question on hiring a puppy trainer
 

I am suppose to have someone come to my home that my vet recommended on trainning Tike. She said she uses the old fashion trainning. She praises when they do well and use a firm no voice when not pleased. What do you all thinnk?

That is how we train Rocky. He alots of hugs and kisses when he does the commands correctly, but when he does not we give a firm "NO" and command him again. It takes alot of pratice but it works for us.

sounds real good to me... thats how i trained lexi

When you say old fashioned - I think the collar + leash correction. Please make sure there is no physical correction. We used a positive trainer and were very pleased. The only use for the leash in our classes was so the dogs didn't run away from us! Most of the time they are off-leash in class. Good luck with training - make sure the trainer shows you how to do things. It's a lot of fun!

Rosi is in beginner class @ petsmart, and right now i am not too impressed...as i have thaught her more at home, its week 3 and had 2 different trainers with 2 different way of training, and it is confusing her...not even shure i am going to finish... if you try a personal trainer let us know how it goes please !

I would want to ask more questions. What does the trainer use to control the pup? If they use choke collars XLD the trainer. Does she believe in treats? The word "old fashion" really bothers me as most of the old trainers used a lot of jerking methods (collar/leash) to train the dog and you could do a lot of damage to a Yorkie. I am a big believer of only using positive training period. One of the best systems is the clicker system. How old is your dog? If you use the search bar on YT and click in clicker training you will find a lot of great information.

I agreed with the others. I will make sure the trainer does not used negative or physical corrections. Good luck.

i'd like a better definition of "old fashion training" from the trainer. around here, "old fashion training" usually means use of choke collars and a combination of positive and negative reinforcement.

i think it's great that you're getting help in training Tike. i'm sure it'll help him become a better pet for you and your husband. but i also wanted to add that the trainer should not only train Tike, but also train you on how to train Tike. it wouldn't be helpful if only the trainer works with Tike and Tike will be very responsive to the trainer but not to you.

not to be too off topic, but it's interesting what's being said about "physical corrections". 'cause i use physical corrections in the form of a quick tug on the lead and collar. that's how i was taught in the puppy training class. but it's for specific commands... specifically for loose leash walking and the "leave it" command. with everything else, i use click-praise-treat. i guess i'm at a loss to understand how loose leash walking could be taught without a lead, collar/harness, and some sort of physical correction when the puppy either drags or pulls against the lead.

We did loose leash walking with a combo of the easy walk harnesses (which discourage pulling, if they pull they just end up turning in a circle) and by stopping when the dog pulls. You don't continue on again until the dog gives slack in the lead. And yes you look like an idiot stoping every few feet the first few times, but the harnesses really work well. I could barely walk my neighbors lab because he pulled so much, so I bought him an Easy Walk and it was immediately easier to walk him. I also reward Loki for eye contact with me, which requires he keep up. When we're not training and just going on a walk, I just tell Loki NO when he tries to stop too often and I want him to keep walking. A little encouragement to keep moving is all he needs.

For "leave it" we would either take it away quickly or cover the treat with something clear plastic so they couldn't accidentally be rewarded. We started shaping "leave it" by giving the dogs a treat when they looked away from the bait on the ground.

I certainly see nothing wrong with some collar training with larger dogs. You certainly can use a collar effectively without yanking or hurting a dog. With a collar, you can bring a dog toward you, help station him where you want him to be, and keep him from going where you don't want him to go.

And - I'm not sure about this "positive positive training" attitude that many of you have.

When my pup decides to pee in the middle of the carpet - I personally can't think of anything positive to say to him or do at that moment. I jump up immediately, and he gets a firm "No no," and he's quickly moved to a more appropriately place. The word "no" --- is negative - not positive!

I can understand positive training completely as far as not spanking, hurting, or ever being mean. I never do any of these things - but my pup gets negative feedback occasionally -- usually only by what I say to him or the tone I use .... (and I don't do this loudly or need to do it often).

A mother dog - gives her pups negative feedback often - she does this to train them and keep them safe --- and occasionally only so that she can have a moment's peace for herself.

Carol Jean

SnowWa, it's interesting that you are criticizing positive training in relation to housebreaking when you youself recently started a thread about your toilet training difficulties.

I don't think anyone is saying that there's anything wrong with using a collar or harness on a dog of any size. The method of leash corrections that is being referred to (which many of us consider old fashioned) is, unfortunately, still used by many trainers today. It involves leash pops which does involve "yanking and hurting" the dog. Some even use the leash to "helicoptor" the dog which means suspending by the collar to correct bad behavior. There are those who still advocate choke collars - even for Yorkies - to make all of the above even more "effective" (ie painful).

There's a huge difference in that and using a collar or harness to simply restrict a dog's freedom!

FirstYorkie - I agree with you about the collar/harness issue. We agree that a collar can be used without hurting a dog or being unkind.

My potty training thread was really meant to be more humerous than it was taken. I was hoping it would, in a funny way, cause a lot of us to realize that potty training is more "our job" than it is our dog's. Though, I have certainly been guilty at one time or another of committing most of the excuses I listed.

Now you'll be proud of me - and Murphy. He is left alone in the kitchen area when I work - 6 hours, four days a week - and for the past two weeks or so, he has not gone to the bathroom during this time at all - most days. This is good. I am also noticing that around the house in general (even wearing a belly band), he is pees far less frequently. This is no doubt largely due to his just becoming older.

And - because it is finally warmer here. We are now going outside a lot. I take off his belly band (which is usually dry now) and we go out every hour or two and he pee's two or three times every time we go out. And, I do tell him that he is "just wonderful!"

So - see - I'm working harder at it and Murphy is improving by leaps and bounds.

My reference to his peeing on the front room carpet was something that he did when I first got him. That's why I put belly bands on him in the first place.

I was thinking today - I'm taking Murphy outside a lot now - so he's peeing outside and not in the house. But if I didn't take him out often, he'd be peeing in the house. So - which one of us is really potty trained... me or Murphy???

And - again, there is no doubt that all of this is easier now that he is a little older (7 months) and not having to go to the bathroom as frequently as he did when he was a pup.

I do believe in positive reinforcement. I just think there are a occasional times when I have to tell Murphy "No" and let him know that what he is doing is not a good thing. I would never spank him or hurt him in any way ever. And, I never yell at him either. More often than not, when I discipline him this way, he just runs off and starts playing with a toy....like he could care. But, he's smart, and he does remember my reaction to some of the things he does. And, even though he acts like he could care less or didn't even hear me -- he did. His quickly improving behavior proves this. I can't help but mention again that I have noticed so much happening just this last month or even past few weeks and think that his being a little older is a large part of everything.

One of his best new tricks is going to the door. He never did bark, but now he sits about four or five feet behind me when I open the door and stays there...which means I don't have to worry as much about him running out when someone comes over. I'm proud of him for this one.


Bye - Carol Jean