Recent events have given me some inspiration to address the relationship between dog trainer & (potential or existing) clientele...

Dog trainers are people.  Clients are people.  That fact is simple & indisputable black & white.  Trainers' & clients' expectations of each other are where the gray area is, and I have this to say on the subject:

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of whether or not you agree on every single thing.  Debate can be healthy and an amazing learning opportunity, and then there's the old adage I live my life by: sometimes, we just have to agree to disagree!  People can dispute that very statement all they want, but at the end of the day, if you DON'T just "agree to disagree," you're going to end up blood-boiling mad & filled with too much negative energy for me.  I prefer to put my energy into positivity, so if I couldn't agree to disagree, I'd be beating my head against a brick wall a lot, and that isn't where I want to put my focus.  (Consider the controversial topic of using aversives in training.. I USE aversives in training where I deem appropriate.  So-N-So doesn't.  I'm never going to convince So-N-So that my point of view is "right."  So-N-So is never going to convince me that I'm "wrong."  So to put a whole bunch of passion into trying to argue it out on facebook doesn't make any sense to me.  I put my passion into what I love; bringing balance & positivity to dogs & their people.  I don't expel it beating a dead horse.  To reiterate, I am not referring to what could be called healthy debate.  That is not the same thing as playing couch quarterback with your laptop on facebook, spitting things you'd never actually say in real life.)

Basically, I train people.  I do my very, very best with a 100% commitment to give them peace & strength & balance, and get back in tune with what is natural.  Well-behaved dogs & the alleviation of behavior problems are a by-product of that.

I recently saw a review on another trainer's page that said exactly this "I can't stand this trainer that made me yank my dog's neck."  There are so many things wrong with that statement, and to me, it lies almost entirely with the owner.  I'm not going to specify the trainer, and my opinions of said trainer don't matter to make my point here.  (I'm sure at this point you can feel my frustration and I'll specify exactly why in a few paragraphs.)

1) Nobody made you do anything.  It's YOUR dog, YOUR responsibility, and nobody  has the power to MAKE  you do anything you don't want to do, especially when it comes to the safety and handling of your dog.  A trainer is just another human being giving you instruction and a point of view on something.  You don't have to follow it, and if it isn't in line with your beliefs, WALK.

2) It is the responsibility of the dog owner to research their "trainer" (there it is, in quotes - "trainers" seem to love doing that these days).  That aside, it is the responsibility of the dog owner to check out the trainer they're thinking about hiring BEFORE actually paying for the training.  There is no way I would blindly pay for a training class knowing nothing about a trainer... They would have to come with a super high recommendation from someone I totally trust on the subject and/or I'd be looking into them beforehand; (meaning asking around, checking out the website, "google" 'em, etc.  I actually wrote a whole separate article on what to look for in a trainer: Interview a Potential Trainer.)

3) I am not sticking up for trainers that are too heavy-handed here.  The type of training being used by the trainer in the review I'm critiquing has nothing to do with my critique itself, which wasn't even directed toward me.  It bothers me when consumers don't take any accountability in who they hire & what research they did or did NOT do beforehand, resulting in their dissatisfaction.  The trainer in review could have been AWFUL or could have been misunderstood, I don't know, but regardless, can you see what's wrong with that review?

I received an email just before the Boston tragedy from a client (now former client) who was ranting about not passing their CGC test.  Here is an excerpt from it: "The other dog owners there this past Sunday seemed to know far more about how you would run the test than we did.  They seemed to be much better prepared." 

YEAH.  No kidding.  Reason being, the other owners attended more than just four drop-in classes and took some initiative, asked questions, actually listened to the answers and did a little research into the test they were actually taking.  At the end of the day, it's your dog, and the owner needs to be proactive.. same as we want from our dogs.  I would never be writing this kind of rant about it had I not been so offended by the finger being pointed everywhere but where it belonged.  The blame can't be placed on everyone BUT you when your dog doesn't behave the way you want it to, because at the end of the day... guess whose responsibility that ultimately is.

As many of you already know, I ADORE my clients.  I will bend over BACKWARDS for anybody that has 100% commitment to their dogs.  If the commitment is 98%, I don't want to even get involved.  (The exception to that rule might be the client who isn't sure if the dog's issues that need to be fixed are more than they are ABLE to commit 100% to, and that can be determined with a private assessment & some time to sleep on the subject. The assessment I am more than willing to provide, and give direction and assistance if the determination is that 100% is not realistic.)  I'm really not as much of a hard-ass as this particular post is making me sound ;).

The moral of the story is, no matter how great a trainer is and how good of a person the dog owner is, sometimes, you just aren't a good match.  It happens with dogs sometimes, too - nothing is "wrong" with this dog, nothing is "wrong" with that dog; they just rub each other the wrong way.  It happens, and it's human nature, and it is what it is.  Nothing to even be upset about... You just find yourself a great trainer that is also a good MATCH.  If inquiring minds want to know, my response to the very long & rather rude email I excerpted from above was this:

"... I have to be honest with you.  You have been showing up to classes for over a year now and you don't appear to be absorbing much of what I have been telling you, whether you are not listening to me when I am speaking to you, or because my communication style isn't meshing with you.  I have told you many many many times what to do about the jumping and not repeating commands and I can say it until I am blue in the face and it doesn't seem to be helping; [this folks was my response to being told I never gave said client any instruction on curtailing jumping.  Which is bullsh*t.].  Same with the dog-on-do greetings.  You seem to be oblivious to her behavior at times, and I can't train her for you in that setting.  I realize that is not what you are asking me to do, but you have to understand that you need to listen & implement what we are telling you.  If you don't, you won't see results.  I have addressed the greeting behavior and the pulling many times with you guys.  Also, the CGC Test is a test; not a time for instruction, especially when there are dogs in line waiting to take the test.  It was not our responsibility at that time to tell you what to do about a given step she didn't pass; we were administering the test itself.  We HAVE instructed you on how to handle her around other dogs.  We do not appear to be seeing eye to eye.

If the other dogs/owners appeared better prepared [than you], they probably were.  It is not my responsibility alone to familiarize you with the CGC Test.  You have to be proactive and take some initiative there as well.  I have said many times that treats and training collars are not allowed during the test, and I have taken the time many times via email and in person to give you advice & steps.  I don't know how to be any more clear than I have been. 

I really don't appreciate this email and it is enough to make me think that I am not a good match as a trainer for you guys because we are clearly not seeing eye to eye.  The class is not all about you, and I feel bad saying that because I feel like you know that, but your email does not convey it; if you wanted more invasive instruction, than private training would have been the way to go, which I have communicated to you before.  As you said, the other dogs/owners seem to have gained all of the information you are saying I didn't give you.  We are clearly in disagreement here.  I hate to say it, but I feel like I am beating a dead horse.  I am sorry you are upset that you didn't pass the test.  Obviously, a lot of what I have been communicating has not made sense to you.  As you said, that does not seem to be the case across the board which makes me think I am not the problem.  It makes me think we are a poor match as trainer & client. 

I am sorry you were not satisfied with your experience.  I am offended by your email and I think you should pursue training elsewhere because we are clearly not communicating effectively with each other.  You might mesh better with someone else.

I apologize and I wish you the best."

The purpose of this blog post was not to scare anybody out of hiring me (or anyone else for that matter!)! lol; although I'm sure I could have just done it :).  What I am trying to do here is one, throw some education out there for the general consumer, and yes, to blow off a little steam for my personal peace of mind.  I hate to put negativity out there, and could this be construed as negativity?  Probably.  But I feel like it is a topic that isn't discussed too much in the training world, and I wanted to throw it out there for discussion.  Again, the moral of the story is that sometimes, two good people just don't match, and it is the responsibility of the dog owner - myself included -  to be accountable in their choices, and do their homework, in and out of class.

As always, love it or hate it, thank you for reading, and if there is anything I can answer for you, or you just wanna let me have it, email hexdogs@gmail.com.  Thanks again!  Til next time.

I did not actually include in these pictorials the injuries inflicted on dogs BY their own "Flexi" leashes.. I have knowledge of these through friends who work at vets' offices and those injuries include: tail injuries resulting in amputation, lacerations down to the bone, injuries to tendons, torn skin (think inner thighs from leashes going under dogs), eye injuries, burns to the skin, etc.

In conclusion, I'd like to go on record as saying I can't stand extendable/retractable/Flexi leashes.  I do not believe that they can be used 100% safely for the simple malfunction argument alone.  They do nothing to help in a typical dog's training because of the constant tension on the collar.  They give the owner extremely limited control... to the potential physical detriment to both human & canine, as evidenced above.  They basically represent a gigantic percentage of what I feel is wrong with dog ownership these days; lack of: control, responsibility, understanding, and training.  Rant concluded.  Love it or hate it, thank you for reading.

I invite you to come check us out on facebook at www.facebook.com/hexdogs!  Again, love it or hate it, thanks for reading.  Reach out anytime at hexdogs@gmail.com, and please visit www.hexdogs.com to see what we are actually about.

Come When Called means “git’ over here to me right now.”  Choose whether you want your dog to come sit in front of you (as is traditional in obedience) or just “check in.”  (I use a different command for each behavior… “Front” means come sit in front of me, but “here!” has a looser definition.  If I am out on the trails with my dog and I need to call him, it’s inconvenient for him to try to sit in front of me every time; when I call “here!” I just mean “get in my vicinity.”)

Use a long line in training, to ensure you can get your dog to in fact, come to you, and gradually shorten the line until it is just a “tab.”

Do NOT repeat commands.  If you use your call word and your dog doesn’t respond, resist the urge to stand there calling & calling.  Try something else.  Get their attention and run the other way, pretend to fall down (sometimes works), ignore the dog & start playing with a stick (or whatever’s handy!).

Do NOT call the dog for things they do not want to do, i.e. “Come here, so I can clip your nails!  Come here, time for a scolding!  Come here, let me stuff you in the crate before I leave for work!”  Eventually, your dog is going to pick up on this trick, no matter how happy you sound when you call.  If you have to do something the dog doesn’t like, go get him – that is the safest way to ensure you don’t end up with a dog that high-tails it in the other direction at the mere mention of the word “come.”

It is easier to change the word you are using than to retrain one that the dog is currently ignoring.  (Instead of repeatedly trying to use the word “come,” switch to “here” or “check.”  Pick a word that is short – preferably one syllable – that you can belt out really well if you need to.  “C’mere” doesn’t work for this.  You need a specific word that means a specific thing.  I use “HERE!”)

Vary the rewards you use for this.  Keep them super awesome!  (Meat, a favorite toy, a throw of a stick, whatever YOUR dog is really into.) 

There is a big difference between using the treat as a reward, and using it as bribery.  If you are waving the bologna to get the dog to come in the house, that’s bribery.  Instead, set it up so that you have control of the situation, and “surprise” reward!  (Whenever I come home with a special treat for the dog, I wait until he is in another part of the house, call “Spark, here!!” and when he comes running, I surprise him with the bone from behind my back.. “surprise!”)

Setting the dog up (as well as yourself!) for success with this one is paramount.  You don’t go from successfully calling your dog on leash with no distractions in the house to reliably calling your dog in the woods with birds around and no leash.  You build up to that, which means you have to work your dog in different locations on a long line, then graduate to dropping the line, but the dog still drags it, then shorten the line, etc. etc.

As a rule, do not give a cue (“sit,” “down,” “come,” etc.) if you cannot or are not willing to require it.  As in, if your dog isn’t reliably trained to recall (come when called), don’t try calling him when he is off the leash at your family BBQ & you have no way of getting him to come to you should he decide to ignore you.

It is very possible to train your own dog to ignore you.  People do it all the time.  Repeating commands is the fastest way to do this.

To start training a reliable recall:

                1) Start with name recognition.  Practice with no distance (the dog is close to you).  Say your dog’s name, clearly, and as soon as he looks, mark the behavior with a “YES!” or a click, and treat.  If the dog ignores you, make a noise, whistle, kissie-face, anything other than repeating the name,

                2) When you have reliability with this step (name recognition), add in your recall word.  Wait until your dog is looking somewhere else (stomp your foot if you need to), say your dog’s name, “here!” and scoot backwards to get him to pick up the pace in coming toward you.  As soon as he is committed to heading toward you, mark the behavior (“YES!” or click) and treat when he gets to you.

                3) Keep changing your position, your location, and the distance between you and repeat the exercise over & over.  (When you are adding in distance, use a long line to give you control.)

                4) Always quit while the dog is still giving enthusiastic responses!  Don’t wait until they’re spent and moseying on over ;)

                This is in no way, shape or form, a complete run-down of how to properly train “come when called.”  These are the basics and the start; every dog is different, with different motivations and reactions.  We are happy to help you solidify your dog’s recall.  Give us a buzz at 508.625.0347 or email hexdogs@hotmail.com.

A dog backpack, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a piece of equipment that looks like saddlebags... The dog wears it, (at opposed to is carried in it! :)

Dog backpacks can work wonders in a training/rehabilitation program, as there are psychological reasons to use one, not just physical, and here is what I mean by that:

Picture you're the dog.  A weighted backpack is strapped to you (sometimes you take the step of acclimating the dog to wearing the pack with NO weight in it first, but not always).  You're aware of the pack on your back, you have to compensate for it, you have to adjust your balance a little bit.. It can shift the focus.  Often, and sometimes immediately, you see the dog relax.  Less "scattered," I call it (scanning ahead or around them with their eyes, looking back 'n forth, setting themselves up to react to whatever is on the horizon, that kind of thing).  The backpack helps shift their focus & helps them "settle" or feel more grounded, I really think. 

(I found out recently they do similar things with autistic kids in programs... weighted vests to help with that "scattered" feeling and anxiety.) 

The backpack also has a physical advantage - it's like you running with weights.  Tires ya out more because you are working harder, and I definitely feel that any amount of anxious energy you can alleviate is a good thing!  (They apparently make similar things - vests - for working out as well, which I learned from a client that is very into physical fitness & the gym & that kind of thing.. who knew!)

I am in no way shape or form saying that getting the backpack and weighing it down (you start smaller & get to about 10-12% of their body weight, generally) will solve anything, but it IS pretty much a safe piece of advice I can give over the internet, and sometimes, the change in a dog is remarkable in just adding the backpack alone to a well-planned little training program, although no guarantees, of course.

The backpack can be a huge asset to part of an overall rehabilitation/training program: no more, no less.  Any tool sitting on the dining room table is just that: an inanimate object that has no power behind it on its own.  I am a huge fan of the backpack for what it is, and just like anything else, it isn't for every dog, every situation, every time.  Check with the vet first if there is any reason the physical weight could be a problem.

Here are links to some of my favorite models:
    http://www.laguardk9unit.com/
    http://www.myoutwardhound.com/backpacks-for-dogs-dog-backpacks.html

Please visit HEX Dog Training on facebook at www.facebook.com/hexdogs and check out our actual website www.hexdogs.com!  Thank you for reading, and HAPPY TRAINING!

Cassie-Leigh Stock, ABCDT, CTDI, AKC-CGC, CDT
Owner, Higher Expectations Dog Training & Behavior Modification

It may be coincidental that we are seeing prong collars more prevalently in the bully world these days, or it could be that they really ARE used more prevalently.. I'm really not sure, but I can sort of speculate:

Bully breeds obviously receive a lot of bad press, and responsible owners in general I think feel the pressure to have a well-behaved dog maybe more than the owners of other breeds (maybe)... I feel differently walking down the street with my lab mix because I don't feel the same pressure as when I walk down the street with my pit bull (even though it could just be all in my head!).  But that being said, I think it makes responsible owners of pit bull breeds seek out training and those that do tend to strive for high standards, in my experience... (There are obviously exceptions to every rule and I can't generalize about what people's intentions are with their pets.  I can say that in the bully world I am involved in, that is certainly the case: we try very hard to have exemplary examples of our breeds, well-trained, many compete in sports, etc., and more importantly, we - speaking for the responsible bully owners in the circles I am familiar with - strive to open the minds of others to the awesome, balanced relationship you can have with an awesome, balanced, healthy, "non-scary" pit bull-type dog.)

Obviously, these dogs are power-houses.  Nobody needs to tell anybody that.  We all know, and regardless of what people want to say about it, physically controlling some of these dogs on a flat collar or a harness is a challenge.  That is CERTAINLY the case with many of the dogs I deal with on a regular basis... They are unruly & physically challenging to control.  A prong collar can have the exact opposite effect of a flat collar or harness in that when the dog leans into it, it causes discomfort, making the dog want to back away from and relieve the pressure (in theory.. although it's possible to screw that up).  Most bullies, and I'd have to say most dogs in my experience, have the opposite physical reaction when they put pressure into a flat collar... because there is no real aversive there, it tends to make the dog push AGAINST the pressure, (and it's certainly what I see on an every day basis).  People get themselves into an awfully lot of trouble with powerful bully breed dogs on this principle alone.. ("Oh, he just wants to say hi!!" as their pit bull is scratching along the linoleum trying to get to the target.  In the beginning, often it IS "he just wants to say hi" - however inappropriately - but months & months & years of practicing that behavior on ANY collar or harness builds up a lot of frustration, because on many of these flat collars/harnesses, applying pressure isn't enough of an aversive to get the behavior to stop.  (And can frustration lead to aggression?  YES.)  In my opinion the use of flat collars/harnesses in this way (which can come from lack of education, not following through, or sometimes full-on laziness) can actually escalate the behavior because applying pressure to the harness or flat collar often communicates "lunge!" to the dog.  The opposite effect is generally true on a prong collar.

The argument could certainly be made: "Instead of applying aversives to get the behavior to stop, why not reinforcement a behavior you DO want?"  (Which I feel is completely valid.)  HOWEVER, every dog is different, and different things are more or less reinforcing to any given behavior.  We've all been in a situation where the dog wanted to run off more than it wanted a piece of cheese, and no amount of training with positive reinforcement is going to change that in some cases... (Imagine the hound dog who wants to chase the rabbit - and I am speaking about my first dog Caruso.  I trained & trained & trained for months & months trying to do it pure positive - I was early in my career and had a more narrow view on training.  I didn't want to use aversives of any kind.  I was able to get to a certain point with Caruso... including stellar recall UNTIL small animals got involved.  That behavior to chase was so instinctual & primal to him that is was impossible in my experience to overcome that with any amount of positive reinforcement, because chasing the rabbit was again, primal, instinctual and more rewarding than anything I could be offering.  I ended up adding in correction/aversive/consequence - choose your word - for not complying with a known behavior - come when called or leave it in this example - and solved the problem.  Caruso was able to be off-leash and hike with me and enjoy all the freedoms that come with reliability off-leash.) 

Also, some dogs just aren't very food-motivated and all of the tricks one can use to increase their food-motivation aren't always effective to the degree that the owner needs them to be.

The bully breed dogs that we are speaking about - some dogs' drives to do a certain behavior are very, very strong, and it is not always possible or realistic to click and treat the alternative behaviors while managing, ignoring, or not exposing him to or putting him in the situations where a given behavior occurs.  Applying an aversive can be an effective way to stop a given behavior faster than using positive reinforcement to reinforce the alternative... Sometimes there isn't a lot of time to get a dog to a certain point, and using aversives (including the prong collar) can expedite things.  (I'm thinking about training in general, but also specifically about fosters, shelter dogs or dogs that are on their last legs - need to fix a problem in order for the dog to escape euthanasia, etc. etc.)

A lot of the dogs I work with are dogs that other people don't WANT to work with because the problems were out of their hands, or the methods they are familiar with are not making any more progress, or they legitimately feel that the best option is euthanasia.  My personal experience tells me that the rates at which people come to that last conclusion are way too high, but regardless, I am often called upon to help solve problems that positive reinforcement methods alone were not working effectively enough to solve, or alleviate, might be a better word. That is where aversives in training come in, and training with a prong collar does apply the concept of aversives.. obviously.

Again, I can't speak for everyone, but the people that I interact with who use prong collars use them as a training tool because they can be used as part of a very effective training "program..."  As a group, the people I know who use them are committed to training and having a well-behaved companion that enjoys all the freedoms a well-behaved dog can... I don't think prong collars are right for every dog, every individual, every time, but I don't think that about harnesses either.  I think prong collars may be showing up more prevalently in pictures because they're out there... They are used a lot in the bully world I am involved in because they can be a very effective tool for training.  I have some dogs that wear one, some dogs that don't.  It's all about that individual dog & me and what works for us.  I think people are putting the topic out there to be debated more these days, and that controversy and the die-hard support on both sides could have something to do with people unapologetically posting pictures of their dogs wearing them.  That would be my thoughts on the subject of the prevalence of prong collars in dog training these days.