I'm working with a successful trainer who started my dog at a 5 with the Dogtra when she worked with him. My understanding is to start low and then work your way up. Am I wrong?

Thank you so much for the information you put out there on training dogs. I have some of your dvds and I think they are very good.

I have a question and hope you can answer this. I use a Tritronic e-collar for my dogs (all pitbulls or pit mixes). I visited with another trainer who owns a successful training business, is involved with schutzhund with her Malinois and she told me that she gives a stim when the dog does as she wishes, as well as when it does something that she doesn't want it to do. I have never heard of this...have you?

Secondly, I was rather surprised to see her start at a 5 with the Dogtra when she met my dog that I had taken over for an assessment. This is a high energy pit boxer mix, not a human aggressive bone in her body, dog-selective. I was there because I wanted to have a potential adopter have someone other than me, to reach out to if she ran into issues. This same trainer started at a 5 when she wanted to teach avoidance to taking food inappropriately. The dog went into shut-down mode immediately and she then adjusted to a 2. But it was too late. The dog avoided her for the rest of the hour. My understanding has always been to start low to accomplish what you need and work your way up from there. Am I wrong?

Thanks so much for being there. In this world of increasing anthropomorphizing of dogs and the insistence on using a Gentle Leader all the time (esp in the city areas where there are lots of young yuppies), I could just about tear my hair out! There's never just one way to train any dog.

Dina