Last week, we shared a longish list of red flags in ads for dog-training services—red flags that should warn potential customers to beware. This week, we’ll cover claims and offers online from dog-training businesses.
Why worry about offending others in your chosen profession when you can demean your competition with empty promises and fancy titles you’ve conferred upon yourself!
“We are canine behaviorists, not just dog trainers, and therefore can resolve any issues your dog has working at the root to achieve permanent results.”
“We are not ordinary dog trainers. We are K9 Behavior Modification Experts!”
“We know there are many dog trainers out there, but we are so confident in our methods that we guarantee your happiness!”
“We have hundreds of dog trainers across the US and have been asked to conduct seminars and trainings all over the world!”
“If you are looking for a dog trainer that can get more accomplished in one session than most trainers, this is the tried and true dog training company you are looking for.”
“Do I Need To Have Any Prior Experience With Training Dogs? You don’t need any prior experience in dog training, but you do need a love for dogs, and a desire to teach and coach dog owners. We understand that the majority of new franchise owners do not have prior experience with dog training and in most cases, owning their own businesses.”
Photo by Steven Cogswell
Micha Michlewicz (Maryland) Red Flags in Ads for Dog-Training Services:
▪ Anything that sounds aggressive or threatening, ultimatums included. Disproven [concepts] and archaic key words. Egocentric, “hardcore”-sounding. “Busting” of behaviors—that doesn’t imply gentleness or patience . . . or anything nice at all. “Sit means sit” is an ultimatum right there. All about the ends justifies the means. No matter what. Because if they don’t sit . . . it’s not pretty.
▪ “Pack leader,” “alpha,” plays on the word “wolf” . . . [implications that] you need to bully your dog to be “dominant.” (Dogs are not wolves, and I very much doubt they took the time to get an education into wolf behavior either).
▪ “K9” usually is a play on working bite dogs, like military and police, because they call their dogs “K9s.” It’s “tough”-sounding. Machismo. “Touchy feely” gentle and patient treatment is not usually admired in this mindset. There’s usually a lot of ego for the trainer, and a lot of heavy-handedness for the dog involved.
▪ Anything “boot camp,” because that just sounds like a gentle, patient, and positive experience, right? You’re not even there to see what’s going on, which means there are no limitations, and it’s about quick results. This training does not address the underlying cause for behaviors, or give dogs a sufficiently fair time to learn and practice skills that they get drilled on under duress and corrected for mistakes.
▪ Anything about food being “bribery.” An educated behavior professional knows the difference between positive reinforcement and bribing, and knows how to competently use food without turning it into bribery.
▪ Anyone eschewing education in the science of behavior and learning theory, in preference of experience in the “real world.” We’re all in the real world. There’s no monopoly on it. Some professionals just took the time to get an education to understand and train better, to know how to not need quite so many corrections. Education and experience are not mutually exclusive.
▪ “Master trainer.” That’s a very specific school/course of training. We call it “crank and yank” because the leash is always being yanked on.
▪ Anything very vague and “woo” sounding. You can throw various things at a wall and see what works at home for free. Or you can invest your finances in a professional who uses evidence-based modalities for a better chance of success.
▪ “Natural” usually is correlated with heavy doses of intimidation. They tend to call this “pressure.”
▪ Guarantees. These [dogs] are not computers you’re rebooting operating systems on. These are sentient beings that adapt and change.
Threatening? You will have regrets . . . It’s going to be a disaster!
“Don’t risk your puppy falling behind—get you and your dog trained as soon as you bring it home! Life is going to fall apart, it’s going to be a disaster and you will regret not getting your dog into a program where you are attaining daily results.”
This trainer believes a dog should learn there’s a difference between right and wrong.
“My methods of good dog training are something important. In order to make my training effective I take things back to basic—you have to teach the dog that there’s a difference between right and wrong. This would be equivalent to 1st Grade. After you have accomplished this you will be able to teach other things. Socialization is equivalent to 11th or 12th Grade.”
This business uses proven scientific techniques but can’t write a sentence.
“An experienced and well-rounded dog training since 2002, XYZ uses the proven, science techniques of positive reinforcement and our innovative methods, we have proven that our dog training works time and time again. Making a great dog is a challenge; takes time and dedication.”
This cutting-edge approach does not appear to include specifics about methods.
“XXX uses a cutting edge approach to dog training and behavioral modification. Our training approach encompasses a number of different training tools and approaches depending on the unique circumstances presented by our clients and their animals. At the core of the XXX method is attention-based training. This broad approach to training allows XXX trainers to use a variety of attention based tools (leashes, collars, food, toys and notably our XXX Collar) to achieve the goal of attention to command around distractions to suit the situation.”
I’ll admit it: I have no idea what this next sentence means. I’m not sure I want to know.
“We firmly believe that dogs should be trained using a safe, and politically correct approach to training.”
This motto appears prominently on a dog training business’s website:
“Peace In Your Home”
Will they sedate your babies, your toddlers, your teens, your bickering in-laws? Will they meditate with you, calm all your anxieties? I have just one more question: Does it come with a lifetime guarantee?
Reisner Veterinary Behavior Services, LLC (Pennsylvania) For dog owners seeking help with problems ranging from counter-surfing and pulling on lead to aggression, there is a cauldron of manipulative and misleading words out there. Let’s keep getting the message out that coercive, dominance-based dog training is outdated, unfounded and abusive.
