Would you pick a trainer based on your dog's reactions?

[evybear15]

I'm in the process of finding the right trainer for Baxter and myself to help us work through some developing problems. I've met with two so far, and have another appointment with a third tomorrow.

The first one, Baxter was calm. He was alert, a little nervous when he could hear other dogs going crazy in the back...but he sat down/laid down next to me the entire time I spoke with the trainer and the owner of the facility. No barking, no pacing, no pulling to go sniff all the new smells. Nothing.

The one we met with tonight, he was pacing. He was sniffing, pulling, whining, and nipping at my arm. Totally different behavior.

I consider all of the logical factors (training methods, cost, group interaction, commands, correction theory, etc)..but what about HIS reaction? I'm assuming I should be taking that into account as well. What would you do in this situation?

[onyx'girl]

What type of facility are you going to? I've seen that places that board, groom dogs/ or do daycare may have different scents than an actual training facility. Like a vet office, the pheromones tell the dog a story.
The question I have for you, is what did YOU do during the incident tonight? To allow him to do those behaviors showed him he could get away with it.
Do you bring treats with you and do a bit of training during these interviews? I would do that just as a way of showing him consistency in your training. No matter where you go, you are his handler/leader and he should not have to 'worry', because you've got his back.

[evybear15]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

What type of facility are you going to? I've seen that places that board, groom dogs/ or do daycare may have different scents than an actual training facility. Like a vet office, the pheromones tell the dog a story.
The question I have for you, is what did YOU do during the incident tonight? To allow him to do those behaviors showed him he could get away with it.
Do you bring treats with you and do a bit of training during these interviews? I would do that just as a way of showing him consistency in your training. No matter where you go, you are his handler/leader and he should not have to 'worry', because you've got his back.

The first location (where he was calm) was a boarding/doggie day care/training facility. The second was a training/boarding business run from their home.

I admit, I am guilty of not working with him during the interviews. The first one I brought treats expecting him to be distracted, knowing that they had numerous dogs in the back. This one I brought some...and I did tell him to sit/lay down, but he wanted none of it, food or no food. However, they did show a demo video (they chose not to do a live demo due to Baxter's current DA), and even that got him a little worked up, so that likely played into it.

But it is something to think about - thank you for pointing that out, I probably wouldn't have considered that.

[Stosh]

You might try interviewing an in-home trainer since you have a few issues to address. I had two come to our house and Stosh definitely preferred one to the other and did really well with her.

[evybear15]

Originally Posted by Stosh

You might try interviewing an in-home trainer since you have a few issues to address. I had two come to our house and Stosh definitely preferred one to the other and did really well with her.

I'd be open to the idea - but I have no idea how to find good in-home trainers. I'm one of the few friends/family that has sought training beyond just a basic class or two, so I don't have anyone to turn to for that. I also suppose I'm a little hesitant to bring someone to my home who I don't know as I'm usually there by myself. But if I worked with a trainer who was also willing to come to my home to address specific issues along with strengthening the basics, I may be more comfortable with that!

Baxter certainly didn't dislike this second trainer, but he seemed to prefer the last one over this one. We'll see!

[Rerun]

No, I wouldn't. But I'm not in the camp of "dogs have a natural sense of who to trust" either. If I went by that theory, my 8 y/o female GSD thinks everyone is basically a friend and worthy of automatic trust, and my 17 mo old malinois thinks trust is earned, and therefore he should be wary of them until they have gained his trust. Wary in a fearful way, not aloof. Weak nerves.

I choose a trainer based on how *I* feel and how much I agree with their training methods and philosophy. The dog is just along for the ride. If I had a dog that hated particular training methods and didn't do well with said training methods, I would (and have) still kept a trainer that I liked but with the agreement and understanding of the trainer that some methods would be altered to better fit my dog. Not all trainers will allow this, and i think flexibility is most important in dog training. If I had a trainer whose methods didn't work for my dog, and wouldn't allow me to alter them in a reasonable manner so as not to disrupt class or do something the trainer did not agree with, then I would find a new trainer no matter how much I personally liked them or their methods.

[sashadog]

I think it would depend on the issues I was working on. If I was working in agility training or starting to compete in obedience, yes. I would want my dog to be thrilled to see our trainer and excited to be there and work with me. If I was working on a specific issue, then no. I would go with the training method that the trainer used and also any references that they give me.

I guess overall though, I would only worry if my dog was visible nervous of the trainer or showed some big signs of not liking them. (This is only because my dogs very rarely don't like someone so I take note when they don't.) Otherwise I would go with who you think YOU can work with the best since you're going to be the one working with the trainer in order to better work with your dog.
Good luck on your training!!

[kiya]

The trainer is not going to train your dog, he/she is going to train you on how to train your dog. I would choose the person I felt was best.

[Lauri & The Gang]

Originally Posted by Rerun

No, I wouldn't. But I'm not in the camp of "dogs have a natural sense of who to trust" either. If I went by that theory, my 8 y/o female GSD thinks everyone is basically a friend and worthy of automatic trust, and my 17 mo old malinois thinks trust is earned, and therefore he should be wary of them until they have gained his trust. Wary in a fearful way, not aloof. Weak nerves.

She is talking about the same dog having two very different reactions.

What if your 8 yr old female acted fearful around a trainer you were meeting for the first time?

Since it was the same dog having different reactions I would say either the person or the environment caused a problem for the dog.

If the dog is too busy worrying about something there won't be much training going on.

[s14roller]

Originally Posted by Lauri & The Gang

If the dog is too busy worrying about something there won't be much training going on.

Agreed...but it will also bring things to light that need to be worked on...

My 11 month old listens to all sorts of commands at home...but once we leave the house, it's a different story.

The training won't matter if the dog's only good at home and can't be brought anywhere else.