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Old April 13th, 2009, 12:25 AM
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Bailey_ Bailey_ is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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This is a great subject Gail, I'm glad you brought it up. I think nowadays the term 'trainer' has become SO incredibly varied with all the different methods/types of training, and some people have started to use that term very loosely, especially over the internet where it can be so easy to lie about ones identity.

With that said, I also think it's really easy to weed out the people who either should not be training or really cannot. I personally think it's great to use any forum as a 'sounding board' - I've used it with regards to a certain aggressive dog that I'm currently working with; as well as getting some awesome suggestions for an Australian Shepherd with horrible recall - so I can't say that I would 'raise my eyebrows' when another trainer is doing the same thing.
In my opinion, no matter how much experience we have training or with different breeds, there will probably always be dogs that come our way that we just can't fix. Whether we're not the right fit for the owner or the dog, I think it's important to be open and honest as a trainer, so that we can personally help the dog in need. That's what it all comes down too - not our ego, or our concern about whether or not someone will think we don't have a clue what we're doing if we ask for help.

With that said, if someone who calls themselves a dog trainer is handing out blatantly horrible advice; I'd really question whether or not they're being truthful about what they do. And like I said, in many cases, it's easy to see whether or not they know what they're talking about. The proof is in the pudding.

I guess I'm also just a bit old school in my thinking - I don't believe a trainer is someone that can teach a dog to 'sit' or 'stay', but rather on top of all those things - have the ability to read a dog and the knowledge of how to safely correct any problems in order to create a well-rounded and happy dog.

To me, that's what dog training is all about.
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"If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater. . . suggest that he wear a tail."

Bailey (Labradoodle)
Tippy (Collie/ShepX)
Vali (American Bulldog)
Artiro (Cane Corso)
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