Learning to trust

One of the most important things I have learned over the 32 years I've spent with dogs is building trust. When I started out in the world of dogs I was a young 13 year old with a life of experience ahead of me. What I learned about dogs at the time was what was known at the time.

I've trained alot of dogs now and looking back I have alot of experience under my belt. Some of the experiences are not remembered as fond but just as learning experiences. I started training dogs with the conventional choke collar, choke'm method. At 13 I knew no different and followed the lead of my teachers.

Skipping ahead some 15 years or so I heard about positive reinforcement training and moved forward from that day on. Looking back at the old conventional type training I realize what a sad and damaging effect it has on guardian and canine. There is no trust building with this type of training. If they don't perform you yank on them until they do, no this only builds distrust.

Starting out using conventional methods of training gives me a greater insight as to why I do not use it anymore. Positive training definitely takes more thought and patience. Both of which I have come to realize grows with time and experience. There have been training cases where a dog is just not getting it and it is my job to sit and figure out why.

I have never been to proud to sit and ponder during a session, dogs are not a science. There is no one sure cure for all. And it should be all fun, so what one dog may think is great fun another may consider it to be highly stressful or frustrating so there lies the patience factor.

I want my dogs to know completely and entirely that I would never hurt them. When I rap my arms around them and pull them close I want them to feel no sense of concern but only the affection and love I have for them, complete trust.

More on positive behavior modification later.

Have a great one!