News flash.....family of 5 escapes with their lives as fire burns house to the ground. Also saved were 3 dogs, 2 cats, and several fish. The fire appears to have begun from faulty wiring done by the owner. Those close to the family say, the owner had watched several DIY shows and felt he could save money by doing the work himself. Ok, it really wasn't a news flash, but how many people have done DIY projects and then had to call an expert in to fix the problems they created? Many years ago service stations had signs in the bays stating a price for hourly work and another, much inflated rate, for hourly work with your help. Sometimes I feel the same way when someone comes in and tells me they
watched a couple of TV shows but it didn't work and want me to help fix a problem that is probably worse than it was initially. My heart goes out to these people, because I too, have tried some home projects and the results were not what it looked like on TV. But then I've watched a gator wrestling show but honestly don't think I'm prepared to do so. We need to remember that these shows are edited, shot over more than half an hour, and in many cases picked for the results. And, most importantly, they are entertainment. The same holds true for dog training shows. I think the true value in these is it does show that work can be done with many problems, probably not in 30 minutes, but with guidance many problems can be addressed. When I was in college the axiom was a behavior that took a certain amount of time to develop, usually to twice that time to work through. I'm not sure that is always true, with concentrated effort put forth in a controlled environment, you may be able to extinguish a behavior faster.

In a recent survey conducted by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, (APDT), a very sad fact was cited; only about 4% of dogs receive obedience training. Even if these figures are off by, say 10%, that is still extremely shocking to me. Is it any wonder why our shelters are overflowing? So many problems are so easily resolved.

I mentor several future, hopeful dog trainers, a couple of weeks ago one of them asked me how I decide which method to implement when there seemed to be so many methods. I told her the question I always ask myself is, can a 5 year old child or 90 year old grandma do it? If not, it would probably not be the method I'd utilize. For me a relationship is extremely important. How can you have a good relationship with something you abuse? A good training program should be explained each time a new behavior is implemented. You, as the owner, should feel comfortable with the explanation. If you don't understand it, it is your responsibility to let the instructor know you don't understand. This is your obligation to your dog. Just as with dogs, people learn in different ways, some are visual, some verbal, some tactile, a good instructor should be able to move from one method to another with ease and not make an owner feel inferior. When you adopt a pet, you should know that it may be a 10 or 12 year commitment, perhaps even longer, if you're lucky. Be honest with yourself and your ability.

Remember, professional trainers are here to help, don't give up on a dog, seek assistance.