Women Who Own Dogs

6 Things Every Savvy Dog Owner Should Know

1. Dogs are scavengers not pack animals; therefore when a dog trainer encourages you to be an "Alpha Dog" or "leader of your pack" they are providing you with misleading information that could compromise or undo your human-canine bond. A puppy's most influential teacher is its mother (daddy dog has long since departed and contributes virtually nothing toward helping a mother dog raise and protect her young.) 

2. Training a puppy or dog in a pet store/building is ludicrous. A dog's psychological profile consists of two different components. One is personality and the other is temperament. A dog's personality is most apparent when the dog is in a familiar or comfortable environment, e.g., in the home. Its temperament is most likely to be displayed in an unfamiliar environment, e.g., outside the home. Be pet smart: train your dog in the real world and not in a pet food warehouse where both the dog's personality and temperament may be misdiagnosed by the instructor.

3. No dog trainer has ever been state certified. Despite the impressive list of credential behind many dog trainer's names, there simply isn't a governing board of directors testing, guiding or censuring a dog trainer for unethical behavior. Buyer beware! Arborist, psychologist, plumbers, and most professional services require state certification before being issued a business license. The only requirement for becoming a dog trainer is a business card. Anyone can become a dog trainer and unfortunately, any one is.

4. Clicker training is to dog training what a baton is to learning Italian. When did dog owner become so gullible? Isn't it odd that clicker trainers always seem to charge more for their unique service? You have hands to clap? You have a mouth to whistle? You have a voice to give commands? Wonderful, now save your money and leave the clicker training to less savvy dog owners.

5.  Your Dog is a Unique Creature.  Enrolling your dog into a group training session implies that a one-size-fits-all-approach to training will fulfill your needs and accommodate your dog's ability to learn. Might you be ignoring some important considerations? Not all dogs have the same ability for learning because dogs follow three distinct instinctual patterns of learned behavior: Stalking prey, circling prey and killing prey. That's why some dogs are better at herding sheep while others provide a service for the visually challenged. The most egregious thing about group training classes is: Men and women are taught the same. Men and women acquire, interact and then train their dogs for different reasons. Women have been disenfranchised by the dog training community for many years. When will it stop? When women stop supporting this method of training and begin hiring dog trainers who provide in-home training services.

6. Your Veterinarian Might Be Getting A Kick-Back. Certainly this applies to the many vets who sell less-than-quality dog foods that are comprised mostly of grains or treats/rawhides that have been treated with chemicals that come from third world countries. Ask yourself, "Why does my veterinarian only recommend this dog trainer and not others?" You will receive a plethora of answers, but mostly you will hear, "We know and trust that company." Really? I have been in the dog training business for more than 18-years and have appeared on NPR four times, international radio, authored a book, produced a video on canine behavior in 2000, presented more than 50 lectures on canine behavior/training for libraries and dog clubs throughout the Southeast and and have a regular guest spot on a local television show in Charlotte, N.C.  Yet, not one veterinarian in Charlotte recommends my services. Do you know why? Refer back to title #6:) 

'Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't." - Pete Seeger, (1919 - ) American songwriter.