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Q. How do we pick the right way to train our Labrador Retriever? We have done some research on the Internet about dog training and now we are more confused than ever.

A. The truth is that there are a lot of different ways to train a dog and all methods can be successful with some dogs. Dog training today is extremely polarized, almost to the point of religious fanaticism. To a large extent, the type of dog training that you chose for your dog is a very personal decision. Some people are more comfortable with using food, whereas other folks think that bribing a dog with food is just ludicrous and they are very uncomfortable with using any method that incorporates food. If you are the sort of person who expects your dog to behave at all times then you might prefer one type of training. If you are the kind of person who can tolerate a dog who is pretty good most of the time then you may not want to be bothered with the kind of training that produces a reliable dog all of the time. If you have a trainer in mind, why not ask them if you can watch a class? Ask them what method of dog training they do. Watch the dog trainer's own personal dog and see if you like the way that dog behaves. Chances are that if the dog trainer's dog is not well behaved, then yours may not be either. However, if the trainer has a dog that does pretty much what it has been told to do then it is pretty likely that yours could be that well behaved too. I personally feel that a combination of methods works best for most dogs. Trainers that can adapt to using the best method for your dog would be the one that I would recommend. Good trainers should be able to combine a variety of methods and be sensitive to the individual needs of you and your dog. Look for a trainer that has experience working with a variety of methods and a variety of breeds. Trainers that are comfortable using any method of training are generally referred to as Balanced Trainers because they use a blend of positive reinforcement and compulsion to train dogs. Ask the trainer what seminars or courses that he/she has attended. Ask what professional associations the trainer belongs to. Look for a trainer that attends at the bare minimum at least one seminar a year, preferably more and belongs to several different professional organizations. Dog training is an ever-evolving profession and ongoing education is a must. Currently there are no government regulated licensing organization so it is essentially up to you to do the research and find a trainer that fits the bill for your needs. Back to FAQ

Q. I have a dog that I would like to have trained but I don't have the time or the skill to do it myself. What are my options?

A. Most dog training is actually occurring in your home while you are simply hanging out with your dog whether you are aware of it or not. Taking a group class is not as time consuming as it seems and can provide high quality training for a very reasonable fee. You do have to spend about 20 to 30 minutes a day doing some work at home but you should be spending that time with your dog anyway. If you feel that a group class is not something that you have time for you have a couple of different options. You can usually find a trainer that will provide you with a similar sort of conventional obedience class in a private format that will take a bit less time and be more focused on you and your dog. Look for a trainer that has dogs of their own to supply some socialization for your dog. Of course there still is that training at home that you must do. Another option is to move to a totally different method of training such as a remote collar. Dogs typically learn a great deal faster with this method because it creates total attention when you are working with the dog. Dogs become far more reliable with remote collars. Trainers that use remote collars will work with you to develop your skills and can have all the basic skills firmly entrenched in your dog in two weeks. With this method, you do all the training yourself under the guidance of the trainer. So although the two weeks is fairly intense in terms of training it is a safe, reliable form of training that is well set in a very short period of time. The final option is a board and train. With this method you drop your dog off at a kennel and the trainer does all the work for you and you go back in two weeks and pick up a trained dog. You will be paying for a professional to work with your dog daily (usually several times a day) and you will also be paying for the boarding. Also included in the price is the guarantee for further training should it ever become necessary. This will make this the more expensive choice. This method results in a very well trained dog that only requires maintenance to keep up the level of obedience. If you chose a kennel that does boarding to train your dog, your dog will usually receive a free brush up when they are boarded. Remote collar training has the added bonus of being able to correct a vast number of problem behaviours. It is vitally important to seek out professional help with remote collars so that the dog learns first how its actions can turn the collar off. Simply putting a collar on and pressing the button will create a confused and frightened dog and will make future training much more costly and difficult. Back to FAQ

Q. How can I get my dog to stop chasing cars?

I have been asked on several occasions how to stop a dog from chasing cars. The most obvious answer of course, is to confine your dog in such a way that your dog does not have access to the road. In my opinion, dogs should never be allowed to get near a road of any kind. It is simply too dangerous for everyone. However, I find that a lot of dogs that are chasing cars are the herding dogs and most of these dogs are living on dead end cottage roads and for the most part, enjoy a life of unfettered freedom, especially over the winter. Once summer arrives, things change and even quiet back roads can resemble a 4 lane highway. If you chose to confine your dog, you can go with a wire or board fence or you can chose the invisible variety. If you chose the invisible fence, go with the genuine article….it is worth it in the long run. Tying your dog up is often not the best choice unless it is for short durations as this can build up frustration in the dog making car chasing more likely when it is off leash. The first thing that I would do is make sure that my dog is so well exercised that it is not going to even want to chase a car. To diminish the likelihood that the dog car chases, take the dog to an obedience class and focus on getting a very good recall (come when called), established with your dog. Teach your dog focused attention. It is not possible to train any mammal unless you have attention. Once you get this attention, start to walk your dog on leash near areas where cars are. Gradually, work towards walking on the sidewalk, on leash, and demand attention from the dog. It is extremely important to stay calm when you are doing this. Tenseness and agitation will fuel the dogs herding instinct and make him more likely to continue to chase. Yelling or screaming at the dog will only serve to re-enforce the dog's belief that the car needs to be herded away. Cars do just that….they go away and that is already very re-enforcing to the dog. Teach your dog that it is not allowed to even look at the car. Add the command 'leave it' to your repertoire of commands and use that. Now when the dog is at home, set him up, so that he is on leash and correct him for trying to chase the car. Remember, you have to stay calm when you are doing this so the dog clearly understands that this is not allowed. Give him something else to herd instead. Give him a dozen beach balls and kick them around when the car comes down the road. How successful will you be with this method? Well, that depends, on how entrenched the behaviour is and how long it has been going on. It also depends on how much time and effort you are willing to devote to training the dog not to do it. To a large extent, car chasing is best managed by confinement but it can be quickly and fairly effectively corrected with the use of a remote collar. Most confirmed car chasers can be easily persuaded to give the habit up with the remote collar, especially if they have a lawn full of balls to herd. And the beauty of it is that you can resolve it in a week or two with the remote training collar. Back to FAQ

Q. Why won't my dog come when called?

Over the many years that I have taught dog obedience classes, I have often heard from owners who have let their dog out in the back yard at 6 am while they go back into the house to get ready for work. When it comes time to go out and get the dog….well lets just say, the dog has different ideas. Dogs can figure out fairly short sequences like this very quickly. To the dog the scenario looks something like this, "I get fed, I go outside and I have a whole lot of fun sniffing around and then the next thing I know there they are yelling at me and ending all my fun. I will just spend the day in that boring old crate. I think I will just stay here and enjoy my freedom as long as I can." Is it any wonder that they don't want to come back to us? There are a whole lot of things that you can do to change this scenario so that the dog sees the picture differently. First of all, take your dog to an obedience class so you get some structured obedience lessons. Secondly, don't let your dog out unsupervised in the yard. You can do that later when your dog is fully trained and he will return to you. Instead, get him used to dragging a long line of some sort so that when you tell him to come you can back it up by compelling him to come to you. If the word 'come' has already come to mean that your dog can do his own thing or even worse that he is going to be in a mess of trouble when you do catch him, change the word to 'here'. Now when you go out you call his name and give the command and get him in. But hey, you want him to come each and every time…right?! Well then there has to be something in it for him. Remember the sequence above? Okay lets try and do something about changing that sequence. So now when you go and get him, praise him for coming, give him a little treat and some more praise would be good. Try and leave enough time for a little two minute walk down the street. It does not take all that long and it changes the sequence enough that the dog is going to start to see coming back to you in a whole new light. Add a little game of fetch or toss a ball. Once the dog is in the house have a special toy ready to leave your dog with. A nice Kong filled with tasty treats and that dog is going to think twice about playing keep away at 7 am and you will be getting to work on time. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get the well trained dog that we want but it is time well spent when it ends up being a dog we can be proud of. Back to FAQ

What should I look for when chossing a dog trainer?

Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! Unfortunately this applies ever more to dog training. So what do you the consumer look for in a dog trainer? Well the first thing a pet owner should do is ask for a recommendation from a vet or other pet professionals such as groomers, humane societies or training clubs. Ask the trainer about their own experience. Do they just have one method or one collar that they will use? A good trainer should be able to make you feel comfortable with what ever method that you prefer. If the trainer does not have expertise in the method that you would prefer to use, they should be willing and able to provide you with the names of other trainers that you can work with. Beware of any trainer who would like to "try" a method out on your dog and charge you for it. If you don't understand why a trainer is doing something, don't be afraid to ask why! You have every right to expect your questions to be addressed. Beware of trainers who make claims that can not be verified. Claims that trainers have worked with celebrities are often unverifiable claims. Beware of slick websites that make outrages claims or that condemn other trainers and methods. A good trainer should be able to find the method that will work the best for your dog no matter which one it is. If they can't do that, then they should be able to refer you to someone who can. For example, not all trainers specialize in aggression but they should be able to send you to someone who does. Look for a trainer that has good teaching and communication skills. A trainer who can make learning quicker and easier for you to understand is going to make the whole process much more enjoyable for you and your dog. A sense of humour is an added bonus. Beware of a trainer whose only focus is money. Financial success is a necessity but a trainer should have some ethics and be prepared to give you a solid money back guarantee if they can not do what they said they would do. A responsible ethical trainer would not want to keep money that they did not earn. Does the trainer keep up with seminars and courses to stay abreast of new methods and technologies? Do they belong to reputable associations, organizations and training clubs? These groups are often good places to go to for recommendations in regard to a trainer and their capabilities. Attend a class and meet some of the people who have trained with the trainer that you are considering working with. How are their dogs behaving? Do they seem to be enjoying the class? Lastly, watch the trainer's own personal dogs. How do they behave? If they can't train their own dogs how can they train your dog? They should also have trained more than one breed of dog. Back to FAQ

Q. How can I stop my dog from lunging at other dogs when walking on a leash?
Does this mean my dog is aggressive?

I am frequently asked to evaluate dogs who lunge out of control at other dogs while walking on a leash. Embarrassed and frustrated owners mistakenly assume that their dog is aggressive to all other dogs and can never be trusted around strange dogs. These owners take the approach that it is better to walk somewhere where they are not going to see other dogs. They will walk their dogs in the early morning or late at night to avoid being seen with their monstrous canine. Even worse than that approach is the owner who decides that they can no longer walk the dog safely so the dog only gets to walk around in the backyard. This can only make the situation worse, because now the dog is getting no exercise at all and no socialization either. Truth be told, these dogs are 'usually' not aggressive at all. What has happened with these dogs is that they have seen others of their kind walking the streets for weeks and months or even years and they have never been allowed to visit with the other dog. Frustration builds and builds in the dog until the dog can't stand it any longer and the frustration is displayed as aggression. If owners would take that same dog and train it to be obedient and teach it how to behave around other dogs, they could have a dog that they could easily and comfortably walk down the street and be proud of. It is really all a matter of communication. Teach the dog to walk on leash without pulling and then begin to add more and more distractions to the dog so that it learns that it must walk properly even in the face of distractions. Increase the distractions to include another dog and do a meet and greet while walking. The next step is to actually walk the two dogs together. This is best done with a socially confident dog at first. A socially confident dog will not be fazed by the out of control lunger but will comfortably put the offender in his or her place with little or no force at all. Back to FAQ

Q. I just want a well behaved dog. Do I need to train him to do a lot of obedience "tricks"?

Dog training. What does it really mean to train a dog? Well it can be said that there are two sides to dog training. On one hand you can have a dog that sits, heels, and comes when called but steals food from the counter and eats your favorite shoes. And on the other hand you can have a dog who does not heel or sit but never steals food or digs in the garden. These two faces of dog training can be called obedience training (or training for any sport) and behaviour training. They can be combined in one dog or they can exist separately. To get the most out of any training relationship with your dog you need to be a fair leader. A fair leader is someone who communicates the rules to the dog but never loses his temper. Most dogs will at some point test the rules to see if they are bendable at all. You must deal with this testing behaviour firmly but fairly or the dog will learn not to trust you. Correct the mistake that the dog makes by providing information that will help the dog understand what is expected. There is a difference between correcting a dog and punishing a dog. Correcting should guide your dog with useful information and communication. Punishment is a concept that dogs do not really understand and has no place in dog training. Punishment is usually given in anger and dogs do not understand anger either. While obedience training is not behaviour training, it can aid in behaviour training on many levels. First of all obedience training, involves you the owner in the position of a leader or trainer of your dog. That alone changes the relationship that you have with your dog. Secondly, obedience training develops a bond between you and your dog that is hard to describe. Thirdly, obedience training enhances an owners understanding of how the dog learns. Many behaviour problems that arise in dogs are easily dealt with once the owner develops a leadership role with the dog. If your dog sees you as the leader of your pack, you will have few if any behaviour problems. Many people never ever have to take a dog to an obedience class because they will never have a problem with a dog. These folks are by nature, fair but firm leaders. Most dogs are content to let the human member of it's pack be the leader. Problems only arise when the owner fails to assume this role and the dog feels that it must take over. Back to FAQ

Q. I have taken my dog to several trainers and he's still out of control. What's going on? Is he un trainable?

Sometimes I feel I must have the greatest job in the world. Yesterday, I had the privilege of handing back to an owner a dog that I had here for two weeks to train. Farley's owner had never had a dog before so in an effort to do right by his dog he had gone to every trainer that he could find. By the time Farley got here he was as confused as his owner. Farley's owner decided that because I offer an unconditional guarantee, he would bring the dog here to me while he was on vacation and have me train the dog with a remote collar. The dog that left yesterday was so different from the dog that showed up here two weeks ago, that the owner was stunned. Let me paint the picture for you. Farley is a young boisterous retriever who pulled on the leash, played 'keep away'…not coming when called, bolting through the front door out onto busy Toronto streets and jumping up on people. With a very gentle E-Touch and lots of help to learn, Farley learned in a two short weeks that he can control himself and be well behaved. Our session yesterday, went something like this. We let Farley out of his kennel to meet his owner and play a bit….after all they hadn't seen each other in two weeks. When Farley had settled down we put his leash on him and Farley walked through two gates with his owner but first he sat at his owner's side quietly waiting for permission to walk through the gate. As we walked down the driveway and out onto the road, Farley's owner commented that Farley had never ever walked beside him before. Farley had previously always been at the end of the leash pulling with all his might. Later we added a second dog to the mix to show the owner just what an awesome job Farley could do now. Then we walked over to a large open field and took the leash off Farley. His skeptical owner looked out over the large field and wondered aloud how he would get him back if Farley ran off. "Trust me." is all that I said. We let both dogs off leash to run with wild abandon through the grassy fields. Each and every time we called them, both dogs stopped in their tracks and raced back to us. When we called them to heel, both dogs did so right away and at the end of our walk Farley walked right across a large field with no leash, right beside his owners leg. Farley's owner was truly in awe. So is Farley completely trained now? Nope! Not by a long shot. Training has to continue at home but with guidance and a clear picture of what is really possible he is well on his way to being the dog his owner had always dreamed of having. Farley's owner now has a vision of what he can really expect from his dog. Back to FAQ

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