Respectful Communications Animal Training

01/19/2024

01/16/2024

Small dogs can have a really tough time of it. Because they are small they are not always respected and listened to as much as larger breeds. Is it then any wonder that they become scared and vocal about their fear and wish to be left alone?

To read more, have a look at this article I wrote: https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/in-support-of-little-dogs

01/15/2024

Interview your dog trainer options like you would interview a teacher, medical professional, or investment manager. Then verify their resume just like you would someone you want to hire for your business.

You can verify credentials on the professional directories below. If you can't match something on the trainer's resume to the professional directory, contact the issuing body to see if the trainer may have just earned the credential and the list is not yet updated.
If your trainer isn't on the list then you really should wonder what else doesn't match up.

Everyone is going to pick one of the trainer choices that is presented to them. Never blindly take recommendations without doing your own research. ALWAYS interview your top three trainer options and ALWAYS verify ALL credentials if you want to make the best investment for your family.

01/14/2024

BUYER BEWARE!

Dog training is NOT REGULATED by anyone other than the ethics of the dog trainer themselves and true industry professionals who sound the alarm when something could pose a danger to the public.

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can call themselves a dog trainer! There is nothing to stop them from doing so. They can make up credentials, showcase awards that are actually purchased marketing logos to make their business look good, or say they have worked with clients or trainers that are "famous." Who would say otherwise? (Hint - these businesses assume that you don't check to verify truth in marketing.)

Anyone can CLAIM to have "this" certification or "that" certification. But saying they have a certification and ACTUALLY having it are two different things. Sometimes the novice trainer may not know the difference between a Certificate of Completion for watching a webinar (say for continuing education credits) and Professional Industry Certifications that include assessments by a third party and that take months or years to earn.

An educated (that is the key word) dog trainer knows that the words "Certified Professional Dog Trainer" refers to the certification (CPDT) given by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. It is a credential that is generally earned after turning in a record of extensive hours working with dogs in the field, personal references, and the completion of a proctored exam by a third party. It was the first well known professional certification in the industry. You don't become a "Certified Professional Dog Trainer" just by taking a course or two that gives you a Certificate of Completion.

Today there are other certifying bodies that grant full fledged certifications as well. All require extensive studies and knowledge assessments to earn. And most require continuing education credits to keep up the same way a veterinarian or veterinary technician needs to do for their licensing.

Certified trainers pay money for the coursework materials, study long hours, and are proud of the knowledge assessments they have completed. And they are proud of the letters they have EARNED after their names. Those credentials allow professional dog trainers to show the public what knowledge they have and what they can share with you in the course of training of your pet.

Sadly, I also know individuals who are making up credentials and misrepresenting themselves by using logos of organizations they have no relationship with. This isn't just occurring in my area.

I respect other true professionals who actually have sweat equity in their certifications and degrees. But it really bothers me when ANYONE misuses credentials they have not earned. Do people do market credentials they have not earned? Yes. Do consumers blindly except what marketing on a website says. Often they do. But they don't have to!

The organizations that offer credentials often have a directory of graduates and certified professionals. Consumers can check these directories so that they have the information they need to decide if the dog trainer they are interviewing is who they say they are. Many dog training industry associations also list their members online as well.

Have you verified with a third party to be sure the person you are interviewing as a possible service provider to train your dogs is who they say they are? If you want the investment in dog training to mean anything you MUST check out your dog trainer's credentials. And if you want to respect the person you are working with you'll want to verify who they represent themselves as to the public. Victoria Stillwell put out a blog post in 2015 titled "Can You Really Trust Your Dog Trainer?" My answer to this would be "not unless you have verified their credentials."

Have you seen the State Farm French Model commercial on YouTube yet? If you haven't you should check that out. You wouldn't want to be THAT guy assuming that the Internet and online marketing doesn't lie.

Your dog trainer may not be who they say they are. Treat the hiring process the same way you would treat hiring someone to do anything for you. Get the best of the best. Verify twice - hire once.

Dog training is unregulated and anyone can call himself a "dog trainer" and fool unsuspecting pet parents into using outdated or dangerous training methods.

01/13/2024

There are a number of reasons why your dog may not be behaving as you would like. Forcing them to do something, forcing "obedience" through pain, fear, misunderstandings, etc. is not only unethical it is inhumane. We need to look at ALL the motivating factors before moving to change the behavior.

There's a strange culture in the dog training society. A culture which seems to be preoccupied with training methods. How we teach dogs to do things has garnered a lot of attention over the last couple of years. And in many ways rightly so because unskilled dog training can cause distress to dogs an...

01/12/2024

One thing that people in my inner circle know about me is that I really have a hard time with deception. I don't like consumers being sold a bag of lies from someone who wants to take their money for something with little to no value. Lately noticing fake certifications has been a big thing for me.

Today I was going back over some old messages and I started to bristle. The message I just re-read was from a lady who wanted to rehome her dogs. (I am not going to ask or judge why.) In her "marketing" to find her dogs a good home she stated that her dogs were "emotional support certified."

I don't blame her for marketing what she thinks is a valuable certification to find her dogs the best new home possible. And I am sure she paid for some sort of "certification." The problem is that there is no LEGAL "CERTIFICATION" needed for emotional support animals. Mental health professionals PRESCRIBE emotional support animals (under the law) to the SPECIFIC individual who needs the prescription in the same way the doctor would prescribe medication.

The consumer challenge is that several people have decided to make a business out of selling fake medical prescriptions for emotional support animals under the guise of a "certification" when (1) there is no legal certification for ESAs, (2) no certification is necessary for an ESA a prescription from a licensed medical profession is what is needed, and (3) the pet has had no specific training to do anything that would earn it a certification! They are a pet whose guardian just spent money on a scam. It's pure and simple consumer deception.

While emotional support animals have some additional access to housing and a little more access to transportation than pets who are not prescribed as emotional support pets they DO NOT have the same legal access to public facilities that ADA (American's With Disabilities) Trained SERVICE dogs have. But the consumer is so confused by the marketing of these sham companies they may not know that.

If someone is selling an animal who is "emotionally support certified" don't buy the hype. Be aware that you are paying extra for nothing as an ESA prescription from a medical doctor is just like a drug prescription. The ESA prescription does not transfer like a to another person just like a drug prescription does not transfer.

Read the information below for more information.

ESAs provide support through companionship and can help ease anxiety, depression, and certain phobias. However, they are not service dogs.

01/12/2024

Food puzzles are a wonderful way to hive your pet much needed enrichment. While some eye are puzzle masters some are not as adept at figuring out certain puzzles so be sure you are there to help.

Your goal for your pet is fun not frustration.

01/11/2024

01/09/2024

RESEARCH REQUIRED!

Choosing a dog just because of the way they look.

We wouldn’t choose a partner or make a commitment to sharing our lives with someone based purely on the way they look – (I suppose there could be exceptions in some cases!)

We would first really get to know them, what kind of personality they have and who they really are before making that sort of commitment.

Yet people continue to choose dogs just because of the way they look.

Maybe they saw a dog like that in a movie that they enjoyed or maybe they just really like the way they look, without having any understanding or thought to learn about what that particular breed was selectively bred to do and what behaviour might be expected.

The way a dog behaves is not always specific to the breed. Dogs are individuals, with their own unique personality and their behaviour is shaped not only by genetics, but by specific life and learning experiences and environment, but problems can happen when the traits of that breed and their specific needs are not taken into account.

Some breeds may just simply not be compatible with a particular person or family’s needs, lifestyle, environment or expectations.

Is it fair or ethical to need to suppress, train out or even punish breed specific tendencies, calling them behaviour problems, when we hold a dog in a captive environment that is unsuitable for them.

First research the breed and learn all you can about potential traits and what to expect before making that choice.

12/30/2023

12/29/2023

Sometimes I just don’t want to stop learning. Other times I think it helps me to relax if I read before falling asleep. Dr. Temple Grandin has a lot she can teach me about animal behavior from a different perspective.

Merry Christmas even if these used books arrived a few days late!

12/23/2023

Wishing all of you and your horses peace and happiness during the holiday season! (Photo by Terry Hakland Cook)

12/23/2023

🐾🐶🎄