Giving training advice

[Romy]

I usually say something like:

"Our dog used to do that. We fixed it by doing X."

So the focus is on the specific behavior, not their dog, or their behavior, so they don't feel defensive about it. If they want more information they ask for details, if not then they go on their merry way without getting a long speech they didn't want to hear.

[milos_mommy]

So I googled "tips to stop puppy biting"

There was not one single GOOD article that came up. More than half of them said you should grab the dog by the scruff of the neck and pin them down on their side. They all said puppies bite to try to be dominant. *sigh*

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

So I googled "tips to stop puppy biting"

There was not one single GOOD article that came up. More than half of them said you should grab the dog by the scruff of the neck and pin them down on their side. They all said puppies bite to try to be dominant. *sigh*

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/t83183/

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by Romy

I usually say something like:

"Our dog used to do that. We fixed it by doing X."

So the focus is on the specific behavior, not their dog, or their behavior, so they don't feel defensive about it. If they want more information they ask for details, if not then they go on their merry way without getting a long speech they didn't want to hear.

This. Even when it's not something Lucy's ever done, I'll say she did it, just to create some sort of common footing.

[lizzybeth727]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

This. Even when it's not something Lucy's ever done, I'll say she did it, just to create some sort of common footing.

LOL, I do this too. If you added up everything Luna's "done," she'd be a nightmare dog! Though at least most of the time I say that, I HAVE worked with a dog with that problem... it's just not necessarily my dog.

Seriously, though, people will not listen to advice unless they are ready to hear it. SOOO often people will tell me something their dog does that they don't like, and although I KNOW how to fix the problem, they would not listen to me if I told them. I get so many "What do you do when your dog does _______" quesions that I'm pretty good at figuring out when people are really looking for an answer, and when they just want to complain about their dog. MOST of the time, they just want to complain.

[Doberluv]

Originally Posted by lizzybeth727

LOL, I do this too. If you added up everything Luna's "done," she'd be a nightmare dog! Though at least most of the time I say that, I HAVE worked with a dog with that problem... it's just not necessarily my dog.

Seriously, though, people will not listen to advice unless they are ready to hear it. SOOO often people will tell me something their dog does that they don't like, and although I KNOW how to fix the problem, they would not listen to me if I told them. I get so many "What do you do when your dog does _______" quesions that I'm pretty good at figuring out when people are really looking for an answer, and when they just want to complain about their dog. MOST of the time, they just want to complain.

I can so relate to that. LOL. It took a while for me to catch onto that fact....that people like to complain about their "drama" with their dog, but don't really want to bother to fix it. I find this phenomenon stronger in my relatives than with people I don't know well...or at all. LOL.

[lizzybeth727]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

I find this phenomenon stronger in my relatives than with people I don't know well...or at all. LOL.

Oh yes, definately worse with relatives. I NEVER give relatives training advice, or at least I make it extremely simple if I do. I just say a lot of "Wow, that does sound annoying," and "Ha ha, your dog must be really smart to figure out how to do that [bad behavior]" and such.

[Bailey08]

I like the Ian Dunbar article on bite inhibition.

I had a crazy mouthy puppy who would also get even more excited when he bit me, lol. Not all that fun at the time, but fortunately he is super gentle now.

[ihartgonzo]

I have to deal with this so often at my job. The trainer at my store is obsessed with alpha theory and delivers harsh verbal (like, screaming "AHHH-AH!") and physical (jerking gentle leaders all over the place) corrections, and she works in one of playrooms of the hotel, so she's always around. I have to try to compete with that, and suggest that clients stop giving their reactive dogs harsh corrections and move at the snail's pace of cc.

My favorite thing to do is recommend books or better yet buy some one a book. REALLY. If this person is close to you and they/their dog is part of your life shell out $20 for a good book as a "new puppy gift", maybe along with a toy to disguise it. "After You Get Your Puppy" is my fave! I bought it for my completely clueless friend who got a puppy on a whim, and he actually read it. And he actually applied it, and bought more books by Dr. Dunbar. I find it so hard to express everything that I want to say about training to people in conversation, whereas books are full of information and if some one buys you a book you have to be pretty rude to not read even a little bit of it.