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Guest lavendergirl

It doesn't look like he has got any actual qualifications, I certainly wouldn't want him to be dealing with aggression issues

What are these "actual qualifications" you are referring to? I have asked this question in the past in the hunt for a behaviourist and it seems there are very little in the formal sense - the recommendation seems to be "word of mouth" referral.

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It doesn't look like he has got any actual qualifications, I certainly wouldn't want him to be dealing with aggression issues

What are these "actual qualifications" you are referring to? I have asked this question in the past in the hunt for a behaviourist and it seems there are very little in the formal sense - the recommendation seems to be "word of mouth" referral.

From my understanding, for a behaviourist, generally either a qualified veterinarian with a specialisation in behaviour or someone with a higher degree in canine behaviour like a Masters or PhD.

For a trainer, it's nice to see a relevant diploma and a membership to a training society. But word of mouth can be more important :)

Edit - but of course it's not a unified & regulated industry. People can call themselves whatever they want.

Edited by Weasels
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Ouch

Qualifications Hmm??

I thought that vets etc treat health issues, but I could be wrong.

My advice is to see some dogs that they have trained and if you see something that you like it might work for you?

No different then people posting their opinions on this forum full of good advice ? what qualifications do they have? Just a thought. :confused:

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Ouch

Qualifications Hmm??

I thought that vets etc treat health issues, but I could be wrong.

My advice is to see some dogs that they have trained and if you see something that you like it might work for you?

No different then people posting their opinions on this forum full of good advice ? what qualifications do they have? Just a thought. :confused:

Mental health??? There are veterinary behaviourists- they can prescript training programmes and drugs in certain situations.

That being said I went to a behaviourist based on word of mouth and 6mths of research.

But the average dog owner probably only spends 5 minutes googling in an act of desperation so it would be great if we did have some qualification system to at least weed out a few of the numpties!

ETA- some of the opinions expressed here on DOL are great others are just down right SCARY!! Thankfully you don't have to pay for the crap and can ignore it :)

Edited by Jumabaar
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Guest lavendergirl

Ouch

Qualifications Hmm??

I thought that vets etc treat health issues, but I could be wrong.

My advice is to see some dogs that they have trained and if you see something that you like it might work for you?

No different then people posting their opinions on this forum full of good advice ? what qualifications do they have? Just a thought. :confused:

Its very different. I think we are talking about behaviourists here not trainers. It is not a matter of seeing dogs that have been trained as such. People on this forum generally offer advice based on their experiences - they are not charging many hundreds of $ for it. People can take their advice or leave it as they like. On the other hand if you are offering a service and charging a considerable fee then there should be some professional knowledge base to it and it would be good if there were clear qualifications stated rather than vagaries such as "certified". Vet behaviourists on the other hand are clearly qualified.

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Ouch

Qualifications Hmm??

I thought that vets etc treat health issues, but I could be wrong.

My advice is to see some dogs that they have trained and if you see something that you like it might work for you?

No different then people posting their opinions on this forum full of good advice ? what qualifications do they have? Just a thought. :confused:

I like to think people realise they 'get what they pay for' here and take any advice with a grain of salt. IMO the majority of the advice here is very good, and people are very quick to recommend a professional when the situation warrants it.

As mentioned, behavioural problems may stem from chemical imbalances so a veterinary behaviourist is able to both assess the problems and prescribe medicine if needed. It's like the difference between a GP and a physchiatrist - both have the same base in medical training, but the latter is specialised in behaviour modification.

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I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this guy at all http://www.goodwithdogs.com/page1.php

It makes me Lough a little to see how people justify their behaviour, my comment was made because not to many of you answered the question, you rather criticised the guy. (right or wrong)

There are many vets out there that would not know the first thing about behaviour and using drugs to calm dogs down etc which is not always the right option but maybe and easy option.

Also I don't know this guy but like before I find it funny how many people are so critical and bitchy. This are only my thought and also I am all good for useful advice.

Maybe we should change the question and say "can you look at this website and criticise" :eek:

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I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this guy at all http://www.goodwithdogs.com/page1.php

It makes me Lough a little to see how people justify their behaviour, my comment was made because not to many of you answered the question, you rather criticised the guy. (right or wrong)

There are many vets out there that would not know the first thing about behaviour and using drugs to calm dogs down etc which is not always the right option but maybe and easy option.

Also I don't know this guy but like before I find it funny how many people are so critical and bitchy. This are only my thought and also I am all good for useful advice.

Maybe we should change the question and say "can you look at this website and criticise" :eek:

A veterinary behaviourist is someone who has done additional training- not an ordinary vet.

Its apparently fine for you to say 'many vets' don't know behaviour, but others saying 'many people with websites advertising that they can fix dogs' also don't understand behaviour is critical and bitchy??

I dot know this person from a bar of soap- which is probably the first warning signal to me. the second is that no one else has used him or knows someone that has... the dog world is tiny so good behaviourist generally get a name for themselves pretty quickly IMO.

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I dot know this person from a bar of soap- which is probably the first warning signal to me. the second is that no one else has used him or knows someone that has... the dog world is tiny so good behaviourist generally get a name for themselves pretty quickly IMO.

Pretty quickly, especially here. IMO.

Or by the way, back to the question.

Has anyone heard of this guy?

We covered his website, covered the Vets and critical opinions but seriously has anyone heard of this guy? We are just so quick to criticise.

Edited by artur
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I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this guy at all http://www.goodwithdogs.com/page1.php

It makes me Lough a little to see how people justify their behaviour, my comment was made because not to many of you answered the question, you rather criticised the guy. (right or wrong)

There are many vets out there that would not know the first thing about behaviour and using drugs to calm dogs down etc which is not always the right option but maybe and easy option.

Also I don't know this guy but like before I find it funny how many people are so critical and bitchy. This are only my thought and also I am all good for useful advice.

Maybe we should change the question and say "can you look at this website and criticise" :eek:

The guy has created this website as his professional calling card to the world. The whole point of its existence is for people to judge his services by it. I just stated that based on the information provided, I wouldn't call.

There is very little information on his training methods and only two testimonials.

I would require much more information and evidence of his abilities before I would consider using his services.

This is spot-on I think - I wouldn't call a trainer who doesn't provide information about their methods unless I had already found out from a referral by someone I trust.

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I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this guy at all http://www.goodwithdogs.com/page1.php

It makes me Lough a little to see how people justify their behaviour, my comment was made because not to many of you answered the question, you rather criticised the guy. (right or wrong)

There are many vets out there that would not know the first thing about behaviour and using drugs to calm dogs down etc which is not always the right option but maybe and easy option.

Also I don't know this guy but like before I find it funny how many people are so critical and bitchy. This are only my thought and also I am all good for useful advice.

Maybe we should change the question and say "can you look at this website and criticise" :eek:

The guy has created this website as his professional calling card to the world. The whole point of its existence is for people to judge his services by it. I just stated that based on the information provided, I wouldn't call.

There is very little information on his training methods and only two testimonials.

I would require much more information and evidence of his abilities before I would consider using his services.

This is spot-on I think - I wouldn't call a trainer who doesn't provide information about their methods unless I had already found out from a referral by someone I trust.

So like I said the question was wrong. They wanted us to analyse the website??

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So like I said the question was wrong. They wanted us to analyse the website??

Unless/until someone comes forward who has been to him, it's all we have to go on.

Because it is an unregulated industry there are many horror stories about dog problems being exacerbated or new problems being created due to inappropriate training techniques. People are sharing their opinions/experience about what statements or omissions make them cautious about a particular trainer. If the guy turns out to be great, then that's wonderful. But some red flags have been identified and they may be helpful for guiding anyone who calls on useful questions to ask.

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