Not sure about my trainer
 

I've been working with a "Master Trainer" who came highly recommended but even the same people who recommended her are now expressing disappointment. I am meeting with other trainers this week but I would like to get some outside opinions from more experienced people or trainers if possible. :help:

I practice the obedience commands with my Shadow every day and he got to obey me from the 1st command, but also got to ignore the trainer. I had a perfect recall! I never even needed a correction. She worked him hard so he would listen to her again, pinning him down like wrestlers do, hard corrections on the prong collar, restraining him.. I watched in tears.

Then she began to break my commands, like interrupting a long down and scolding him when he'd come to me on command. I feel like I've lost him. I dont have that 1st command response anymore and I dont understand how scolding him when he obeys me and giving him a treat when he breaks my command is in any way productive. I asked her and she didn't answer. Do you have any idea how that'd help my relationship with my dog at all?

I plan on talking to her again, I'll bring it up with these new trainers... but basically I'm writing because, I don't want to push these new guys' ethics to possibly badmouth a fellow trainer and she can BS me as I'm not experienced. I actually do lose sleep with the worry that I may not get my dog's trust and attention back so any comments any of you can give about this woman's approach will be very appreciated as will suggestions for screening a new trainer. Thanks in advance and I'm sorry for the long post.

If you're dissatisfied with the service you are paying for stop going. Find a new trainer. If a trainer was being harsh with my pup and I was uncomfortable with it I would stop it. It is my responsibility to protect my pup and I would do so..I don't care what certifications or endorsements by others they have. Be your pup's advocate.

I would take my money and RUN somewhere else.

In my opinion, there's really no reason your trainer should try and be making your dog listen to her. A trainer's job is to teach the owner how to train their dog. The only reason she should take your dog and bark commands at your dog at all is to demonstrate to you how to handle/work your dog.
You want your dog to be loyal to YOU.
Ozzy listens to me, no questions asked. If you're not me, you can pretty much forget about him doing much of anything you ask of him - and I'm PERFECTLY okay with that.

The way you're explaining it doesn't make any sense to me either. It doesn't really matter if you're not experienced and they are - if you're not happy with the trainer, if she doesn't respect you enough to answer your questions and explain what she's doing, then why would you keep going there? You're confused and so is your dog. Find another trainer.

Sounds like a crook to me.

If she can get the dog to listen to her and not you she can keep charging you for extra lessons to teach you how to get it to listen to you.

Get away from her before she ruins your dog. She is doing the exact opposite of what she is supposed to do.

I also think you need to run. There is no reason for a trainer to pin a dog down as you describe. I am guessing you are referring to so-called alpha rolling, which is a terrible idea for many many reasons, but is especially ridiculous in a situation where the dog is progressing in his training with his owner, but not listening to the trainer. Also, I cannot think of a single reason to scold a dog for obeying a command, or rewarding him for ignoring it. No wonder he is confused and not responding to your commands right away anymore! Those are the two biggest red flags that popped out to me, but not the only ones at all.

I think that, inexperienced or not, you should trust your instincts and find another trainer. You should never be in tears about a trainer's treatment of your dog as you describe.

Don't worry about your relationship with your dog. Your trainer probably has rocked his confidence in you, but you can rebuild that trust and make it even better. Just give it some time and don't beat yourself up, you're doing the best you can.

Holy crap...RUN!

Explain to this new trainer what you were doing, what this "master" trainer was doing and the results. You don't need to give out names but I would explain exactly what this so called trainer was doing with your dog because they will need to know so they can fix it.

This is all old school stuff not done anymore - esp the pinning down/roll ...and the goal is that the dog obeys you not the "MT"....

If what someone does to your dog makes you cry - stop them and get the dog out of there....someone wanted to force retrieve Kyra - they did one session and I stopped them....then they said I would never title her if I did not let them do it...I went on to get 6? 8? Sch3s....and 2 High in Trials.....the dumbbell work was never great, but it was always a Good....worked for me.

I vote with everyone else - QUIT and Go elsewhere.....NOW!

Lee

This is so important and true. Trust your eyes and your feelings, not "everyone recommended this person" or "well, he won a competition."