# Important to find trainer you agree with



## Angl (Nov 9, 2012)

So last weekend I had the first class with a new trainer. Dogs did not go to first class so we could listen. 

I was so disappointed in this man. I left and left training materials sitting in the chair and never looked back. Not only was he expensive, but he sold a shock collar and that is what he used to train. 

I just signed the fur kids up at petsmart again. At least I know no shock collars are involved...


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## WhosMyFluffyPuppy (Jan 12, 2013)

That sucks that the trainer definitely doesn't fit your needs -- you'll definitely know when the trainer is "right." We loved our trainer, when things weren't working she'd suggest different positive things to do, which normally worked. Trusting the trainer is important, and if your gut told you don't trust this trainer's method, you did yourself right.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

That is too bad! I can't believe people buy into that "stuff". 

Sometimes its not the trainer but the class. Misha and I quit going to our obedience class because the class was full of Pitt Bull rescues. The people handling them were not their owners but rescue volunteers. I didn't trust that they could restrain them properly and felt very vulnerable in the class.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

shock collars are used successfully by several pf members. possibly with new technological advances, their name is more off-putting than warranted, though i believe the skill of the user is paramount in achieving success. nonetheless, if the class was directed at puppy training, i am truly surprised someone would start off using such collars.


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## Angl (Nov 9, 2012)

patk said:


> shock collars are used successfully by several pf members. possibly with new technological advances, their name is more off-putting than warranted, though i believe the skill of the user is paramount in achieving success. nonetheless, if the class was directed at puppy training, i am truly surprised someone would start off using such collars.


Well when he had us hold the collar and press the button so we could see it didn't hurt, he was sooo wrong. It did hurt. There was no way I was using that as a first attempt at stopping a bad behavior. Max's issue with getting too excited when guests come here is not his fault. It is mine. Give him the remote to shock me.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Angl said:


> Well when he had us hold the collar and press the button so we could see it didn't hurt, he was sooo wrong. It did hurt. There was no way I was using that as a first attempt at stopping a bad behavior. Max's issue with getting too excited when guests come here is not his fault. It is mine. Give him the remote to shock me.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Of course they hurt. They wouldn't stop behavior if they didn't. When they're set low, if they don't cause pain, they cause something unpleasant enough to stop behavior. You either reward behavior to increase it or you punish it to decrease it. 

There are numerous studies about shock collars, what they do philologically and psychologically and it's not good. There are very few, if any reasons to use a shock collar imo. And on a puppy? I think you did the right thing. 

You can look this up. It's pdf so I couldn't post it directly. 

Electronic Training Devices: A Review of Current Literature
Jo Jacques, CPDT, CPCT and Sandy Myers, CDBC


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

A shock collar for a puppy. What a jerk. Keep looking. Sometimes my trainer will have me do things I don't understand the reason for but always down the road I see the benefit. It is all positive though. I would keep looking. It is worth a drive to find someone really good.


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## msminnamouse (Nov 4, 2010)

That's very sad. The problem is that a lot of trainers will use clever marketing or euphemisms to hide the aversives that they depend on and use/advocate. So you show up not knowing what to expect. It's really a big problem because the client can't even make an educated decision. Such as having potential clients put the collar on their hand or arm and shock them on very low levels. Which is misleading because A. Dogs have thinner, more sensitive skin than humans and B. Dogs usually wear them on their necks, which is more sensitive part of the body than a hand or arm.

Like was said, in order for the shock to work, it has to cause pain (even discomfort is on the pain scale, it's the same reaction in the body) severe enough to motivate behavior change. A neutral stimulus just isn't going to do it. However, eventually you can use lower levels of shock or even just the warnings (beeps or vibration) because it's been conditioned as a warning of impending higher levels if you don't heed directions right now.

I like to recommend trainers from the PPG, Find A Force Free Dog Trainer and Pet Care Professional


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