Remarkabull Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 My husband (without my knowledge) contacted a 'dog trainer' today and she called tonight to chat about our 'problem' with Acheron. (He has what I think is fear aggression towards other dogs. He is not out of control aggressive but he is definitely uncomfortable around other dogs and I think he could bite if he felt 'cornered'. He has been like this from the day we got him and after talking to his breeders we believe it is genetic.) So this lady has recently moved up from Melbourne and teaches what she called "Alpha Dog" training. I spoke with her for more than half an hour and I didn't agree with much of what she told me. Apparently I should immediately stop letting all 4 dogs sleep in our room. They should be outside or in the laundry. I should get rid of my check chain and prong collar and buy a halti. I should make the dogs sit and wait before letting them inside (which they do IF I ask them too, but I don't always make them). She thinks he (acheron) doesn't trust me and I lack leadership and authority. Apparently, by telling him 'no' in a firm voice and turning him in a circle every time he becomes aroused when he see's another dog he will understand that he is doing the wrong thing and will then improve very quickly. She also said that she always brings her own 2 dogs to the sessions (a 'labradoodle and a cavoodle' - her words) and 'when he (Acheron) is under control she will introduce them to him'. A lot of this doesn't sit with me and I just wanted to know has anyone here used this method? Has anyone even heard of this before? I believe every dog and every situation is different and a blanket training method is not going to work with all dogs and she was very determined that if we did things her way then he will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Run a mile from this person very quickly. Definitely go with your gut instinct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 I just googled Alpha Dog Training and had a read on their web page, will definitely not be going there! Not that I planned on it anyway, but some of their methods and thoughts on dog behavior are a bit outdated. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 (edited) Wow, that is an odd mix of little tidbits IMHO - the bedroom thing is a red herring. I can't see how them sleeping somewhere comfy would have a bearing on fear agression. - the waiting thing, that's just training. They'll do it if you train it but that's all they'll get out of it. - the 'no' and turning thing, is a kind of redirection so I guess that could have an effect. Saying 'no' won't mean anything unless you train it to mean something though. - I'm not a big fan of checks, prongs or haltis so I'll leave that for someone who's tried them. Personally I like my trainers to explain their methods in a bit more detail than vague concepts like "leadership" and "respect". But the most important thing seems to be that YOU aren't comfortable with her, and that alone should be reason enought to doubt whether the two of you can work as a team to fix your dog. Edit: too slow :laugh: I hope you can find a good trainer you can trust in the near future :) Edited May 3, 2012 by Weasels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 My dogs are allowed to do pretty much what they like at home, but they know that as soon as we walk out the front door on a lead, it's a completely different ballgame - and they behave accordingly. The minute the collar and lead go on, I'm the one in control, and they know that they will be allowed to have their fun if they are well behaved about it - otherwise, it's back home and no play in the park. It's actually amazing how quickly my dogs worked the above out - especially when they had their "fun" cut short and were taken back home as soon as they misbehaved. Their reward for good behaviour was to be able to soak up the sights, smells, and puppy friends to play with for much longer... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 (edited) ...That was an interesting exercise , and I hope your OH has now been shown the error of HIS ways...a night or two sleeping in the laundry might help :p Edited May 3, 2012 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Yikes! Stay away :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Thanks for the replies. I must admit to being a benevolent leader and generally the dogs can do as they like at home but I am the boss and they all understand this. He is great to walk and doesn't lunge, bark or growl at dogs while we are out and about so until we move back south I will manage this as best I can and then will get some help from someone I trust. It's funny, I told this lady that I would not have a problem if people would just walk their dogs on lead like they are supposed to and she says 'well, mine are 100% off lead trained so I just make them sit if another dog is walking past'. I didn't know what to say so I just let her keep talking and made some vague excuses about money being tight right now so I wouldn't be employing her services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 ...That was an interesting exercise , and I hope your OH has now been shown the error of HIS ways...a night or two sleeping in the laundry might help :p And yes, OH has been told to not intervene when it comes to the dogs, even though he thought he was helping me :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 deary me ... there are some great theories out there aren't there. Dobesrock I have some ways of teaching dogs like this to prefer not to bite, not in a rough way but I'm firm, email me if you want to bounce some ideas. Good that you can own a prong up there at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkhe Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 She may as well have told you to sit down and watch a Cesar Millan marathon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 none of her training is like Cesar Milan at all ... I dont even understand it's just a hodge podge. We have someone down here like that apparently for fear aggression you cut out all meat from the diet, remove all toys and no walks for at least a couple of weeks until they 'settle down' ... yeah nah ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 none of her training is like Cesar Milan at all ... I dont even understand it's just a hodge podge. We have someone down here like that apparently for fear aggression you cut out all meat from the diet, remove all toys and no walks for at least a couple of weeks until they 'settle down' ... yeah nah ... Where do these people come from?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Thanks Nekhbet, I have sent you a email on your website. It's actually quite funny you mention Cesar Milan because when I googled Alpha Dog Training they highly recommend his training methods and suggest watching his videos! It made me laugh considering so much of what this lady said was nothing like Cesar Milan at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 no walks for at least a couple of weeks until they 'settle down' .... I'm just imagining all the 'settling down' my two would do after 2 weeks of no walks :/ ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpette Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 no walks for at least a couple of weeks until they 'settle down' .... I'm just imagining all the 'settling down' my two would do after 2 weeks of no walks :/ ..... Oh gawd yes, considering mine cannot get through two days without a good walk. Oh the destruction, the noise, the mess, the insanity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I'm just imagining all the 'settling down' my two would do after 2 weeks of no walks :/ thats the part I found horrific ... how settled could dogs be totally deprived. yes and how to crate train a SA dog ... lock him in and correct any time he whined. Dog quickly escalates into ripping apart a metal crate when locked in ... Another doozy we seem to have around here is a 'positive' way of thinking that is no treats or toys. So only flat/halti etc but reinforce with praise only. Seems perfectly acceptable to get super frustrated and yell at the dog though it's almost like a YOU MUST LOVE ME DOG, LOVE ME NOW way of thinking. The dogs actually shy away from their owners, one dog I saw would flinch when his owner became firm or raised her hands for him to return to her ... yeah positive ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Poor dogs have put up with so much in the name of humans' half-baked, ego-fuelled ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Sounds like this trainer thinks she understands Wolf Behaviour and has forgotten about selective breeding in domestic dogs for non-wolf like traits means that domestic dogs aren't constantly seeking higher rank order and therefore not everything revolves around 'dominance'. I'd run a mile from this trainer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Sounds like this trainer thinks she understands Wolf Behaviour and has forgotten about selective breeding in domestic dogs for non-wolf like traits means that domestic dogs aren't constantly seeking higher rank order and therefore not everything revolves around 'dominance'. I'd run a mile from this trainer! YES!! She did mention a number of times about wolves and pack behavior etc. I wonder how 'wolf like' her 2 oodles are :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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