A Touchy Subject: Where I Stand on Training Methods

I don’t sit somewhere in between when it comes to the methods I personally use, but I probably do when it comes to judging everyone who trains differently from me.

I personally wouldn’t use aversive equipment (slip, prong collars, e-collars etc. you name it) but I also don’t believe I know enough about every dog, owner and situation to make sweeping judgements from the outside.

I think that, as dog trainers, a lot of time is wasted fighting each other rather than focusing on helping dogs and their owners.

As a mantrailing instructor, I welcome dog trainers and owners from all kinds of training backgrounds to my sessions.

Aversive equipment isn’t used while mantrailing because there is no place for it. If anything, mantrailing is the opposite: it’s a place where the dog can simply be a dog. I want them to feel truly free to use their nose rather than worrying that they might get something wrong and be punished for it.

However, I know that several of my mantrailing clients use certain equipment in their everyday lives, and that’s fine with me. If anything, I’m interested in hearing about their individual journeys with their dogs and seeing how those dogs behave and move through everyday life.

I don’t think we all have to pick a side.

To be honest, I have never worked with a dog and thought that I couldn’t help them with their issues using P+ methods.

However, that isn’t the only thing that matters. You have to look at the owner as well as the dog. It’s no help to the owner if I can train their dog but they aren’t able to follow through themselves.

If a particular training plan isn’t realistic for the owner to follow consistently, we need to adapt it and find another way forward that still considers the welfare of the dog. We need to find something that works for both the dog and the person living with them.

Another important question is: what are your actual expectations?

Different people will have completely different expectations of their dogs.

For example, I don’t care if the dogs on my walks don’t walk in a perfect heel while we’re on the pavement. I simply need them not to pull me around. They’re free to sniff and change sides if they want to, as long as they aren’t pulling. So, I train them accordingly.

I don’t need every dog in my care to be off lead every time we’re in the park. I’m very competent at handling a long line and knowing which environments they can safely be off lead in and which they can’t, so I adjust accordingly.

I also wouldn’t mind if my own dog sometimes barked at things, jumped up at me for a snuggle or occasionally scavenged for snacks.

Generally, I would prioritise our bond and their fulfilment over everything else and really drill in the things that are personally important to me: a solid recall when off lead, road manners that won’t get them killed, confidence in different environments and around different things, and certain boundaries in the home that matter to ME.

Someone else might have much higher expectations, and that’s cool. I personally just don’t need that level of control.

So, if you’re reading this and you’re a dog trainer, maybe chill out a bit.

Focus on doing what you believe in. There is no need to constantly slag off other trainers or methods. Focus on what’s important: helping dogs and their owners live better lives together.

There is more than one way of doing things. Just because your method works, it doesn’t mean mine doesn’t.

I love that I get to spend time with people from all kinds of training backgrounds because it has opened up my world.

When we actually talk to each other, we learn.

And if you’re a dog owner, please remember that the title “dog trainer” is not legally protected in the UK, meaning anyone can call themselves one. You should be doing your research before hiring someone.

You should also ask the trainer you are considering which methods and equipment they will be using, and then decide for yourself whether that is something you align with.

You are allowed to step away and go elsewhere if it just doesn’t feel right.

I have heard far too many times from clients who sent their dogs away to be trained without even knowing what methods or equipment were being used.

Trainers have a responsibility to be completely transparent, but owners also need to ask questions and understand what they are consenting to.