Types of Trainers
There are four types of dog trainers out there (though there are some shades of gray between them and we will go into what, I believe, makes a quality trainer at the end of this long section.)
The Trained Trainer: The first is the "trained" trainer. This person has attended one of the many schools popping up to teach them to train dogs. (Nice way to add a large layer of profit to the training industry, but it doesn't mean much except somebody is making a lot of money and the really bad trainers are still out there. Meanwhile, the true dog trainer, because they know through personal instinct, experience, study and innate talent what is required to train both the dog and owner, is still quietly training dogs that are happy, for owners that are happy.) This trainer, basically, is taught one way to train dogs. They are usually individuals that have said, "I really love dogs and want to become a trainer." These trainers tend to only be able to apply that which they have been taught and cannot adjust well, if at all, to dog individuality. This where you so often hear an owner say, "We failed dog class." How on earth can you fail dog class??? Dogs have been sitting, staying and learning what is acceptable and non-acceptable behavior amongst themselves for thousands of years. Do you really believe that they don't know how to do these things? Of course they do. The trick is to communicate exactly when, where and how YOU want them to do it. (Dogs know how to do this with each other, too.) If there has been failure, short of the owner quitting class, then the trainer didn't have the tools, personally to teach the dog and owner how to communicate. Nor did the trainer probably have the innate ability to adjust to the individual dog. This is "cookie cutter" training, both for the trainer who is taught, and the dog whom the trainer teaches. We know this style of teaching doesn't work for the majority of humans, we know it doesn't work for the majority of dogs. Owners have always known this and it is why you sometimes feel that there is something "wrong" with certain classes/trainers you observe. Or why the need to retake, or take new or higher level, obedience classes? There are specific communication skills, as well as personal attitudes and behaviors that owners need to understand, learn and master in order to establish basic behaviors that all dogs need to learn. If the pack can teach a puppy, why can't many trainers teach the dog/owner duo? Because they can only teach what they have learned, they can't tweak it when needed to fit the individual dog/owner.. I would not be satisfied with this type of trainer for my dogs.
The Modified Trained Trainer: The second type of trainer has been taught, or picked up, a specific and/or limited variety of methods and is able to couple this with a learned and/or unconscious limited awareness of dog behavioral cues. This is a trainer about whom owners often say, "They're good with dogs." The trainer may try to combine a few methods, or try different ones, in order to help the owner get the dog to learn a behavior. This may also be the person who will be the "teacher" at many of the dog trainer's schools. They may, or may not, use treats/positive reinforcement or choke chains and will attempt to explain what they are trying to get the dog to do as far as response. Usually, however, if the dog doesn't "get it" or "acts up", this trainer having been using either severe methods to intimidate or bribery to achieve an end will tell the owner to practice, practice, practice. "Pick a specific time and practice." "I don't think you practiced last week." "You need to practice more with your dog." WHY? What does good behavior have to do with practice? The dog behaves or it doesn't. Tricks you practice, behavior is knowing what is acceptable and what is not in the way of a personal response, both from people and dogs. Bad behavior is stopped, good behavior is allowed to continue. Even very young children get that idea without practicing. An owner is training a dog every minute they spend with it-as well as every minute they DON'T. This would be the type of trainer that I would go to only because my choices were limited.
What I see is that training by practice of one method is reconstructing the owner and dog into a predetermined mold. You both have to fit it, not make it work for your individual character and lifestyle. No wonder there is so much practice involved-it's totally foreign to how both dogs and people function. You need to force yourselves, and the dogs, to learn it until becomes a habit. I build obedience responses off the inherent feelings and reactions of both people and dogs. You don't need to practice the response, it's a natural one. What is practiced is the correct form of communication to elicit the natural response. This works so much better and is easier for all concerned.
An owner wants a fluid relationship between two caring individuals, dog and person. All relationships need to be worked on, communication does not always come easily, concisely or clearly. But, I don't know any couple in the world that goes home at 5 o'clock and "practices" their relationship. I can see how long that would last...a husband comes home and the wife jerks his necktie and says, "Sit." If he doesn't do it immediately, the wife makes him sit by jerking the tie harder and pushing him down into the chair (harsh method). Or, he sits on command and the wife pops a cookie in his mouth (bribery method.) Yep...that will be a happy couple, but only if they practice, practice, practice.
The reality of a relaxed, satisfying, complex, fluid relationship is that each individual is aware of the other. They adjust constantly, but not by using bribery or punitive actions if the relationship is healthy. They have developed a language that includes trust, understanding, looks, words, tone, actions and sounds that indicate to each other the acceptability, or non-acceptability, of actions, statements and behavior. When a spouse makes that certain "noise", or shoots that certain look, the other person has the choice to ignore it (and we all know what happens then) or modify their behavior. Most modify quickly and quietly for a variety of reasons. They don't want a fight, they do it to maintain the balance in the relationship, they modify to please the other person, they adjust because it is also in their best interests, or a combination of these. There is no need to slap, jerk or bribe to get them to modify. Every parent knows that old plea, "If you behave, I'll buy you a/let you...(fill in the blank.) We know it doesn't work. On the other hand, neither does the "all-love" method of training work. Why should a dog do anything you ask when it gets what it wants most (affection from you) without one iota of effort???? In human relationships this would be equivalent to an "enabling" scenario usually seen in unhealthy, damaged (i.e., alcoholic, abusive) relationships.
The Niche Trainer: The third kind of trainer is the niche trainer. They might be combined with one of the types listed here and don't necessarily do, or may not be able/want to do, general public obedience training. These trainers are individuals that concentrate on a specific niche, such as guide-dog training, stunt/trick training, specific forms of work (livestock, rescue, therapy, etc.) or show-dog training, to name a few. These trainers are usually very good at what they do, but their method, or end product, may not have any bearing on what the average owner can replicate or needs. Some of these trainers can, and do offer obedience training, but it is difficult for the normal owner to understand and actually put into practice as this type of trainer offers a system that works for a specifically inclined type of dog and the system is not geared to accommodate dogs with temperament/abilities that don't fall into the training category. By this I mean, it is almost impossible to train a dog with no livestock instinct to truly work stock. Or a dog that doesn't have the correct temperament to work as a therapy or assistance dog. Or to train a dog with little, or no, athletic ability or inclination to do stunts/tricks. The trainer can get results on a temporary/limited basis from many dogs, and exceptional results from a select type of dog, but an owner, in all probability, will never be able to reach or maintain any form of consistent obedience because they cannot do what the trainer does and do not have the "right" kind of dog for that method of training. I would certainly look to to this type of trainer for specific training needs, however. Training such as Border Collies to work livestock.
The True Dog Trainer: This fourth trainer has an innate knowledge of dogs. It was there when the person was born and has been honed subconsciously over many years of working with dogs. They begin to "work" dogs in childhood and so, have many years of experience before they ever do it for a living. No trained trainer can ever hope to come close to the performance of this type of trainer. They naturally "see" and "cold read" a dog instantly. They can tell what dogs will do before the dog does it. It is a combination of senses, knowledge and empathy that CAN NOT be taught. They tend to be fluid trainers, adjusting what is needed in the way of communication, discipline, freedom and method to the individual dog without sacrificing the basic goals and end result. (In the horse world they are called "horse whisperers.") They have a connection with the dogs that the majority of people can't see or understand. It is here that the owner says, "He/she works magic." "They have the touch." "They have a special talent." This is because the can adjust, "read" and communicate effectively with dogs to achieve the greatest desired result.
Some of these true dog trainers, however well they work with dogs, cannot explain what it is that they are doing. They simply "know". But, knowing doesn't help an owner understand or communicate. These are still incredible trainers, but they tend to take the dog from the owner, either in class or as a job, and train it, then return the dog. The owner receives a well-trained dog, but after a while, because the owner can't duplicate or continue what the trainer built as a foundation, some deterioration in behavior occurs. Not because the training wasn't good, or the owner didn't try, but because the owner didn't receive training to enable the communication, continuity and consistency of skills needed, and so the dog begins to become lax in its responses. This would be a normal scenario, even for humans with some dog handling ability.
A child, as a simplistic example, is taught to brush her teeth before bed in one home (parent's), then goes to her aunt's house. The child continues to brush her teeth with only an occasional reminder for a time, but one night she's just too tired, or simply doesn't want to, and begins to ignore the reminder or subtle correction of this deviation in trained behavior. The child begins to skip brushing more and more often. The aunt may not see the child is not brushing, or may not know how to handle the child when she won't brush when she's told. Suddenly, the child realizes that there is a 50/50 chance she can get away without any true downside. She opts for the easiest path for her-not brushing her teeth. You really can't blame the aunt. She knows the parents taught the child to brush nightly and assumes the child knows what is expected and will do it. Maybe the aunt hasn't had children and it doesn't occur to her the child will take advantage of a situation in which she senses a lack of guidance, attention and knowledge of correction. The aunt doesn't realize that "just this once" from the child is setting the stage for "every chance I get." The same holds true for an owner who receives a dog back from a trainer. Just change a few words in the scenario. Child=dog, parent=trainer, brushing teeth=command. The initial behavior of the dog is wonderful and the owner expects it to be that way forever. The owner doesn't think about the part they play in leading the dog, nor do they really know what to do if the dog just flat out begins to take advantage of their lack of knowledge and experience and ignores their command. The dog has been trained, the owner is still in the dark and doesn't really have the skills to correct and cope with the situation. The dog is usually sent back for a "tune-up". It wasn't a case of a poor trainer, they trained the dog well, they simply didn't have the communication skills to impart to the owner so that training and expectations could be maintained.
The flip-side to this kind of trainer is rare and, I believe, a top-quality trainer. It's the trainer who can not only communicate with dogs, but with owners as well. This person can adapt to both dog and owner needs, explain what is happening and why and impart the reasoning and skills behind the methods to most people. Luck dog. Lucky owner. Communication is usually enhanced for all concerned and corrections become minimal. Owners begin to see an immediate behavioral difference in their dog. The dog relaxes as it begins to work with a consisten, clear leadership and communication technique it can easily understand. Obedience class is not a punishment seminar held weekly, with the owner feeling inept and inferior and the dog unhappy and either unwilling or manipulative. Nor is it a "treat factory" with the owner resembling a grocery store fully stocked and the dog focused on empty-calorie rewards, not behavior. It is an experience that leaves both owner and dog with a clearer understanding of what is expected from each of them and the means to achieve the desired behavior and correct any miscommunication or outright unwillingness without resorting to bribes or "snap-n-jerk" methods. This is the trainer, that as an owner, I would hunt for high and low to train myself and dog.
How to Train a Dog | Dog Training Tips | Learn How to Train a Dog | Dog Training
