loads of the same attributes. Most dogs are neither dumb nor smart in the selfsame way humans are.

But whatever their normal aptitude they need and benefit from consistency, repetition and a patient type of direction. Dog trainers require to have or acquire an attitude of control, calm and concentration. Not everybody has, nor can obtain, the forbearance to carry out a training regime that takes weeks to months or longer.

Training is occasionally as small as an hour per day, frequently as long as all day, broken up into shorter segments. Taking up that effort is a duty not all are equipped to master.
Trainers require to be patient, firm and fair not only with dogs but also with their owners. Honest answers to valid questions breeds the respect necessary to successful training.

A willingness to spell out in clear, patient terms what training will involve and to set out the goals of training is essential.

Variations in breeds, individual temperament and owners themselves makes guaranteeing results impossible. But before training begins, trainers need to impart answers to questions owners may not know enough even to ask. Realism is the only way to correctly set expectations.
Dog trainers require to find out a substantial amount about canine veterinary medicine.

While they make no pretense to be vets, they need to know the outward feasible signs of hip dysplasia, bacterial infections, diabetes and additional diseases and conditions. Training can only proceed with a healthy dog.

Trainers require to understand safety procedures, both for the sake of the dog and the trainer. Even amicable, well-behaved dogs can become excited during play. Dogs are emotional creatures and once their hormones start to erupt, they usually require several minutes at best to calm down again.

During those periods of excitement, teeth are frequently exposed and the dog is moving around erratically. It's easy as pie for a trainer's hand to get in the path, or for the dog to harm itself over a leash or training block.

Trainers need to develop acute powers of watching and communication. Trainers aren't only dog lovers. Although, they are virtually always that. They're men and women who have or acquire the aptitude to carefully observe dog behavior, even subtle cues and clues. That watching has to be understood to the point that reacting becomes automatic.

Dogs will regularly signal when they are about to bolt, or to vomit grass, or exhibit a slew of different behaviors. A good trainer has a keen eye and the understanding of how to use those observations to maximize the effectiveness of training.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers in the U.S. provides guidelines and training for trainers that help keep trainers and owners happy with the results. Not all professional dog trainers are members, and not being a member doesn't mean a professional is unqualified. Nevertheless, the organization is a great place to begin to learn more concerning dog trainers and their methods.
The APDT can be contacted by mail, phone, or at their website.

Back to Dog Training Obedience

Website:
http://www.apdt.com/
Phone:
1-800-PET-DOGS
(1-800-738-3647)
Address:
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers
150 Executive Center Drive Box 35
Greenville, SC 29615