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Training Questions and Other Talking Points (This page is a Work In Progress) ;)

  • Humans acting like dogs in training: When it comes to humans acting like dogs you run into a problem, because we are in fact humans and not dogs. Dogs are the best teachers of other dogs. But we can be pretty darn close if we educate ourselves and know what we're doing. Although a dog will correct another dog without saying please and thank you, and will in fact draw blood if an altercation arises. We do not need to reenact that same scenario simply because one dog does it to another. We have a heightened sense of intelligence that allows us to communicate with another species without ever touching them using the positive reinforcement method. So think like human, but also think like a dog. In a sense that dogs do what works, they do what's easy, they do what they want. Work with the dog you have not the dog you wish you had, or the dog you see on TV. When I tell you to think like a dog I mean think like they're instincts food fun safety, they have a simple mind, so use that to your advantage not through using pain and force and pain compliance, but using fun food and attention give them what they want to get what you want, which I hope is a healthy, happy companion!

  • Alpha Theory - Truth/ Myth/ meaning behind it and PROOF:
  • Dog Whisperers - Do they work, how they work, what they dog, why they do what they do:
  • Famous trainers - trustworthy or not, educated?
  • Dog Trainer vs. True PH.D Behaviorist in dog psychology, CGC, CPDT-KA:
  • Training Pros/Cons - good training methods  vs. dangerous methods: When it comes to training pros and cons there are better and lesser ways to train your dog. There's actually a hundred different ways you could train your dog I'm sure. But today we'll just focus on the two most common methods positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. It's not about being good or bad using one method or the other but rather what benefits the dog the most, not just the human. It is how you train, not what you train that will either benefit the dog or it will benefit the human. I always work to benefit the dog, so I use positive reinforcement. I can train a human aggressive dog to be my best friend or at least tolerate me without ever having to touch them versus someone who might use shock collars /e-collars, corrective collars, prongs, or any combination to correct the dogs outward behavior that will cause them to shut down in order to get same result. It's not that I'm calling myself good and calling them bad, but  the trainers that I'm referring to are simply uneducated or just not empathetic to the dog's point of view in the training method.Rule of thumb you never ever use negative reinforcement or punishments with an aggressive or fearful dog end of story.
  • Types of Corrections:
  • Treats = Bribery? True /False:
  • How training tools work on dogs?
  • Timing with clicker, rewards, corrections, training with cues, lures:
  • Training tools, leashes, collars, harnesses, shock products, bark collars, invisible fencing, retractable leashes safe or not? When I talk about training tools I'm referring to corrective training tools, but there's a wide array of other training tools that positive reinforcement trainers use. Some of these tools they've already been mentioned elsewhere on the website, but I'll go over some here give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Prong collar, starmark collars / shock collars, choke chains, slip leads, dominant dog collars are all tools used to cause pain or at the very least discomfort to the animal it is being used on. People who use these tools get compliance through pain, it is that simple. You may wish not to see it that way but the facts are the facts prong collars work because they cause pain and or discomfort. Tools that positive reinforcement trainers will use are often different types of harnesses some that clip in the back some that clip in the front easy walk harnesses, occasionally a head halter but mostly harnesses and regular leashes, treat pouches clickers and that's about it personally I don't endorse a lot of front clip harnesses because they restrict the movement of the animal and that's how they work same with the head halter, it takes special conditioning to get your dog used to that type of tool. Both type of trainers will claim to use treats and positive reinforcement 90% of the time but only one of them really does use positive reinforcement 90 to 100% of the time which is positive reinforcement trainers. You'll hear that a lot from balance trainers claiming they use 95% PR when that's all just a bunch of rubbish. Once you train your eye to see how they train you'll see that it's the tools they do work and they really reward the dog with something they find valuable.
  • Head Halters/ muzzles, types, are they safe to use? What types to use/ when?
  • Prong Collars and Prong Collar covers:
  • Behavior Modification vs. Obedience training - what's the difference?
  • Treat Training vs. no treat training (do you have to rely on treats?)
  • ​Dogs may ignore the VIBRATE  setting on  shock collar if stimulus around is too strong. Vibration comes from a known area for people, dog's don't know where its coming from, can spook dog. Not necessary. Give dog a known cue to focus on you "pickle!" treat over and over again after, throughout the day. Teaches the dog to pay attention to you every time you use the cue. Dogs anticipate the shock eventually. Doesn't fix the dog's issues.
  • Shock collars = Very expensive!!
  • 5F's  - Fight, Flight, Fiddle, Faint, Freeze:
  • 3P's - Positive, Patience, Praise:
  • Compulsion - How it works, does it work, why it works? Tape pickle on dog's back, dog improves because of pickle, miracle or sham!! People and trainers will see what they want to see/hear. Dogs will only see and feel the truth. Explain reasoning for anything!​
  • If it doesn't work by causing pain, fear, or intimidation, then how does it work??
  • Never need any tool or training/ training product that costs 100's-1000's of $$$, except crate that fits a large dog, one exception.
  • Crate Training - Good or Bad?
  • Compulsion trainers say every dog CAN learn with clickers/treats/positive training, but some dogs NEED harsher methods. They generally never attempt to use positive training, when they do, their timing will be off and prove the training doesn't work as well. They might fail to do it properly, lack experience/ timing with clicker, are not at fault, and will fail because of timing and lack of practice!​
  • SOCIALIZING - with other dogs, people, sites, sounds, smells, loud noises, cars (inside and out), dropping things, metal bowls, nail trimming, vet visits, groomer visits, hardware store, etc:
  • Desensitizing: 
  • Training Basics - sit, stay, come, down, stand, leave it, drop it, all above with more distractions (different rooms, then out in backyard, then in front yard, at different doorways, with strangers/animals around, doorbell ringing, leaf blower, children, elderly, working people in uniform, small animals/dogs, big animals/dogs.
  • How/why to socialize dog with puppies, adult dogs, cats, kittens, bunnies, horses, men, women, non-binary, teenagers, young children, babies, elderly:
  • Dogs/animals and children - what should dogs put up with?
  • Snake Proofing:
  • Doggie Daycare - safe, good, bad?
  • Board and Train - safe, good, bad?
  • Dog Shows - good bad? Special training, special behaviors allowed vs. obedience, pulling on leash, no heel, no auto sit. Done for the dog or the human? Anytime money is made at animal events, the animals pay the price. :
  • E-collars/ electric collars on FEARFUL DOGS? Safe or not? 
  • Dogs and loud noises:
  • Corrections for a fearful/aggressive dog: Results of corrections...over time, the dog will snap!

Copyright © 2023 Taylor Wilkowski 

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