Something about this statement you made really bothers me. 1) You have gotten ONLY constructive criticism or rather this trainer you are speaking of. And 2) People here aren't taking something they know nothing about. When talking about dogs, behavior and training, there are several professional trainers and a lot of experienced, educated dog owners who absolutely are not taking something they know nothing about.
First of all, dog behavior and training is a science. There are specific, step by step methods to deal with all kinds of behavior....tried and true methods. Many people on this forum have been helped by those methods, even though it is not always easy or practical to try to remedy some things over the Internet without seeing the dog. Trainers and dog owners alike have written thousands upon thousands of posts right here on this forum, outlining processes for people to go through with very good results.
You're right in a sense. We're taking something we don't know about, (whatever it is your trainer is
"doing" and "knocking it" because there is no substance to what you've told us. I
will knock something that has nothing to back it up... when there
IS something of substance available. (training methods) Why would anyone play around with something they know nothing about? Why are you playing around with something you know nothing about?
Here you come and tell us about getting a "trainer" who can not tell you what he's going to do with your dog, other than relax and drink tea. Do I have that right? To sit in your house and relax and see the dog relax too? And this is a method? I don't think so. As I said before, there's a lot more to desensatizing and counter conditioning a dog to his fears or triggers for his behavior.
When I get a call from someone with a behavior issue, I go to their house and evaluate their dog and they explain things in more detail than I got on the phone call. I watch their dog, watch how they interact with their dog and let them explain what their dog does in the face of certain triggers which may not be there at that time.
Then I tell them of my plan, not in terrific detail but I explain the basics of what they'll be doing to achieve a certain goal. I explain an approximate time line....
about how long it should take to get from point A to point B to point C. If it requires having some helpers come to practice, like visitors the dog may get reactive or aggressive toward, I'll suggest they talk to some brave friends to help out the next visit or maybe it might be a couple visits down the road, depending on where their dog is and what he might need as a pre-requisit.
If it's dogs their dog has a problem with, I tell them to talk to some people they might know with good "lesson dogs" that we can set up for the next time to practice their dog with. In other words, I give them an outline of my ideas and plans, which generally utilize a step by step, desensatizing/counter-conditioning program. I don't explain in such great detail that they won't need me to come back. LOL. But I lay my cards out on the table pretty much. And I do charge for a minimum number of sessions, depending on their dog's problem.
They know what my philosophies are about punishment and how dogs interpret things and how they learn..... and very frequently, someone has given the dog a hard time in the presence of the triggers so I am sure to let them know that this mustn't happen anymore and I tell them
why. I give them alternative ways to deal with it while they're working on the lesson plan. In other words, if the dog can't do such and such yet, then take him into another room before opening the door to strangers.
The thing is, we haven't heard one thing concrete or specific as far as method. Your trainer apparently hasn't told you anything except something about relaxing. So you're up in the air, not really knowing what he's going to do. This is not normal. It sends up big red flags to me. I just hate to see anyone waste her money.
And
more importantly, if you don't know what he knows about dog behavior, you're fying by the seat of your pants, which you have freely admitted. This could be harmful to your dog. I don't know what he or you mean by being dominant over your dog. What, specifically are you to do to be dominant? Do you know what results are probable with what you are doing? It doesn't sound like it.
I would never let someone mess with me or my dog if I didn't understand
explicitly what they had planned, what their experience or education in dog behavior was. Furthermore, I wouldn't pay a trainer for whom I didn't have referrences from other known people and/or seen in person, a few dogs the trainer had worked on.... and if I didn't understand their philosophy about the use of punishment. I'd want to see how they interact with dogs. And I'd want to know
absolutely, that their methods were based on tried and true science. I will say that your user name aptly describes you.
It's up to you. You opened this up for discussion. We're glad you're here. And I hope you learn something and you and your dog get what is needed.
