"Oldtimer" dog trainers and dog people only please! As you get older, has your approach to your dogs and their

Question

training changed in any way?
Just my own curiosity.
Thank you for any answers.
Professional "raters" please leave this one alone.

Thank You guys. All answers greatly appreciated, especially Greekman.
Have a nice one!

Answer 1

Yes!

I've been training for about 25 years.

I started out with the Koehler Method, and was pretty successful with it.

But over the years I have gone more to the positive side of training. I have also collected a variety of training ideas, which I use depending on the dog I am training.

I doubt that I'll ever be 100% "positive only" since I know the value of a good correction *when appropriate*, but as much as possible I prefer to use positive methods to guide and teach the dog, rather than force it.

I think that someone who NEVER changes what they are doing is simlply not learning. The same with my grooming, the longer I do it, the more I learn, and I adapt my way of doing things to try to do it better. To never change is to stagnate. Sure, it may be "good enough", but could it be better?

Answer 2

I adopted a dog in 1999 and we didn't know how old he was at the time but we've determined that he was at least 7 at the time (despite the fact that we were told he was 3....ugh.)

My mother and I had to move into a condo that didn't allow dogs so my grandfather adopted him.

Both my grandfather and the dog have aged together for the past 7 years. While my grandfather is an 85 year old who doesn't act any older than 50, the same cannot be said for the dog. He is now almost completely unmanageable. My grandfather doesn't practice traditional training methods by any means. However, he is an experienced dog owner and has never had any problems with others.

The senior dog, Chance, is now almost completely deaf and blind. He's a fox terrier x JRT so, naturally he was stubborn in the first place. Now the dog pretty much runs the house and pees on every corner of ever piece of furniture and every wall there is. This isn't the result of old age or poor health- he has done it throughout his life. It has gotten much worse in the past 5 years though.

I feel bad when I go over there and I see both my grandfather and the dog so frustrated with each other. They pretty much yell at each other constantly (Chance has always been a protesting barker.) Despite all the conflict and struggle, they're inseparable and understand each other. They're like peas in a pod. To be completely clear, I don't mean my grandfather is an unruly senile dog.

If there was ever a dog owner and dog who looked like each other, my grandfather and Chance are them.

Answer 3

I started out with my first dog, a Sheltie using choke chains and praise, no treats at all. She was a great first dog. I thought I was a great trainer LOL !

I got my first Sighthound, a Borzoi I rescued. A very soft dog. A strong correction caused him to scream and shut down. So had to modify my training.

I've since worked with many dogs, my own and a few others. I don't call myself a pro. I have worked with some very aggressive animals...all became better.

I've learned some new ideas from Cesar Millan as well as the Positive school of training. I've incorporated many new ideas over the years.

I use prong collars now over a choke. A martingale as a regular collar and a prong as needed. I'm very interesting in learning how to use shock collars properly. I am working on control at a distance for one of my dogs. I do use treats, but also wean them off treats later.

I use mostly positive and make training fun. My current Whippet obedience prospect LOVES training. She has the fastest snappiest recall in class. The trainer calls her the skinny border collie.

Last year I rehabbed a 10yr. old super dog aggressive Sibe...wanted to kill any dog she saw. Using a prong collar and some ideas from Cesar M. I got her to accept my Whippet and other dogs. My 14yr. old Whippet used her as a pillow on a long car trip.

I've always hated harnesses esp. when used with flexi leads for daily walking....trains dogs to be out of control and aggressive I swear LOL

Answer 4

I completely agree with Tony. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Koehler Method has always worked for me, regardless of the breed or disposition of the dog at the other end of the lead. Over the years my technique, understanding, and application of the method have improved; but I have changed nothing.

I do have one "pet peeve" with people who claim to be "dog trainers" but refuse to help the aggressive dog. And the old line: "why bother with this dog, when there are so many really nice (non-biters) out there". Why bother? Because you are a professional and the people who bring you their problem dog want it fixed.

I thank God everyday that Bill and Dick Koehler saw reason to help the aggressive dog and addressed those concerns square on. Who needs expert advice and help more than the aggressive dog??? And if you can't (or won't) offer that help; why call yourself a dog trainer? If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.

We have become a "throw away" society. Don't bother fixing that problem, throw it away, and get a new one! Make it someone else's problem. Humm...no wonder our shelters are full.

Answer 5

My methods have not changed drastically. Some of the things I was using in the 70's and 80's have now been named (I got kicked out of a class in the early 80's for rewarding my food driven dog who could have care less about praise with a treat). I use a combination of tools to get the training job done.

What I would say that I have changed is I no longer chose to train or re-train aggressive dogs. I do not have the patience for it, I cannot do it in an unbiased manner and I really do feel WHY would you bother with a dog who wants to bite you when there are so very many realllllly nice dogs who would never ever bite being euthanized at shelters? I refer clients with aggressive dogs to people who are better at dealing with them than I am.

Also... I've come to realize that there ARE some truly bad dogs and not all are rehab-able. Probably 2% of problem dogs just have something wayyyyy wrong with them (I'd say its closer to 8-10% in the general human population).

Overall... I think people (the general public) are more stupid about dogs than they used to be. At least that's what I see in my business... of course, their children are out of control too.

Answer 6

I'm sure ,over the years, we all change ,and this will reflect, i n the way we train our dogs,
in the early 80 halters were the thing,for dogs, people loved them , today i think they a waste of time .
people use choke chains, i do , i like them , but with any training ,item you need to learn to use them right ,over the years, Ive found on some dogs the choke chain just pisses them off, so the spike collar works better .
so what works for one ,wont work for an other, it the same with people, we all train in our own way ,
my true thoughts are , if you don't learn from your dog , what can he learn from you ?
times have changed i n the dog training world .
we have have our own views on whats right, and how to train, our own dogs,
if you not abusing your dog, i call that training ,

i liked this question , well done

Answer 7

The manner by which I train dogs is this:
1. Teach the dog what IT is I want;
2. Give IT a name;
3. Praise the dog when he gets IT right; and after he has demonstrated that he understands what IT is that is right, do I
4. Correct the dog (when necessary) to help him keep IT right.

The means by which I train dogs is this:
The applied use of the five motivating stimuli (Reinforcers - both positive and negative, Punishers, Discriminative, Elicited and Neutral).

Now then, although the application of strategy, technique and timing have improved with experience, the 'way' remains the same and has never changed. It ain't broke, so I ain't fixin' it.

Tony Ancheta

Answer 8

Well, that is a great question!! I have been training dogs since 1980 and have been involved in them before that, so, yeah, as I got older and learned more, my training philosophy has changed and it keeps on changing as I learn more..
I have not changed my way of thinking as drastically as others have and I do not buy into the crap of "positive" only training, nor do I bribe or clicker the dog to respond to a behavior I am teaching.
I still use a prong, but, I will no longer use a choker and I find my self using the Electric collar more and more as I find the success rate of it getting better with time.
I am not sure the pro raters will leave this one alone!!

Answer 9

I am not a pro trainer, but have had many dogs over the years.

As I've gotten older, I take their training and development much more seriously.

I am not sentimental about it and don't think they are furry humans. As a result, the dogs I have had in the past 20 years or so have been much better trained and well adjusted than the dog "babies' I had as a child, teen and young adult.

Answer 10

Love greekmans answer. I do concur. As cruel as it may sound to the "bunnyhuggers" I will use a prong over a choker but my favorite for everyday pets is the martingale style. I will use the shock collar. It leaves me out of the loop and the dog realizes his behavior verses my reaction is what causes the shock. I do use some positive reinforcement. But not always with biscuits and treats. I give those when I feel like it. They could all be laying around or I could be calling them all in the house. Its a treat just for nothing not because they did something they were supposed to. I have found the best positive reinforcement has nothing to do with treats but the tone of myu voice.