I disagree. Competition training is
not necessary for a well-behaved pet. Using that logic, competition training at a driving school should be required to get a driver's license. My dog so far will do the commands she knows as quickly and as reliably as the dogs doing advanced competition obedience that I was watching at a club not too long ago. In fact her recall was significantly better in many cases, and the trainer was impressed when she came from about 30 yards away on the first call, with no repeated commands of any kind, while she was in the middle of being loved on by some small children. I was shocked when I found out they start training recalls at 10' or so. I was teaching a sit from 10' away first day and her first recall lessons were from 25' - 30'. What's even better is that unlike the competition dogs, who acted like they had no life left in them, mine does it eagerly and happily. It isn't just because she's a puppy, this also goes for the older dogs that I have worked with. I do not often see (not that they do not exist, because they certainly do) competition dogs who also come across genuinely as excited. They're too damned serious. If that's your thing then great, but there is no need to press this upon others.
I feel that the elitism which propagates the idea that any training less than competition training is somehow of lesser value is completely ridiculous.
I require that my dog do the commands I give immediately, enthusiastically and with great gusto. Is it always straight? No, but her ass will hit the ground every time just as quickly (and often faster) as some of the competition dogs I have seen. You don't need perfect form to establish great communication and obedience with your pet. What you need is perfect consistency in how you teach and reward. It is the consistency that establishes trust with your dog, it is the consistency that creates reliability, and it is consistency that gives you obedience.
I am not sure why, but the dog training world is filled with a lot of elitist assholes and that's why I am not choosing to give my money to any of them.
I apologize for coming across strongly here, but if I, as a non-professional, can learn (and in some cases figure out on my own) and apply effective, non-compulsory, positive training methods with great success, then I believe anyone can do it. Competition training is not
necessary, and I would argue that for many dogs and their owners it is not desirable.[/I][/B]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elaine
People make some strange connection that competition training isn't necessary for the well behaved pet. The point of the training is to teach you how to communicate well with your dog and get reliable, consistent, off-leash control. Do you need a straight sit in real life? No. But by expecting it in training, you are raising your level of control of your dog and by expecting a straight sit in training, you might get some sort of sit when you ask when you are out and about in the real, very distracting, world. Whether you chose to compete after that is up to you, but you will end up with a well behaved, well controlled, dog.
|