What makers you a trainer? - Page 3

SIMPLY PUT: RESULTS. KCZAIJA MAKES A GREAT POINT. YOU START WITH A PROBLEM AND YOU KNOW THE GOAL YOU ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SUCCESSFULLY ATTAINING YOUR GOALS IN ANY DISCIPLINE LENDS CREDENCE TO YOUR CLAIMS. A GREAT TRAINER KNOWS THEIR STRENGTHS AS WELL AS THEIR WEAKNESSES AND THAT IS WHY I REALLY APPRECIATE KCZAIJA'S REMARKS. WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT TRAINER AT BRINGING AGGRESSION OUT OF DOGS BUT WHO HAS ZERO ABILITY(SELF ADMITTED) AT BRINGING SECURE OBEDIENCE TO A DOG. HE RECOGNIZES THAT AND PASSES THAT ON TO ANOTHER MORE-CAPABLE INSTRUCTOR WHO BY THE WAY PASSES ON DOGS TO HIM NEEDING CONFIDENTLY DEVELOPED AGGRESSION. I WILL ALSO CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT THE GOAL IS NOT THE ONLY MEASURE OF A SUCCESSFUL TRAINER. SOMETIMES ITS WHAT YOU START WITH(DOG AND HANDLER) AND WHERE THIS TRAINER TAKES THEM, EVEN IF NOT ALL THE WAY TO THE GOAL, IS A RESULT MORE DESERVING OF PRAISE THAN TAKING A MUCH EASIER TRAINED TEAM TO THE TOP.

I totally agree with KCzaja. It all depends on what you want a trainer for. I know lots and lots of excellent trainers that have never put a schutzhund title on a dog. I know lots of horrible trainers that have put several schutzhund titles on dogs. I know several very good schutzhund trainers who's dogs are horrible in the house and who couldn't train house manners if they tried. If you are wanting to compete in schutzhund, you need to find someone that has titled dogs in it. If you want to train a pet dog, you need to find someone who has worked lots of them. I have been training dogs as a career my entire life. I"ve been paid for it for 20+ years, and yet I have put B-3 on only one dog. Most of my clients aren't schutzhund people so who cares. I HAVE however worked dogs from nearly every breed and done everything from agility, hunting dogs, and aggression behavior modification cases, to studio animal training. To me what makes a good trainer is someone who knows their limits, and trains only to those limits. Someone who is willing to bend to the needs of both dog and handler. Book learning AND hands on. And someone who has learned from LOTS of dogs. Anyone can take a dog and force it to do something, but the true masters actually TEACH the dog something, and LEARN something from every dog. It was mentioned to look for professional certifications. Big question...from WHERE? By what certifying body? Every place that offers certifications has different ideas on what one must do to qualify to be a professional trainer. And anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a trainer. also, anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves qualified to CERTIFY a trainer. So more important to me would be someone with experience in dealing with the area of training you need help in (whether competition, pet dog training, or anything else). If there ARE certifications, research what it took to be qualified. Training with Someone who took a 6 week course and read some books and calls themself a master trainer, versus training with someone who has more experience then those who could certify them but who knows they may not be a master trainer yet, is just plain interesting. Why anybody would rely on the titles a person uses alone I don't know. I tell people to attend a class (if the class route is the route you're wanting to go) and watch to see if things feel organized. Can you understand the trainers instructions? Do the other students seem able to complete the instructions? Do both dogs and people appear to be having fun and comfortable?I also tell people to ask students in the class what they think of the class. Speak with the trainer on their experience level, and determine if they're continuing their education. A trainer who 20 years ago put a title on a dog and has trained hundreds of dogs and yet who is locked into doing things the way they've always been done with no care for furthering their education, is stale.

I tell people to ask to see a demo dog but be aware that anyone can purchase a trained dog and demo it. A better idea would be to ask to see a demo with YOUR own dog. I prefer to demo my dog, and then take a client dog and teach something quickly. Most good trainers could take just about any dog and get them to do SOMETHING (even if it's just to make eye contact, or not bolt through a doorway or something easy). I think this shows more about a trainers ability then watching them work their own dog. Also, while asking vets can produce trainers names, it's not always the best way to go. It's better to ask people who have actually had their dogs trained who they went to, what they went for, and what they thought. Any trainer can walk into a vet and sweet talk the front staff into recommending them. I see it done constantly with plenty of fly by night trainers. And many vets and front staff don't know much about behavior so they can be convinced on ways of doing things. Same with other pet care professionals. So while it's a good idea to ask pet care professionals who they recommend, it's better to ask people who have trained their dogs to the level you want yours trained at. So to me what makes a trainer? Not the titles they've earned, the books they've read, the experience they have, the certifications they have or what stars dog they've trained...it's something that combines all of the above and then some. I look at those I consider to be "masters" and think they are true artists. Not locked into a particular method per se, but able to talk with the dogs, and convey that to the client. They make it look so natural and could probably train in their sleep and STILL have the dog listen. In fact sometimes they almost appear to BE part dog. And not just one kind of dog or breed of dog, but ANY dog, with any temperment or problem, from any size or breed. Heck those that I consider to be masters aren't even limited to dogs, they could probably take ANY kind of animal and get it to learn something. Someone who can get a cat to do something has GOT to be a good trainer:-)

Shasta pretty much everything you said was right on the money. "Show me what you have done", "Show me what you can do" I love showing new owners within 3 mintues that thier dog can learn to focus on them. Or how to make a barking dog to hush in just minutes at the vets office. When it comes to training I know people that makes it looks so easy , We don't think about it any more. Specially an agressive dog, people ask all the time wow did you see that coming and I say no it is automatic and IF I did think about it I won't do it again:) It like driving a stright stick after so long you don't think about it, you just swift. I agree to a point with the vets. I get a lot of referrals from my vet due to how my dogs are trained and by what they see in person. As far as the demo dog . I did see "HER" demo dog and was very impressed at the time - me being new in all. But thinking back now She did not show me what she was teaching me with her dog. Like I said hers could not off leash. It is funny how things come back around, two years ago we were at a show and I was competing, she (My first trainer -read above) was there with her friend and my dog and I took first place as she sat on the side line it was SO SWEET!!! sorry but it was. Only thing I can say is do your homework look at it as if it was going to be your Doctor. A good trainer can enhance your dog while a bad one can ruin your dog.