Well it’s now nearly the end of April and I have learned so much. My brain capacity is pretty good still, considering I’m an old girl now.
As well as completing a Career as a Dog Trainer course and a Practical Instructor course, both with IMDT, I have read and am continuing to read some fascinating books on dog behaviour and how to train using positive methods. It’s mind blowing and at the same time makes perfect sense. Traditional methods which use punishment in various forms from verbal reprimands to hitting the dog, may get the dog to temporarily do what you want, but out of fear. These methods diminish trust between the dog and owner. To successfully train a dog, you need the dog to trust you.
You want your dog to be a dog don’t you? Not a shadow of a dog that sits in the corner afraid of trying things because he might get a whack. That’s not a well behaved dog, that’s an insecure dog. Through positive training and trust, you can shape your dog to be operant and offer you behaviours. You can pick the ones you want and reinforce them. What a fantastic way to train your pet.
Every dog is trainable. No dog is better at learning than another. It’s the methods we use that matter.