"Are you training that dog?"

[lizzybeth727]

I actually get this question a lot. How do you answer it???

I had Keegan out shopping with me today, and I got him out in the parking lot to let him toilet and do a little bit of heeling practice. I had my treat bag on but I wasn't using a clicker, we were being pretty discreete, really.

And this lady came up behind me and called me and said, "Are you training him??" And I said, "Yes, he's my dog and we're doing a little training...." She was like, "Oh, I saw your treat bag there and so I thought you were a professional or something." I just mumbled something and walked away (it was also really starting to rain by this point and I was trying to quickly get to my car).

Well, I AM a professional trainer. But she didn't ask that, did she? She didn't ask, "Are you training that dog for somebody?" or "Are you training that dog to be a working dog?" or even "What are you training that dog to do?"

No, her question was, "Are you training that dog." What in the world did she mean??

 

[adojrts]

Next time, no he is training me how to heel lmao

 

[NicoleLJ]

I get that all the time with Sheena. My answer "Nope she has been working with me for close to 7yrs now." This usually shuts them up because they have a hard time believing she is over 3yrs old. lol.

The worst experience I had was on dart night. A lady, who I later discovered was very drunk, grabbed my arm on the way back to my table after using the bathroom. She asked me if I was training Sheena. I said no. She works for me. Then she gripped my arm tighter as I tried to twist out of her grasp and said "you don't look disabled, what do you have and what does she do?" At this point several of my team mates saw what was going on. I twist out of her grasp and said in a shaky voice "that is none of your business." and walked back to my table. I shook for a while after that. The rest of that night my team mates would not let me walk to the bathroom alone. Sheena was perfect during the exchange, ignoring her. They told me later she was out side ranting at everyone while she smoked and they could smell the achol on her.

I am usually very open if people are genuine and polite but if they are rude I shut down.

 

[CharlieDog]

Bwahahaha. I usually tell them, no he's trying to teach me how to -insert whatever, usually give him more food- lol and they laugh and go away. Even though I have trained professionally

 

[Fran101]

Unfortunately, it seems to be the norm that you only really need to train your dog at puppy class and at home lol anything else and you are a prof trainer

 

[stardogs]

I usually quip something about my dogs always being in training and then I walk off unless they seem to want more info.

 

[Maliraptor]

I want a DOG IN TRAINING vest for this one reason. Although it might be worse, lol

 

[lizzybeth727]

I want a DOG IN TRAINING vest for this one reason. Although it might be worse, lol

Yeah... because then the question would be "What are you training him FOR??"

 

[PWCorgi]

Yeah... because then the question would be "What are you training him FOR??"

In my case the answer would probably be something along the lines of: "To not bite you..."