Why
dog training fails?
It is 95% YOU and only 5% Your Dog
If a trainer brags that he/she can honestly train ANY
DOG, either they are not telling you the truth, never
met a true challenging dog, or simply do not accept
difficult cases.
But with all due respect, it’s the
owners who we have hard time with. Here are
just a few examples of
why certain dogs do not and will not get trained,
even if you work with the best trainer(s) in the world:
- Never Make the Time
for Training:
Owners who aren’t
really that busy, but rather LAZY and keep
putting the training off and never make the time. Take
time out from
TV, internet, video game, talking on the phone,
listening to music, reading, or just relaxing and fit
training
your dog into your schedule.
- I Really am Super
Busy and Travel a lot:
Owners who truly are that
busy and should not even own a
dog or
maybe they should try board and training. Even
if a trainer takes your dog and trains him for you,
you
still need
to know what you are supposed to be doing once
you get your pooch back. - Hurry up. Just
Train Him for Me:
Owners who
think the dog is a car. You fix it, tell me how
much
it’s
going to cost, and when will it break down again. Sorry,
but it just doesn’t work that way.
- Aaaaaaw.. but He’s my BABY:
Owners who believe
their dog isn’t a dog, but a fury baby. I
love dogs with all my heart and anybody who knows
me or
has worked with me will agree, but they are still
DOGS. Nobody
will ask you to abuse your dog.
- Look, He Came from
all Champion bloodline:
Those who keep the dog
like a trophy and show off with:
how much
they’ve paid for it, how rare the breed is, how
many champions are in the family and blah blah blah.
When it comes to it, they cannot get their dog to stop
pulling, jumping, barking, growling, or try to stop them
from attacking people and other dogs. I think you‘ll
agree nobody really cares how much you’ve paid
for your dog, what breed he is, or how cute she is, people
just love obedient dogs. Your dog might be cute, but
even cuteness eventually wears off with uncontrollable
bad habits. Isn’t it the same with unruly
kids and irresponsible parents?
- But my Neighbor said…. the breeder said….
The pet store lady thought ….:
Those who listen
to their neighbors, friends, relatives, breeders, or
even get mixed messages from books, web sites, or other
sources. There is nothing more expensive than Free Advice.
Don’t get me wrong. There are lots of trainers
and authors that I have a great deal of respect for and
agree with their concept and theory. However, breeders
rarely have the right answers in regards to problem-solving
or obedience training. Their job is breeding and they
know much more about the dog, rather than how to train
it. Remember, someone could tell you what’s wrong
with your car, but not be able to fix it for you. Once
you pop the hood, it’s a total different story.
Even veterinarian can only do, or say so much. Their
job is your dog’s health. Trust my knowledge, experience,
and diversity, otherwise please don’t blame
me or expect any results.
- I Only Will Use:
Choke chain, Pinch collar, Halti/Gentle leader, Clicker….:
Those who are not willing to
change approach or even try a different training tool.
Why keep on using a tool that doesn’t work, hasn’t
worked, stopped working, or what never works around
real world distractions such as: other dogs, visitors,
cats,
kids, joggers, the mailman or strangers? You need
to also keep different circumstances in mind. My
job is
to make sure your dog listens to you everywhere
and under all circumstances.
- Yep, I got the Biggest One. Oh yeah,
He had Really Big Paws, Big Head and was the fattest
of them all:
Owners who want big and tough dogs, but just cannot
handle them physically. When I say tough, it
doesn’t relate
to an aggressive dog. Elderly people, folks with arthritis,
tendonitis, bad backs, bad shoulders or those who are
handicapped will not always be able to handle big and
strong dogs. Stick with smaller or medium size breeds
that you can always control. Please don’t get me
wrong, I want you to enjoy owning a dog. But don’t
fall in love or adopt any dog that if it comes to it,
you won’t be able to handle it PHYSICALLY.
Regardless of your technique, your tool, or your
attitude, it
still takes a great amount of strength and coordination
to
fully control a dog. Imagine, a weak person trying
to walk a hyper 95lb Labrador Retriever. Not
a good idea.
- Naaaaah, She’ll be Fine.
It takes time:
Owners
who own a loaded gun, but just can’t admit it.
They ignore all the warning signs and think their dog’s
aggression or being unpredictable behavior will eventually
go away on its on. Do any of our bad habits go away naturally?
Of course not. How do you expect your dog’s growling,
snapping, chasing, aggression toward strangers, attacking
other dogs, or any other dominance issue will go away
on its own? They won’t. In fact they always
get even worse.
- Here Honey, as I
Promised….. Daddy Got You a
Puppy:
Owners who are trying to be kind by getting little
Johnny a dog. Little Johnny will not train the dog. It
will end up to be YOUR responsibility, your dedication
and your time. Folks, I see adults having difficult time
staying on track, let alone kids. Your kid/teenager might
be bright, but they are rarely responsible or consistent
with training. Noticed, I said TRAINING, not petting,
playing, or teaching the dog cute tricks. Practical real
world dog training is what I am referring to. Next time
on your kids’ birthday or it is close to
Christmas, please think twice before getting a
dog for your child.
We are talking about: vet bills, bad habits, lack
of training, grooming, cleaning, walking, destructiveness,
and not to forget, someone who actually CAN handle
the
dog, physically. You know your kid better than
anyone. Be sure to use common sense and a good
judgment. -
But
all My Other Dogs Didn’t Do that, Why This One???
Owners who keep comparing their dog to others dogs, or
their previous dogs. Some of these folks think they got
a defective dog and keep on changing dogs like it’s
a hair color and without admitting that they just don’t
know anything about dog training. They believe
those who own well-trained dogs, just got lucky.
You might
end up with a well-mannered dog by chance, but
jaw-dropping command performance takes skills and
lots of practice.
- I Couldn’t Practice Because …..
Owners
who blame the lack of working with their dogs because
of the weather, their friends being over, or being out
of town with their dog. That’s right, WITH THEIR
DOG. You can still work and practice your materials if
you still had your pooch with you. Can’t you?
As you noticed, it is more because of the owners why
most dogs do not and will not get trained. I will try
to make
a point and hopefully get my message across here.
Stop reading this for a moment. Lean back and cross
your arms. Then uncross them and switch, so if you
had your
right arm over left, now put your left over right.
Wait 5-10 seconds….it is awkward and even uncomfortable
isn’t it?
Change is all I want from you. And change isn’t going
to be easy or comfortable. If you don’t change
any of your old habits and create new ones. I, nor
any other
expert, will not be able to train your dog. Like
I mentioned before, YOU are the trainer. I am the
instructor.
You see, YOU will be the one who will make or break
your dog in this journey, NOT ME. I will lead you
the way, but
you have to be the one who needs to actually take
the steps.
Remember, nobody can change you, but YOU. Not your
spouse, not your boyfriend, not your girlfriend,
not your parents
and certainly- not me. The only person in the entire
world who can change you is, YOU!
Kevin Salim – Master
Trainer and Canine Behavior Expert
Dear Trainers,
Vets, Breeders, Rescuers and Dog Lovers!
You may use this article for your web site,
newsletter, e-zine, or any other types of
dog relating publication. However, Kevin’s
requirements are that you must notify him, and maintain the copyright,
byline, and link back to Dog Secrets .com. Thank you.
