Navigating The Dog Training Jungle

By Sean O'SheaIf you're struggling with behavior issues with your dog, know that I feel for you. Not just because you're dealing with behavior issues, but because it's so hard to make sense of what training and trainer to trust. There are so many conflicting opinions and approaches, so many diametrically opposed points of views - I just feel for anyone trying to make sense of what's best and what and who to trust.Every time an owner shows up to work with us, I know they've probably spent hours upon hours trying to decide what to do and who to trust - with the ever-present worry of making things worse and/or not making any progress at all.I know how hard it has been for me to find my way, to figure out what I believe and what makes sense, through all the conflicting noise and near-religious zeal many in the dog world take in regards to training - and I've had the luxury of being immersed in it for years. So for the average owner trying to make sense of all of this, I know it's rough.On one hand you have some folks saying you will ruin your dog if you use this tool or that approach, and on the other you have people saying if you don't use this tool or that approach you won't get anywhere. (And I'm making some very big simplifications and generalizations here - the real story is far more confusing, difficult, and scary to navigate.)The upshot is that I truly feel for you and I cheer anyone on that is trying to make sense of the dog training world and find solutions for their dog's issues. The main reason I make videos is so folks see what we do and what it looks like - rather than talking about what works or doesn't, I'd rather show you what we find to work. Of course that doesn't mean it's the only way - there are millions of ways to successfully train a dog - it's just what we believe in and what we've found works best for us and our clients.My suggestion is this: in this day of video on every phone, trainers should be easily able to show what kind of results their work produces. If not, it would give me pause. Personally, I'd want to see what they do, not just hear about it. If a trainer has serious opinions on aggression (dog to dog or dog to people), fear, or any other serious behavior issue rehab, they better be able to show proof of their philosophy and approach. If they have big opinions and zero evidence of the efficacy of those opinions, something is fishy. (There's lots of talk about science based training, and using rewards only to rehab serious problems - but unfortunately I don't see these people showing serious dogs making serious progress. If the program works so good, it should be easy enough to show.)So do your research, read up, get as educated as you can, and perhaps most importantly, look for proof of results. When you see a trainer regularly making great progress, that's a pretty good sign. And if you can't find someone in your area you trust, or you're just unsure, you can always email us for a recommendation and we'll do our best to help point you in a good direction. (thegooddog.la@gmail.com)It's a jungle out there. Hang in there.---------------------CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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