Choosing a dog trainer

What you should know about …

 Shelly Leibowitz, managing director of Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel/Shelly’s School for Dogs Shelly Leibowitz, managing director of Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel/Shelly’s School for Dogs We Americans love animals; however, we know little about them. We are used to convenience and short cuts. We also believe there’s a perfect dog for everyone.

The perfect dog is an enticing fantasy pooch. It’s the dog that instantly learns to pee outdoors, never menaces or frightens children, plays gently with other dogs, won’t jump on the U.P.S. guy, never rolls in gross things, eats only the appropriate food at the right time, hardly ever barks inappropriately, and never chews anything not meant for him.

If yours is the “perfect dog,” no need to read further; however if yours isn’t…

Dogs have shared our homes with us for millennia. It is a fact the wolf was the first animal domesticated by man. We know all dogs are descendants of the wolf. All dogs may not look wolf-like; however, their DNA does reflect their wolf heritage. Dogs are highly intelligent and responsive to human companionship, but sometimes dog owners find it hard to remember that the ball of fur leaping against their chest, darting past their ankles to bolt out the door or barking its head off at the passing neighbor is man’s best friend.

 dog training staff at Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel/Shelly’s School for Dogs dog training staff at Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel/Shelly’s School for Dogs Dogs that act accordingly are usually not getting direction, in a canine way, from their owners. Dogs need and want direction from their owners. If they haven’t got a strong leader, they don’t feel protected.

As pack animals, canines require a certain hierarchy. When lacking leadership from humans they’ll assume the role of top dog, even if they’re not of the proper temperament to assume the role of leadership.

Because people have ill informed or unrealistic expectations, dogs often suffer when their true canine nature is revealed. They get yelled at, irritated by studded chains, zapped by electric collars, and tethered to trees, hidden away in basements and back yards, or surrendered to local animal shelters. For such an intelligent animal, any or all these results are devastating, while disheartening and disappointing for the human family members.

It is a fact, according to the Humane Society of the United States, that behavior problems top the list of reasons for pet relinquishment.

This is where a dog trainer can be a big help. A good dog trainer will welcome any breed of dog, at any age, with any behavioral issue. Training should take place in the dog owner’s home, providing a comfortable learning environment where training is most effective, without adding unnecessary stress to the dog or owner.

Because all dogs are different, just like people, each dog’s temperament and individual personality can be evaluated in its natural setting. After a detailed phone interview with the owner, combined with an in-home evaluation, the training can be customized to suit the family’s specific needs and lifestyle, which is also linked to the dog’s temperament and environment.

Dog training is based on canine communication, which is the natural way dogs communicate with each other and how they learn from older and more important dogs in the pack.

Many people treat their dogs like children, which is a mistake. Of course they are important and loved mem- bers of the family, but dogs don’t think like humans, so we confuse them much of the time.

A good dog trainer uses techniques to encourage the dog to use its highly intelligent brain, while at the same time satisfying the dog’s need for pack leadership.

Problem or disobedient dogs are usually the result of dogs perceiving themselves to be high in the pecking order of the pack. The rub occurs when a dog makes a canine decision in the human environment.

Training methods should be nonphysical. Hands are for loving and petting only.

By using canine communication it is much easier for the dog to learn, while also being ex- tremely effective. Methods include voice control, body language and pack leadership techniques. A good trainer teaches the owners to communicate on the same level as the dog, resulting in a more thorough and complete training system.

As you can begin to see, this is not a “one size fits all” concept. The initial training takes about two and a half hours for most dogs. Within this time, owners are amazed at the satisfactory results and dramatic change in the dog’s behavior.

Follow-up by the owner only involves 10-15 minutes per day.

The trainer re-establishes the pack structure by supplying the adult dog owner with the proper knowledge and tools to become a strong leader.

The result is a dog that is much happier and more secure in its home. Consequently, the dog obeys out of respect, rather than fear.

By helping transform a frustrating and anger-causing experience with their dogs to an experience of harmony and mutual enjoyment, a dog trainer can reunite families with their dogs.