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This is hilarious! Amazing; the girl runs and the dog runs... I am obviously laughing at my own ignorance - I have no idea what running contacts is. Hope it's worth 5k though. ;)

Sorry, what's LLW?

Now, delving into the forbidden... Is there a value in using electronic collars to teach not pulling on the lead?

I've been working on TOT for the last few days, and my dog is responding nicely. I taught her earlier to wait for permission when I feed her. Now she can sit for about 30 seconds looking at me until I say "yes" and "ok". Mind you, sometimes she bolts to the bowl after "yes", but she is only four months old, and I am trying not to demand too much too soon.

I must say, I would be very, VERY happy getting my Bull Terrier to 10% of the level on the video, whatever the method.

Many police dogs I have seen in real life or on TV shows do not show amazing training standards. For example many of them pull on the lead to the extent that the handler has to use his full strength to keep the dog around. So Koehler or not, this argument is not very strong.

There are a lot of comments that relate to obedience trials. My goal, on the other hand, does not include participating in competition. I don't care how "clean" the dog heels or sits. I would be happy if my dog heels within a meter from me. Sure, I want the dog to be enjoy walks and hikes with me. A question: is maintaining the dog's focus for 10 minutes of ring action the same as getting him to pay attention for several hours of the walk?

All right then. If I want to train the dog myself, and if it is not Koehler, for basic obedience, what books or videos would you recommend?

I agree 100% with your post. I do realise that this dog is most likely very different from the previous one. The most important lesson I learned is that dog owners generally know much less about dog training than they think. I don't have the confidence, qualifications and experience to train dogs. I want to find a coach whom I trust,so that there is no temptation to second-guess what he does or recommends. Imagine questioning your doctor's prescriptions every time, it would be a nightmare! I love my dog (I had many dogs before) and I want to enjoy training and spending time with her. So that's what I am actually doing, looking for a good coach. I will definitely contact K9Pro, as I am in Sydney.

How?

and altho it still hates kids, it is prevented from lunging ..You haven't taught this dog to see kids in a different light - you've not stopped the aggression, just stopped the action.Dog was corrected for the action, not the thought/feeling I think it is close to 70% of all drivers that think that speed limits are stupid and unnecessary. Yet, the way to get the drivers to comply with the rule is based on correction, escalating with the degree and the number of violations. The thinking is the same (hate the speed limit, dammit!), but the action is reinforced. The result - improved safety for the road participants. In the meantime the media and the police can go on to educating drivers and promoting better driving habits on conscious level. One does not exclude the other.

Using punishment in the same situation leads to the same outcome. He will behave as long as he gets what he wants, to avoid the punishment. If you think rewards should be used that way, you will have a very poor outcome and punishment will be your only option. Kids and dogs can be fairly creative at solving problems, finding ways to get what they want and avoiding punishment is like a sport to some of them. Rewards, used correctly, bring it all to the front under your terms. The phrase in bold doesn't make any sense: the purpose of punishment is to get him to behave while not getting what he wants. Do you mind to illustrate how would you use rewards in my example?

Kippy summarised the thread quite well. I don't want to hurt my dog. I do not like to jerk the leash, yell or do other unpleasant things. I am all for positive methods and ancouragement and reward. However, I also want to be able to get results when positive methods hit the wall. By results I mean companion dog that I can take for a walk without worrying about her attacking a child or running across the road. My logic extrapolates from raising children. You know how children spell "love"? "T-I-M-E"! So I spend a lot of time with them: play, talk, listen, walk etc. A Encouragement and reward are the key. However, some things are off limits. For example, if a kid starts a tantrum in a shop because he wants a toy - he will be punished: no TV for three days or something along the lines. If he repeats the behavior - he will be smacked with sufficient intensity, so that next time he starts thinking of repeating the exercise me looking at him will get the idea out of his head. Using rewards in this situation is nothing more than a blackmail: he will behave as long as he gets what he wants. No, certain thing are non-negotiable. Carrot and stick, as old as the world itself. Obviously, I also have many obligations in this relationship. And guess what, we are still great buddies! I love and respect him and he loves and respects me. I think if I treat my dog the same way I treat my kids, this dog's life is not too bad.

What's martingale, if you don't mind me asking?

Depends how you define welfare. My dog is dead, how does that fit in? I guess we have a different view of welfare. I can tell you that my dog would have a miserable existance if I hit her with a belt even once. Do you ever correct your dog? If yes - how?