koehler method of dog training
- Thread starter blackcat
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And, if you trained with someone like Brian Kilcommons, for example, the likelihood is that you would recognize the proper leash handling and minimal correction that you are used to. But, I also have seen a so-called trainer take a four month old Husky and alpha roll it - at my local obedience club. And, at the same club, I stood and fed my Sioux forty gazillion liver treats in a row so that she would realize that the scream-fest going on behind her was directed at the nine year old Corgi (UD) who had just made some kind of "error", and not at her. It went on for several minutes. I never went back. 
So, at least give us the benefit of the doubt that some of us have witnessed the flip side of what good training used to be about. That said, I have to say that I am much happier that we have graduated to more friendly techniques that work just as well, if not better.
So, at least give us the benefit of the doubt that some of us have witnessed the flip side of what good training used to be about. That said, I have to say that I am much happier that we have graduated to more friendly techniques that work just as well, if not better.
Depending on how hard you're pulling, if it was Marlowe he'd probably lay down and ask you do it some more rather than heeling. He loves having his ears pulled. Conrad would definately issue you a little correction of his own for being so impolite as to mess with his ears like that.
I used to train with collar corrections in a pretty mild style, but I still wouldn't do it anymore. I wasn't hanging or beating or drowining my dogs, but I also wasn't accomplishing much and my first dog paid for it with his life. Nothing poisons a good reliable recall like mistrust of the handler and my first dog, my husband's heart dog, was hit by a car because of his chronic lack of a good recall. I blame myself entirely for that--not because I was the one who was butter-fingered about transferring him from his tie-out to his leash, but because I tried to train him in a way that taught him that I was unpredictable, sometimes a little scary, and that bounding around and running away from me when called was a lot more fun than the inevitable yelling he'd recieve when he finally did arrive. He learned very well that when he was on the long line, he'd better answer to "HERE!" or he'd get yanked by the neck, but off the long line, what reason would there be for him to come when called? He was a big, fast dog, a GSD x akita, there was no way I could actually physically catch him if he did not want to be caught. And more often than not, he did not want to be caught.
When I see people yanking their dogs around by choke chains, I want to stop and sit them down and tell them that story. And also that it took me literally years after that happened to change the way I was doing things and to please not make that same mistake.
I used to train with collar corrections in a pretty mild style, but I still wouldn't do it anymore. I wasn't hanging or beating or drowining my dogs, but I also wasn't accomplishing much and my first dog paid for it with his life. Nothing poisons a good reliable recall like mistrust of the handler and my first dog, my husband's heart dog, was hit by a car because of his chronic lack of a good recall. I blame myself entirely for that--not because I was the one who was butter-fingered about transferring him from his tie-out to his leash, but because I tried to train him in a way that taught him that I was unpredictable, sometimes a little scary, and that bounding around and running away from me when called was a lot more fun than the inevitable yelling he'd recieve when he finally did arrive. He learned very well that when he was on the long line, he'd better answer to "HERE!" or he'd get yanked by the neck, but off the long line, what reason would there be for him to come when called? He was a big, fast dog, a GSD x akita, there was no way I could actually physically catch him if he did not want to be caught. And more often than not, he did not want to be caught.
When I see people yanking their dogs around by choke chains, I want to stop and sit them down and tell them that story. And also that it took me literally years after that happened to change the way I was doing things and to please not make that same mistake.
Heartdogs, I wasn't questioning or even doubting you. My comments were to reinforce that positive training methods have been around for a long time as well. Basically responding to Dober's comment here:
Here in my area, I almost signed up to train with a trainer who sounded an awful lot like a punishment trainer. It didn't take me long to find some people who had some experiences and it didn't take me long to opt out and go with a trainer who was not a punishing person. So it appears that the two types of training remain side by side today, and I could see how someone could get caught up in punishment training without even realizing that it sucks and it isn't going to build a whit of relationship with their dogs. I suspect there are more people than we would like to admit who want a dog to be nothing but a guarding and protection tool without any real relationship whatsoever. I would say these are the people who go for near drownings and dogs as penis extensions. But for them to even imply that they have a happy well adjusted dog is beyond ludicrous.
Here in my area, I almost signed up to train with a trainer who sounded an awful lot like a punishment trainer. It didn't take me long to find some people who had some experiences and it didn't take me long to opt out and go with a trainer who was not a punishing person. So it appears that the two types of training remain side by side today, and I could see how someone could get caught up in punishment training without even realizing that it sucks and it isn't going to build a whit of relationship with their dogs. I suspect there are more people than we would like to admit who want a dog to be nothing but a guarding and protection tool without any real relationship whatsoever. I would say these are the people who go for near drownings and dogs as penis extensions. But for them to even imply that they have a happy well adjusted dog is beyond ludicrous.
