Trainer Info - Beware! - Page 1

I am very new to Schutzhund but love it and after seeing the experience a very good friend of mine had with what WAS a fantastic dog before he was ruined, I felt the need to pass this on:

"I had a very bad experience with a trainer in the Tucson area. I was working two of my boys very hard and wanted some help with a third so I could trial him as well a few months later. My agreement was with a trainer named "Tino". There were several things agreed upon in advance such as: Work on Dumbbells - this dog had a habit of dropping it before returning to me, Work on Voraus - we had never even started that command, Work on tracking - this dog had a habit of running the track with his head held high. I mentioned that I didn't need protection worked on but, that if he did, do not use a whip on my dog. I never whip my dogs as I feel there are much better ways to bring out defense. It was also agreed that Tino would bring the dog up to the Phoenix area every time he was in the area so I could see how the dog was progressing and spend time with him. I was also told I would get video and phone call updates of the training. In the month the dog was gone I had only two phone calls, both because I had called first. I never saw the dog or a video. At the end of the month I was sent three videos on youtube which were removed right after my viewing them, as they were a total embarrassment to Tino as a trainer. The first video showed my dog getting whipped in the face and sides in protection work, doing only agitation, none of the regular exercises. I hit the roof! Then I watched the obedience video where the dog who already had a BH was being worked with a shock collar on heeling and down. These were things the dog already had done very well. The tail was clamped and the ears were back as he tried to beat the correction that should not have been a part of his training anyway. There was no video of dumbbell work or Voraus work. This dog was SO enthusiastic about his work before and now was not enjoying it at all. I was livid. After a lengthy and heated phone call I was told he would work two more weeks for free just on the Voraus and dumbbell and that I would get video of every training session. He indicated he wanted me to be happy and that he wanted to be proud of his work. One week later there was still nothing, so I emailed again asking what was going on, the reply was simply:

"Hello Steve,

Zenny shall be delivered at approximately 7.00 PM this evening (Monday, 10-20-2008).

Tino"

At Ten that night he had someone drop off the dog to me, and has since refused my phone calls and emails. I would never recommend Tino as a trainer to Anyone who loves their dogs and expects good results. There are much better trainers out there if you need help, that love the dogs and treat them well. This is Tino:


"


Hopefully having this information out for others to see will save someone else from going through this!

I have a question and not trying to be rude but why did you let him have the dog after you were already not happy? I mean if someone did that to my dog I would of jumped in my car and went and got my dog or made arrangements for him to be returned the next day or so.

Quote-  I was told he would work two more weeks for free just on the Voraus and dumbbell and that I would get video of every training session. He indicated he wanted me to be happy and that he wanted to be proud of his work. One week later there was still nothing, so I emailed again asking what was going on, the reply was simply:
 

There are many great trainers out there but it is these stories that make me realize that titles are just not worth letting me send my dog somewhere far away from me. MPO

EK

SchH Girl

Why on earth did you let him keep the Dog for another two weeks, that i do not understand at all

Surely you could have got help from a trainer near you

another thing i do not understand is  Too get some one else to train him  for you,and then you expect the Dog afterwards to do as you want it when you yourself was not the person handling him during the training

That does not work very well at all.When Handler and Dog cannot do an excersise, then it is NOT the fault of the Dog

It is the handler who needs to be trained

You should get  a person in the know near you to guide you,with the right way do do these excersises to the satifaction of yourself.

 For me that is the only way to go ,there is no other way for me, its self only or not at all

I can find no satifaction in someone handling the Dog and Training itthen passing it back to me trained to that spec

The Dog knows and if he does not respect you then he will not work for you trained or not

Steve

SchHgirl,

I notice that everyone is jumping on you and it wasn't your dog.

Don't let this sour you an all Schutzhund trainers. Like in all walks of life there are a lot of good people and then there are the bad apples. The thing is to do your research, talk to people local to or has seen the trainer work,  and trust your instincts.

There are a lot of things your friend could have done differenly as soon as things didn't feel right, saving the first video and picking up the dog immediatly would have been one.  They are lucky they were able to get the dog back so easily., I've heard too many times were the police had to be called in.

I hope your friend is able to get the dog working happy  again. If not,  I hope he/she is the type to keep the dog even though it is 'broken'.

Thank you for taking the time to speak up.

SchH Girl

Sorry i misread  the start of your post a bad mistake It should be your friend i should be refering too

Appoliges for that

Steve

ScHH Girl  in no way was " I jumping on you" just wanted to know why the dog was left for additional two weeks if the training was so bad? .

And yes I should be asking your friend and not you, my mistake. Thanks anika bren for pointing that out.

EK

SCHgrl,

I have a question... Where did your friend get her dog from? I see on the pictures from your message that u attached is one of Wayne Curry's stud dogs..??? I know he was for sale but that dog was a SCH 3 and came fully trained. Maybe I am incorrect. Just wondering. I know that man works or worked with Wayne Curry. Which is a very reputable breeding facility. Maybe you got confused with the person that trained you friends dog.

The pictures are from Washington State, not the Tuscon area.

I too would be asking WHY did she leave her dog two more weeks if she was that unhappy with the training.  I have nothing against sending a dog foor training, to the RIGHT trainer.  I guess that comes from my many years showing and competing with horses.  Trainers are the norm in that venue.

Please do me and yourself and your dog a favoure and do not send your dog to be trained by some idiot.there are lot dumb ass trainers than reputable ones. in the dog world every tom dick and harry is dog trainer.in the words of my buddy Ed Frawley i don't recomend you send your dog to be trained by someeone else. so take time and learn to train your own dog there is more fun in it.just remember your dog pays a bigger price when he goes to be trained by some dumbass.have a nice one.

Well the trainer try to fry my dog with a shock collar but I let him train him for two additinal weeks. Is your friends on drugs? If someone would do that to my dog, I would got in my car with a shovel and a shotgun, and no one would have to worry about him training another dog again.

But what is more i mprotant tell your friend to train her own dog!!! How she expects to lern anything? Maybe she has too many dogs? Three? Sounds like it is the lack of training and time that might put her in the situation.