# So happy with trainer



## Fbkathleen (Jan 9, 2012)

I wanted to let you know I hired a personal trainer to help with training and walking Enzo. Enzo is a great dog, a 15 month SPOO. He is sweet but he had some habits I was not succeeding with. He was a real door barker and just over-excited when anyone came to visit. So we established a place for him to wait while we greeted company and he had to remain sitting until he was told to say hello. He is not perfect but in just 2 sessions showing great improvement. 

We are also walking him and teaching him not to over react to dogs, people, etc. he was always great off leash but so frustrating on leash. Again it is going so well plus now I really know what to do. I had trained him the basic commands really well but had not put them together in real life as much as I should have. So this has been fantastic. Plus if the trainer walks him when I am not home I know he will be getting super training. I plan to be there as much as possible because I know I am the one needing the training the most. 

I have always felt that Enzo was an amazing dog but I feel like I am going to move him one step further so that he will have really good manners. He was even more cuddly tonight following his workout. So thanks to all who gave me some suggestions and support. Enzo is the first dog I have ever raised and I am just so lucky to have him.

Kathleen


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

So glad to hear about the success you're having with Enzo! I really like the idea of employing the services of a qualified professional trainer to help guide and monitor your progress. Over the years I've used the services of two, both of whom were invaluable. It can make all the difference in the world when you have a pro's eyes on you and you get their feedback and direction on things. One trainer in particular was so helpful in getting me to see I was overlooking my dog's stress level surging (from being over stimulated) and failing to adjust the tempo of my training to give him a chance to settle down and re-focus. I was simply trying too hard to go too fast and when he became what I saw as uncooperative, I got frustrated. So we were caught up in a sort of negative feedback loop. Silly that I didn't see what I was doing, but thankfully the trainer did! Enzo is still a young spoo and I'm guessing very eager to learn, so I know you'll be even more pleased as time goes by. Wish you much continued success!


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Kathleen, that is great news. Sometimes it really helps to have an objective outsider look at a situation to help figure out creative solutions. Although I haven't needed a trainer to deal with issues of home and neighborhood, I have benefitted greatly from the advise of others for obedience and agility. when you are working with your dog you are so close to him or her that you can't always see what small cues you are throwing that you aren't aware of or the little odd things the dog is doing.

Enzo is still very young (even though full grown), so it will be great for you to fix the things you need to while it is still relatively easy to do. You will enjoy the fruits of this work for a long and happy life.


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

There is nothing like a really good trainer to make training more productive and more fun. That is great that you are experiencing such success with Enzo. I have to warn you, it is addicting when you see how much you and your poodle can accomplish.


----------



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I do congratulate you on getting professional advice as soon as you felt there might be a problem - so often it is seen as a last resort, by which time bad habits can be engrained in both dog and owner. Like Chagall's Mum, I have have found the perceptive advice from qualified trainers extremely helpful - especially when it came to slowing down and taking things in the dog's time! And it sounds as if the work you are doing is bringing you even closer together, which is wonderful.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I second CT Girl here. The more you accomplish the more you will want to accomplish. Nothing breeds success like the first bit of itself. Enzo is lucky to have you as much as you are to have him.


----------



## i_shaw_i (Jan 24, 2013)

That's great new. I too am considering getting a trainer.

Could you go into a little detail about how guys went about correcting this problem:



Fbkathleen said:


> just over-excited when anyone came to visit. So we established a place for him to wait while we greeted company and he had to remain sitting until he was told to say hello. He is not perfect but in just 2 sessions showing great improvement


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

It's important that the trainer be a good fit for you and your dog. I mentioned this on another thread, but it bears repeating. I found a trainer, met her once, liked her, and signed on for six weeks of basic obedience training. She and her husband have GSDs and Rottwielers and occasionally breed them. They train both pets and police and protection dogs, and have been doing so for years. 

We did well with her, up to the "down" command. Her advice essentially was to choke the dog into obedience by gathering the training collar tightly around the neck and holding the dog's head down on the ground, no matter what, until it submitted. She said, "You have to break her." Maybe she's accustomed to dogs that need a firmer hand, but no way was I going to "break" sweet-tempered, 7 month old Jazz by strangling her. I refused, we finished the last couple of classes, skipping the down, and parted on friendly terms (I'm still in touch with her about finding raw foods), but I won't be continuing classes with her. I guess what I'm saying is that you shouldn't be afraid to argue with a trainer if what she's asking you to do is counter to your own values.


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Excellent point JudyD. My two trainers are open to other techniques but not open to anything they consider cruel or harsh. The best training happens when both you and your dogs are having fun and enjoy the training. You made the right call not using a technique you were uncomfortable with. I don't understand the need for such harsh techniques period let alone on something easy as a down.


----------



## Fbkathleen (Jan 9, 2012)

I_shaw_i,
In terms of the door excitement, we keep working on this all the time. When anyone comes to the door and knocks, I call out, "just a minute". I then tell Enzo " place" which refers to a spot on the rug, a few feet in from the door. I then instruct him to sit and put a leash on him. Then I open the door and the plan is he is to stay sitting until I give him permission to greet the guest. Often he starts to greet before then and I just pull him back to his place. I also give him treats when he is sitting in that spot. When I take him out in the morning I also use "place" and have him sit there. It is a less exciting moment and I reinforce it at that time. Now when he comes in from his morning walk, he eagerly sits in his place and waits for a treat and release. So we are making progress. However, he often holds back a bit in the morning to be sure I have the regular leash and not the gentle leader, which he does not like. 
Walking involves lots of saying easy, corrections if he pulls, and treats. He is working with me with the trainer who brings his dog to teach him to focus on me. Lots of Leave it commands, watch me, and treats. He still has moments when he gets too crazy and I pull him away until he is far enough to focus on me. A hot dog gets him by the person or dog after a bit.
Thank you all for the positive comments. This is working out so well. It takes time but walking him is much more of a pleasure. He is sweet and knows lots of basic commands but not we put them together with expectations. His trainer is all positive which I like. It is so worth it all.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Fbkathleen and I_shaw_i, the practice for place at the door is exactly the approach to take. We are working on this now with my mom's puppy. I ring the bell and she works the other side of the door to get him to sit on the carpet runner which is about five feet from the door. If he gets up as she moves to open the door or as I am stepping in I leave and we start again. He is only seven months old, so it is still a work in progress, but getting better.

As to the aversive method described to teach a down, it sounds excessive even for a GSD. Peeves would have been horrified if we ever did anything remotely like that with him. I also believe that the Monks of New Skete have profoundly reduced the amount of coersive training they do with their GSDs, and they used to advocate lots of "forceful" training.

I think you have to be convinced that the methods you are using are a good fit for you and your dog. If you are uncertain about something you are doing, your dog will know it. This is a violation of the trust they should have in you.


----------



## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> As to the aversive method described to teach a down, it sounds excessive even for a GSD. Peeves would have been horrified if we ever did anything remotely like that with him. I also believe that the Monks of New Skete have profoundly reduced the amount of coersive training they do with their GSDs, and they used to advocate lots of "forceful" training.
> 
> I think you have to be convinced that the methods you are using are a good fit for you and your dog. If you are uncertain about something you are doing, your dog will know it. This is a violation of the trust they should have in you.


I'm not averse to coersion in every circumstance. Having raised three children, I know that sometimes you just have to say, "This is how we're going to do it," and see that they do. But insisting on a certain behavior by exerting some force is a far, far cry from abuse, and that's what the choking looked like to me. The trainer said, when I refused, "Do you think she won't like you if you do it?" I said, "No, I think she'll be afraid of me." And with good reason.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh I agree with you that sometimes reasoning through a situation just doesn't work (You wouldn't have a lengthy discussion about the hazards of cars as you saw your child run out in front of one, would you?). Sometimes a forceful action is needed, but choking a dog is never needed. I am glad you had the sense to say no to that method. It is very sad when people are willing to do anything a trainer says even if they don't agree with it. The trainer may have some expertise you as an owner don't, but you have to live with your dog and maintain a positive and trusting relationship with him or her.


----------



## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

This is great! Im very happy for you, I trained Lou all by myself  at first LOL Then professional training to reinforce through the adolescence times hehehe
I have been extremely dedicated to her trsining since day 1, had my eyes on her almost 24/7, except when she was in her crate which was almost only at bed time. I work from home so I felt like I was on maternity leave hehehe
I really really want to give her more training its fun and exciting to teach and see her results! Lou is the perfect dog! (for me) she doesnt do anything wrong, but she does get super excited when people she loves come to visit, its the only time I feel like she misbehaves by jumping, running in circles and luv bites... She has gotten better as she is getting older, but she still cant control her happiness/excitement... I may hire a trainer soon, she is going to be 11 months this week 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## swismiself (Feb 26, 2012)

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I haven't even put a deposit on a puppy yet, and I've already chosen my trainer . With a little boy and four cats, it's essential we get off to the right start. 

My degree is in behavioral psychology, but if becoming a mom to a human baby has taught me anything, is that when you're trying to teach one of your own, it's ENTIRELY different. 

I'm glad your trainer is working out for you and Enzo. Awesome!


----------



## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Swismiself, you are so smart, that is definitely the way to do it. There is nothing like having an educated eye to give you great feedback although I am sure your training should be helpful in raising your puppy and your little boy.


----------

