TV Dog Training? Does it help?

This article comes from Laurie Williams on of the competitors on America’s Greatest Dog. She brings up some very good points I thought I would share.
TV Dog Training – Helping or Hurting?

Laurie Williams
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Never before has there been more information and resources available to help pet parents live harmoniously with their canine companions. If you surf the net you will discover thousands of training Web sites; the dog training section in bookstores and libraries is inundated with new titles every month; and dog training is a regular weekly feature on some television channels. However, you know what they say about a little knowledge. It’s dangerous, and incomplete and inaccurate information is even worse.

Where has all this abundance of conflicting and misleading information taken us? On one hand it has prompted many people to make more out of things that are really just normal dog behavior in certain circumstances. I receive many calls from concerned puppy parents about their aggressive 12-week-old puppy, only to determine the puppy is just exhibiting normal puppy behavior on its way to learning bite inhibition. And then there are the pet parents who feel their dog is showing dominance by jumping up on them to greet them, and they want to show him they’re the pack leaders like Cesar says. Uggggh. If I had a nickel for every time that term is over or incorrectly used I’d be rich! Well, okay, at least these pet parents are trying to be proactive and prevent issues before they become serious problems, and that’s certainly a good thing.

Unfortunately I also get calls from people whose dogs are struggling with very serious behavior issues like severe aggression but have unrealistic expectations of fixing those problems. Why? Well, they saw a dog with the exact same issue on TV and that dog was fixed in one episode! Make no mistake about it, behavior modification takes time, patience and consistency. There is no quick fix or magic to it, only the magic of television. Having been on the boob tube myself, let me state unequivocally right here and now that you can’t always believe what you see on television, and reality television is anything but real, it’s meant to be entertainment. Even if the genre is supposed to be public education, make no mistake about it, the show still needs to be entertaining. After all, if no one is watching, the show won’t get any sponsors to pay for it! Additionally, everything you see may not have happened in exactly the way it’s been presented, or in the same sequence, or even on the same day!

And what about follow up? Did the owners continue with the behavior modification? Has the dog continued to improve or has he reverted back to old habits? Rarely, if ever, are any of those questions answered on any of the television training shows. We’re presented with quick glimpses that end with the trainer closing up his or her computer or getting in his or her car and driving away. Happy ending? Maybe. Hopefully. But those profound and quick changes we’re presented can be extinguished just as quickly if there is no consistency in the training and behavior modification to follow.

And then there’s the subject of dog training methods. Even if the show instructs the viewers “not to try this at home,” overzealous owners will do so anyway, which can have disastrous and downright dangerous results. I know more than a few people who’ve been bitten when attempting to physically overpower or dominate their dog, like they saw the trainer do on TV. I am always hopeful that most will listen to the part of the disclaimer that tells the viewer to “contact a professional” first.

That’s where I come in.

While I may not agree with or use the same methods a television dog trainer uses, if his or her show helps make people aware of their dog’s behavior and gets them interested in training, that’s a good thing. If it prompts someone to pick up the phone and call me, all the better! Once I get them in the door, I’ll get my chance to show them how real dog training and behavior modification works.

What do you think about TV dog training shows?

What’s your favorite or least favorite show?

Who’s your favorite or least favorite TV dog trainer and why?

What kind of TV dog training show would you like to see?

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Your dog is itchin to tell you…

Dogs all over are scratching and itching right now. Several causes, fleas, dry skin, and contact allergies. Believe it or not, dogs can actually be allergic to grass! The natural way to deal with these are: wash your dog more frequently with a non-soap shampoo. Soap dries the dogs skin, so if you wash with these shampoos which have soaps and perfumes in them, while they smell nice, will actually make your dogs problem worse. Hypo-allergenic, oatmeal and baking soda will do the trick. Next, add Olive oil to your dogs food daily. The Omega-3’s will help your dogs skin and coat as well as being healthy for their insides!  Add Brewers Yeast and Garlic to their food to provide a natural antibiotic effect and repel fleas. Finally, add Pro-Biotics to their diet to help build a healthy immune system.

Your dogs diet could be the source of the itching. Feed a dog food that contains no corn, wheat, or beef, no artificial preservatives, flavors,or fillers. Shop the organic aisle of your local Pet store. Dogs can have allergies to these things and the only way they can tell you is scratch!

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Go Green! Dogs,enviroment and training

Hi All, I train dogs everyday. Obedience training is important. But just as important is the enviroment in which your pet lives in. We’ve all heard how harmful alot of our cleaning products are for us and our children.  Cleaning products are one of the main causes of asthma in young children today. What does clean smell like to you? What was your answer? Actually, clean has no smell. The smell you associate with clean is that of the cleaner you are using. It is actually the chemicals that make up that smell that are so harmful to you, your family and your pets.  Our pets are being overloaded with chemicals.  Flea control,bath products, medicines, chemicals in our flooring and furnishings, and our cleaning products.  Your pets live and breathe at floor level.  Think of what they are inhaling and lying on everyday!  Our pets liver was not made to handle all these chemicals. The result is allergy reactions in dogs and early death.  We love our pets, so let’s Green up our homes to take care of them and in the process you will be healthier too!  http://news.aol.com/story/a/high-chemical-levels-found . 

The EPA is currently studying Flea and Tick preventives and their toxic effects on dogs and cats, please talk to your Vet before purchasing any product.     www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/health/17pets.html

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