“wow, you have such a COOL job! you get to play with animals ALL day!” I hear this statement on an almost weekly basis. Particularly when telling people what I do for a living. They then continue on to tell me that they think they should quit their corporate job and become a dog trainer because they’ve “loved dogs all their lives”. If only it was that simple.

First off, 95% of being a dog trainer, is the ability to teach people how to work with their dogs. It is rare for me to actually spend time playing with a dog. Not in the sense of just throwing a ball or taking a walk with them anyways. I deal with people from all walks of life, and try to explain their dog to them in a way they can understand. I serve as a type of family counselor in some situations, and a dog expert in others. Take for instance the family whose wife loves the dog and refuses to get rid of it, and whose husband hates the dog and insists he stops chewing IMMEDIATELY or risk being sent to the pound. It’s my job to come up with the compromise and to make life more bearable for the dog.

Then there’s the “know it all” types of clients. They hire me to come out so they can tell me how they should be able to fix the problem. They read a book, or watched a trainer on television. Then when I give them a program to modify their dogs behavior, they want to argue that it’s not the way the book says to do it. Many of these often take a few lessons from me, or attend a class, and then hang a shingle and become self proclaimed dog trainers. They advertise 30 years experience because that’s how long they’ve owned dogs, and they try to smear me all over town. I pretty much have to ignore these types and move onto the clients I can help.

Next are the abuse cases. There was the 4 month old pit bull puppy I worked with once. When they told me the dog jumps on them, I asked what they had tried to fix the problem so far, and they said “well, we beat her with a 4 X 4.” And the sad thing was, they were serious.

Follow these with the clients who treat the dog like a piece of furniture. If I can wave my “magic wand” and have the dog trained like lassie in an hour, he can stay because he matches the furniture. Otherwise, they’ll move on to the latest rage in designer pets.

And then, the never so popular having to tell a client they should consider euthanasia. I have VERY strict policies on what constitutes a case like this. I hate doing it. Particularly when there are kids in the family. I get to be the “bad guy” and tell them to PTS the dog. This is NEVER a fun session.

Take into account all the types of cases, and throw in dealing with dogs who want to tear into me on a regular basis, and you get more of a glimpse of my job. At least the downsides to it.

Plus of course, a good dog trainer must also be a good business person. There are endless phone calls and client emails, a need for constant advertising and interaction with other pet professionals, and a whole lot of paperwork.

If you were to look at a typical day during my busy season this is what it would look like. Get up at 6:30 to feed and clean up after my own dogs. Take them for a walk or head to the kennel to work with whatever board and trains I have in at the time. Depending on how easy those dogs are this could take a couple of hours or longer. Then drive sometimes over an hour to go to a private session and help families solve problems for 1-1.5 hours at a time. Repeat this a few times in a day. Head back home to work my own dogs, feed and clean, then relax from about 6pm on, or spend a couple of hours on the phone or email with client questions, generally hearing the same types of questions again, and again, and again and again and again. On nights when I have classes, I generally get home around 8pm, head for bed, and start over the next day.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my job. I’m extremely passionate about the dogs and I love my clients. Sure, there are sometimes clients I’d prefer not to deal with, but for the most part, I enjoy spending time with them. I enjoy the puzzle solving and heavy thinking it sometimes takes to fix the problems. I enjoy it when the dogs love me and remember me when they see me on the street later. I love how it feels when I see a dog change from an aggressive teenage brat, to a sweet and loyal companion dog. And I love the depth it adds to the families I work with when they can now enjoy their pets.

I think it’s just important to put it into perspective though. My job is tough. It requires lots of thinking, people skills, and a LOT of continuing education to be good at this job. It requires EXTREME amounts of patience, and the ability to speak a foreign language (dog-ese). And not only must I have these skills, I must be able to instill them into my clients in order to be successful.

So no, while being a full time professional dog trainer is fun, it is a lot more work then meets the eye. I can’t even skim the surface in a blog post.

Travelingmom posted this: “My kids are DYING for a dog. They ask me every single day. my 9 y/o has done internet research to find a dog I might like. I know nothing about dogs and barely have time to shower myself let alone another living being. I might be able to handle a small dog that doesn’t shed. Any suggestions? Should I continue to ignore my kids’ sad, whining pleas?”

And here is my reply! I receive questions like this quite often. “Should I get a dog?” I think quite a bit of the answer depends on you. Do YOU want a dog. How old are the kids? etc. Generally it is not a good idea for a parent to get their kids a dog unless the parent wants to take responsibility for the dog when the kids grow bored with it. The appropriate care for a dog does take quite a bit of time. There is time needed to exercise, feed, clean up after, groom, and play with/give mental stimulation to the dog. Granted, different breeds have different requirements. A cocker spaniel will need more grooming then a short haired breed, but all need to be brushed at some point. There is no such thing as a dog that doesn’t need ANY grooming. Even a chinese crested with little to no hair will need some skin care. There are some breeds who have a coat with more of a hair texture then fur, but they still require brushing.

At the same time, a dog does provide a family with many benefits. My grandmother for instance lived alone. She did not want a dog but I convinced her to rescue one. Simon sat at her side for the last 10 years of her life and was her ever faithful companion. Dogs are loyal, and if given the care they need and deserve, they will give you lots of tail wags, laughter, and they’ll comfort you when down. They lower our blood pressure and keep us young. They can also teach kids about responsibility while caring for another living being.

So the answer to the question is, it really is up to you. If I was in your shoes, I would research the needs of a dog (independent of what the kids say) and determine how much you’re willing to invest into the dog. Particularly if the kids grow tired of him. It also depends on how responsible your kids really are. I know LOTS of families who got a dog when the 9-10 year old wanted one, but when the child hit 14-16 and wanted to go out with her friends, the dog was abandoned. Then again, there are kids who really will spend time with the dog. I was one of those. At 9 years old I trained my first dog. He changed my life and shaped my future career.

I was 10 years old when I decided I wanted to train Pepsi. She was a collie mix of some sort, and probably about 10 years old. Sweet and docile with a willingness to please, she also had a couple of limitations. She was in fact, blind and deaf. She was not born that way, but age had taken it’s toll on her. If I had started when I was older I might have been daunted by the thought of trying to train a 10 year old blind and deaf dog. But being 10 years old, I didn’t understand anything about that. I just knew that I loved to train dogs.

When we were done, she was trained by touch. I accomplished alot with that old girl, but not only did I accomplish a lot with her, she TAUGHT me a lot. Even in dogs, limitations only occur if we place them on ourselves. 

Since that time, I’ve worked with several deaf/blind or both dogs. There is also wonderful new technology that can help. For instance, the electronically controlled collar with a vibrate function on it. These collars can make it much easier to communicate with a dog that cannot hear. For instance, we can teach the dog to respond to the vibrate collar. For a deaf only dog, he can be taught to find his owner when the vibration occurs. Once he finds or turns towards the owner, hand signals can be given.

One thing to remember when working with a deaf dog, is that they need signals for every word. I teach them a hand signal for “good”, “No”, and a release cue. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to give the actual visual cue for these “side commands” because we’re so used to just telling our dogs they’re good. But even a deaf dog needs to be praised, and a visual cue can do this. (I use a thumbs up sign for “good boy”).

Whenever we’re dealing with any dog who is physically challenged, it’s important to remember that they can in fact adapt quite well and will usually use their other senses. A blind dog for instance can still use their nose. So it might be a good idea to put a drop of scented oil on the baseboard corners of walls or large pieces of furniture to help the dog smell where he is going. 

Again, they’re only as limited as we make them! As with so many other things, we have a lot of lessons to learn from dogs!

Yesterday I went to the dog park for a client. She was having problems with her small dog when at the dog park. While I stated my opinion again that I do not prefer dog parks because of the inability to control certain factors (like the other dogs owners) I went with her. According to her, the dog would snap when another dog came up. In evaluating the dog, I found that this little girl was very small, and did not really want bigger dogs noses in places they shouldn’t be. She was not aggressive, just simply requesting politeness from other dogs. This is not the point of this post however. WHILE I was at the dog park, within 30 minutes of being there in fact, I witnessed two dog “arguments”. The first one seemed more like a snapping incident on the big side. Apparently a poodle jumped on the back of a lab who didn’t like it and an argument ensued. I watched as it started to escalate, while the owners were busy talking at the other end of the dog park, completely oblivious to the fact that their dogs were arguing. It ended with a lot of straight legged strutting and nobody was hurt. Ok, one down. 

The next “argument” did end up in a slight injury. This one happened about 10 minutes later. A jack russell and a maltese mix. I didn’t catch exactly what happened. The owner of the jack russell sat on a bench and watched as his dog got into a fight, and as the owner of the maltese reached in to the argument, the jack russell leaped up and bit her soundly on the arm (leaving two punctures, bruising, and quite a bit of blood mind you). After inspecting the maltese, one of her nails was torn off and bleeding. What did the owner of the jack russell do? absolutely nothing. He sat there watching the whole thing and said nothing at all. Acted like it was her fault entirely, maybe she shouldn’t have brought HER dogs to the dog park? Actually after having seen the attitude of the JRT throughout his time there, and the casualness of his owner, I think it was more then likely the JRT that started it. The owner of the maltese left, and the owner of the JRT continued to sit on the bench and watch his dog challenge every dog in the park. 

In reality, it is not the fault of the dog parks. They offer a large enclosed area that allow dogs the freedom to run uninhibited by a leash. The problem is really that of the owners (just as with any of the dogs problems)! Put together a bunch of clueless owners with no concept of personal responsibility regarding their dogs, nor an understanding of dog behavior, and throw in a bunch of barely socialized dogs, and you’re headed for a disaster. Even if YOU are a responsible owner, well versed in dog behavior, you can’t control the other owners. Which is why I state my opinion AGAIN that I do not prefer dog parks. I DO agree with a well run freeplay or as some trainers call them “LFS – Large field socialization groups” These groups allow for a professional to step in and control more of the variables. Generally shot records are required, and rules are followed. While there is always still a risk for an “argument” the risks are lessened. They really are a good thing!

I have been thinking a LOT about leadership and dominance theories in dogs lately. It seems to be one of the most hotly debating topics in the industry. You have trainers that seem to think that you are the leader of your pack if you can physically force the animal to his side, and others who are now saying that there is no such thing as dominance in a dog.

20+ years ago, trainers were using the old “alpha rollover” to physically force the dog into a submissive posture. We would grab the dog by the scruff or the jowels, give a shake, and roll them over onto their backs, sometimes staring hard into their eyes, or just restraining them there. We used to think that it was how a wolf would handle another wolf. Theories certainly have changed in the more recent decade. 

First off, I do not consider my dogs, wolves. While they are related as canids, they are still not wolves. They may share some similar traits, but my little maltipoo will never be required to go and take down a large prey animal for food. She wouldn’t be wired to think that way. Second off, in all my studies on the behavior of wolves, and having spent time around a few of them, I don’t recall seeing one wolf asserting leadership by physically placing control on another and rolling them on their backs.. Sure, they control interactions, and resources like space etc, but it would be rare for a physical attack on a regular basis. To do such would weaken the entire pack and would be counterproductive to the hunt. 

I equate the alpha rollover  that is becoming more and more popular again these days due to a certain television trainer who shall remain nameless here, to a king walking into my home and forcing me to my knee. Would I respect him as king? I might do as he said for as long as the threat of his presence is near. I might even remain obedient for awhile after he was gone. But it would not last in the long run. Moreover, if I respected him as king and revered him as such BEFORE he entered my home, I would go to my knee on my own. We are noticing that this is a little more how it is with canids. A lower status animal lowers himself BEFORE the higher status animal has to force the issue. 

I am seeing far too many cases on a daily basis now where an owner has been regularly grabbing their dog and throwing the dog over onto his back. I have seen a few owners get bit, and many dogs getting worse because of the dogs constant perceived attacks. It tears down the relationship in the long run. After all, if you were constantly forced to your knee, would you really revere the king and continue to love him? Eventually these dogs either shut down entirely, or get courageous enough to try to get you before you can get them. It’s not a good scenario at best. 

So then, what really DOES make a good leader? I learned this from my old dog tyler. After all, dogs are the best teachers when it comes to their language! 

Tyler was a benevolent leader on his worst day. He truly loved the other dogs that came into our lives, and yet, he maintained a position of respect and authority until the day he was gone. He was a cocker spaniel, many people were surprised to know that a cocker kept tabs on all the shepherds I’ve ever had around here, but he managed it with style. He held himself with confidence, and yet not even nipped a dog. I never once saw him take another dog down, or even bite. He was just simply, consistent. He never budged an inch, and yet he always got his way when it really mattered. If another dog tried to jump on him, he simply sat, and at times might have growled. I think I saw him snap at another dog a few times, but he never made contact really. It was his calm confidence that earned the respect of all the other dogs here. 

And WITH that confidence, he ALSO controlled all of the resources. That didn’t mean he didn’t share…he just was the one in charge of telling each dog what their portion is when he felt like it. Balls were his if he wanted them, but if he didn’t really care, the others could have them. HE determined when another dog could approach him and when they could not and everything was done on his terms. I’ve run across very few dogs that were exactly like him and I miss him terribly since he’s gone, but he did teach me quite a bit about what it’s truly like to be a leader. 

I also learned alot about social heirarchy by watching dog to dog interactions in my freeplay classes. We regularly turn lose a group of dogs. It’s not uncommon to have complete stranger dogs every week. We range from about 8-15 dogs in a group on a regular basis, and yet we haven’t ever really had a fight. We have had snarls and growls and a whole lot of show, but for the most part, everyone is good. How have we managed that? 

Well, we control personal space. We say who is allowed to go where and when. They are allowed to play, and even allowed to say when they don’t like someone or some dog. They are just not allowed to escalate. 

Basically, (and I’ll have to come back to this since my thoughts on this topic can get pretty long) I believe 2 rules about social heirarchy in dogs. 

   1. The higher status person/animal is the one that controls the resources. A resource can be anything from attention, personal space, food, toys, freedom to move etc. 

  2. it is more fluid then many people believe. There is not always one clear cut alpha male that rules with an iron fist. If a higher status animal is not hungry, he may not care if another dog comes and eats his food. The way we can determine a higher status dog is by seeing which dog would have the right to that resource IF they wanted it. 

Just some thoughts on it, I’ll probably come back and work more on this thread later!

I found this article to be interesting. There are many points I agree with, a few that I disagree with. There IS a difference between dominance theory, and leadership theory. One I agree with, the other I disagree with. I’ve spent enough time around both dogs and wolves to know what a “pack” REALLY is like in both animals. Check it out! http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf

I will have more on this topic at a later date.

In our comments section we had someone asking about more training collar options, so I’ll start working on these as time allows:-)

The “pinch collar” also called the “prong collar” is a fairly controversial piece of training equipment. As with any training collar, it can be abused, or it can be used as an effective training tool.  There are trainers that will rant and rave about how the use of them says that a handler is abusive at best. There are other trainers that use them on every dog.

I personally use them fairly regularly though there are many situations that I won’t use them for. Generally I like to use them for hyper dogs with a propensity for pulling on the leash. I will NOT use them for fearful dogs, and have found that they can create aggression problems with certain dogs if not used appropriately. I normally highly recommend that anybody who wants to use them, do so under the eyes of an experienced professional. 

PROS: These collars can serve as “power steering”. It takes very little from the handler to gain control quickly. Because of the nature of the collar, the pressure when tightened is almost totally around the neck, and not just on the dogs trachea (as would be the case on a buckle or slip collar). This can help prevent against trachea problems caused by training collars. It also is easier to switch a dog back to a regular collar once training is completed. For me at least, weaning a dog from this training collar is much easier then when with a head collar. The concept behind the collar is the same as the use of teeth by another dog. 

CONS: the collar (as with ANY collar) can be used incorrectly and those learning to use it should do so with the help of someone who absolutely understands what they’re doing. The collar LOOKS severe. It can cause problems for fearful or aggressive dogs and again, should be used under supervision. Also, the collar (as with all training collars) should NOT be left on beyond training time. I once had a dog come to a private session because the owner complained the dog yelped when she pulled on the leash and collar. Come to find out, the owner had left the dogs prong collar on the dog from the time he was a pup. She did not notice that the dog had grown and the collar had embedded! Granted this is a bit extreme, and I never would have considered it that someone could make this mistake, but I now never underestimate the idea that someone may not know something like this. Common sense and supervision is the key to this collar. 

BRAND: I ONLY like the Herm Sprenger brand of pinch collar. These are well made, and the ends of the prongs themselves are much smoother then other brands. They don’t tend to pop open as much as other brands as well. 

FITTING: these collars can be used a few different ways. Generally they need to be fitting snugly around the dogs neck, but not with the prongs digging in. Make them TOO loose and the prongs can irritate the neck. I almost never use the large collars, I like medium collars for most large dogs, and small collars if I really have to. Again, proper fit is important, so it’s best to use this collar while supervised by someone that knows how to use them.

Considering that many of the animal rights activists in our country continuously scream about the pet overpopulation problem, often times I am approached by families looking for a dog. Where should they go? Who should they trust? What happens if they buy a puppy over the internet? 

Yesterday I was training Hawk just outside the open back of my van. I heard Phoenix barking and turned around just in time to see a cute little pup (I’ll attach a pic!) jump into my van. Considering where I was and what her body condition is like, I assume some family could not afford to keep her and they dumped her at the park to become “someone else’s problem”. It’s so very unfortunate for this little girl. She is extremely thin, scared of alot of things (though she seems to like people, kids and other dogs), and she was VERY thirsty for some clean water I’m sure. She just happened to jump into the right van, I decided I will take her in, put some weight on her, foster her, and then find her the most perfect home. With a face like this what else could I do? 

Speagle the beagle/spaniel mix

So it wasn’t very hard for me to find a dog for a pet home. Most people just want a cute dog that fits in with their family. I would urge you to consider diligently your needs for a dog. 

I also have purchased dogs from well known and reputable breeders. I require a specific type of quality in the dogs I compete with, and I know what I’m looking for, and what pedigrees to find it in. I am kind of sick of AR activists calling me inhumane or worse for knowing what i want in a dogs pedigree and going for that. I have been involved with rescue throughout my life, often taking the time to diligently find excellent homes for a variety of dogs and dog breeds. Much of my life has been dedicated to keeping dogs in their homes in the FIRST place. I have a rescue dog in my home currently. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t ever go to a reputable breeder either. If you want to save a dog, consider the pound, or shelter. MAYBE even a reputable rescue without quite the “agenda”. If you are looking for specific qualities, research breeds that have those qualities, you may be able to find a breed rescue. If you, like me, need to know pedigrees in order to help better the breed, purchase from a reputable breeder. So what makes a reputable breeder? More on that later!

sorry for the interruption in our normal programming but it was pointed out to me that in an advertisement I posted the link to this blog but NOT the link to my training website. Please forgive me. Feel free to look around the blog for information on a variety of topics, or sign up for my classes in Lancaster or Agua Dulce at http://btk9academy.edogtrainer.com  or visit our main website at: http://www.blazingtrailsk9academy.com  

I was on Sparkpeople.com today and while logging my fitness minutes I realized there is no such site like this for dogs. Maybe someday I’ll decide to do it, but it got me to thinking. While American’s have gained weight considerably in the last few decades, so have our dogs. They lay around the house getting fed tasty morsels from the dinner plate, and they grow pudgy. Is it really that bad?

The answer is YES. It is just as important for our furry friends to maintain a healthy weight as it is for us. Obesity in our dogs can cause a wide array of problems. If Fido is packing that extra poundage, it can contribute to joint problems, heart problems, behavioral issues and more. So what IS a healthy weight for our pooches?

Most pros would say that you should be able to put your thumbs on the dogs spine and then feel his ribs with your fingers without having to dig in. There should be a slight indentation when looking down from the top of the dog just behind the ribs. From the side view, there should be an “abdominal tuck” meaning that you see an indent between his chest line and his rear legs. 

These days people have the idea that “bigger is better”. I hear constant people parading the fact that they own “a 140 lb rottweiller” and they act proud of that fact. Most of the time the dog is severely obese (rotties shouldn’t BE that big) but the owner proclaims his weight to me proudly. Yet the poor dog can barely walk without being out of breath. 

I’ve even had clients tell me that their vet said the dog is at an ideal weight. Please do your research on this. I’ve known vets who did not want to offend the client by telling them that their dog is overweight. It may BE that the dog is at an ideal weight, but you should still double check to make sure. 

How do we tone down the weight? easy. It’s the same as with humans. Eat less (or more healthy) food, and exercise more. Watch the table scraps and make sure to provide healthy food alternatives. Mixing a can with dry dog food can significantly increase the calorie count. Usually you can find the calorie count listed on most dry and wet dog foods. I rarely if ever go by what the BAG tells me to feed, if such were the case then my own cyrano would be getting over 5 cups of food a day (he eats 3 1/2). Make sure you are feeding a high quality food (see our posts on this subject). Then, build some muscle by walking or playing with the dog more. It will be good for your health as well as the dogs! 

My assistant had success with a couple of her dogs who needed to lose weight and she says she believes the vetraceuticals (mentioned throughout my blog) has helped her. The enzymes help the dog to digest the meals they are eating, and there are other key nutrients in the formula that might be helpful (though just giving vetraceuticals alone may not help, the dog will still have to eat less and work out more!). 

One of the saddest sites I’ve seen is a dog waddling around out of breath and completely obese while the owner has no clue that he/she is killing the dog with kindness so to speak. 

If the dog is showing weight problems that dont’ seem to be helped, check with the veterinarian. There may be some underlying medical causes. 

Lets help the hefty canines be as healthy as we’d like to be!