How to find a good trainer?

I want to see a professional trainer to solve Boris' tendency to growl when we want to take something he stole back. He's doing it less now, but it still happens, and he never drops anything when he ask him to unless we show a treat, and I want to work on that also. Mostly I don't want to take any risk for when we have children.

I did a goodle search and sent two emails, but how do you find a good trainer? Is there something special to look for (degrees or whatever)? Is there a good site that gives good trainer references?

Thanks in advance.

check out apdt.com or nadoi.org

Try Petco or Petsmart.

Thanks Mordy, going to do that!

And petco or petsmart, no thanks

NO NO NO zen.

PETCO or PETSMART are novice trainers, generally uneducated in most dog issues, and almost certainly completely unequipped to deal with behavioral issues such as the OP is describing.

Your advice is at the least ineffective, and in circumstances such as these, can be devastating.

You need to keep your participation on the training threads to asking questions.

OP...find a behaviorist in your area who comes with good references, and who uses postive methods to deal with behavioral issues.

Good luck.

Of course you don't take in to consideration individual stores can have great trainers. The Petco and Petsmarts around me are excellent with dog training.

I think what Redyre was meaning to say (Please forgive me if I am wrong) Is that while Petco and Petsmart trainers are equipped with the ability to train to sit, come, stay, down and other basic obedience they are not trained as a behaviorist and will not be able to help a dog that may or may not have aggression issues.
And as stated above please correct me if I am wrong

I found a huge list, I will start asking their prices etc soon. We're waiting a bit though as we have had no problem for a while now, but if he does it again I will definitely call them... Money is tight at the moment

On really Zen?

How many dogs have these "trainers" titled?

Do they use operant conditioning training methods?

Do they have training in behavior modification and desensitization techniques?

Just because there may be one or 2 decent trainers at these outlet stores in YOUR area in no way means that they would be able to help a dog with these sorts of issues.

FRAN,

Try this. Instead of taking the object away, get a tasty treat, and call the dog to you. Trade for the treat. Set him up and do this often. Each time he spits out the object, say out. Play trade games with other toys. If he won't come to you, use a long line to help him. Make sure the treat is sooooo tasty he cannot refuse it. If he tends to "dive" on the object after he drops it and gets the treat, hold the line and kick it out of his reach so that you can control his head and then pick it up.

Give his high value item back after he trades you for the treat, and then trade again.

I know Red, we've been trying, he does great when he sees a treat (drops almost everything right away), but if we have no treat, he just won't drop the thing. It's just that 1% of the time after he steals something he really likes, he will start growling if we get close. Bringing a treat works half the time then, we have to get his attention out of the item to take it back. It works for us, but a child won't think twice.

I think he started doing it at 6 months or so. Last time he took a sock though, and my husband touched it in his mouth he didn't growl at all so I guess there is some progress. Next time he gets one long enough to destroy it I will definitely give it back and try again though... It just doesn't happen much because we try our best to leave nothing of the kind in his reach.

see, I would treat it entirely differently. I would be setting him up and working this every single day.

Do not GO to him to take anything away. Use the line and call him to you, helping him with the line if he decides not to come when you call him. DO NOT try to take ANYTHING from him without a treat. Play trade OFTEN.

Avoiding the issue won't help it.

JMO as always.

You've got yourself a potentially serious leadership problem here. You don't want to end up having to euthanize your dog. This can escalate to a serious aggression problem.

Do like Redyre said.....play the give and take game several times a day every day. It's a game. Trade an object or toy for a higher value treat, give the object back to him again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Teach fetch. Make it fun. Teach "give" and "take" commands. Make it fun and rewarding for him to give you things. Practice. In addition, impliment this asap: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/nothingfree.htm

If you make his every day life and your interactions with him in such a way that you are the instigator or you are the one making an action and he is the one reacting, this will enforce the idea that you are the leader. If he is acting, making demands, requests etc..... and you're reacting to him, this makes him the leader. You can turn this around.