I love kids, especially those who are keen on training dogs, so when a 10th grader named Finya sent me some wonderful positive reinforcement dog training questions for a school assignment, I said, “Let’s go!” Today I’m answering her questions about shock collars, eCollars, other aversives in agility training, training dog sport champions using only positive reinforcement, plus the importance of mentors, empathy and why dog trainers should keep egos in check for our students. You’ll also hear three critical tips to troubleshoot your positive reinforcement training plan when stuck.
🐾Key Episode Moments: 00:00 Susan Garrett helps a teen dog training and agility enthusiast. 00:38 Understanding what interests future dog trainers. 01:24 Question 1: What are the benefits of positive reinforcement dog training? 03:37 A dog’s mistake doesn’t deserve punishment. 04:33 Question 2: Where do you draw the line between training tool techniques and animal abuse? 06:36 Any dog training tool has abuse potential. 08:31 Question 3: Have you noticed fear or confusion in dog sport beginners due to public perceptions of agility as abusive? 10:27 Why empathy and checking ego is essential in all facets of life. 11:30 Embrace failure in dog training. 11:41 Question 4: What are your thoughts on people who use electric collars, prong collars and leash pops? 12:22 We can’t help people when we’re judging them. 13:10 Question 5: Where do you go for help when a dog doesn’t respond well to positive reinforcement? 13:26 Dog training is a mechanical skill. 14:27 3 tips to troubleshoot your positive reinforcement training plan.
