In the world of dog training, you have many different training styles.  Some styles are far too lenient and give the dog no rules or boundaries to follow.  Some styles reward at the wrong time which creates chaos and confusion for the dog.  And some styles use human rules and thinking to create a system that will never work for your dog’s instincts.

Our motto is No Treats, No Clickers, No Shock Collars, No Gimmicks ® which really weeds out all the training styles that have been disproven time and time again over the years.  But what about the trainer who attempts to do things right and still gets it wrong?  And why are they getting it wrong? 

It almost always will come down to their energy.

One of the worst types of trainers (regardless of training style) is one who has no love or joy for their job or the dogs they interact with.  These are trainers who create hardline, domineering, and tyrannical rules that the dog will only fear and never respect.  Trainers who say things like “the dog owns nothing” and “the human always wins” or the “the human is always right” over the dog.  These are trainers who completely ignore the instinct of the dog and create human rules that they somehow think the dog will respect or enjoy.  

Some of the worst bites people receive come from dogs that have been raised or trained by such trainers.  The bigger more powerful breeds can become extremely dangerous in these situations as the trainers have created a dog that can snap or lash out at any moment.  The dog may take these harsh rules for months or even years but sooner or later they will push back and when they do it’s normally an all-out fight against the human.  The built-up resentment that comes from these animals can be a deadly force in some situations.   

Pack leaders in the wild would never act in such a way.  Our animal behavior expert and training consultant Kurdt Greenwood agrees…

“you must have mutual love and respect with your dog…I never go into a situation where I think I am superior to any animal…”

The bottom line is you must have a joyful, loving energy with your dog and if that is combined with fair leadership then you will truly have a dog that loves and respects you. 

Interested in becoming a loving, joyful and fair pack leader?  Contact your local certified Always Faithful Dog Trainer today!