27/01/2025
The day a dog trainer portrays themselves as 'The Expert' or 'the only person to listen to' is the day to stop listening to them.
Time and time again we meet people who reference what they have 'learned' from TV and social media personalities such as The Dog Daddy, Zak George, Cesar Milan or that bloke from Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, and who are surprised that the methods shown didn't work for their dog. What they seem to fail to realise is that these people are in the business of show, not the business of dogs.
I can confidently say that I know more about dog behaviour than 99.9% of people. That means I have about 800,000 people I can still learn something from (as well as approximately 900 million dogs).
You can be 'an expert'. You can dedicate your life to the pursuit of knowledge, and to use that knowledge to help animals. But you can never be 'The Expert'.
Anyone that tries to tell you that their way is 'The Way' is simply imparting their own opinion. The right way is what's best for you and your dog. It's that simple.
~James
Picture: Padfoot Trainer Hannah and her pack mates Akela and Layla.