Hi All,

We recently had a visitor to our club who wanted to train a dog in protection (well all three phases really but mainly protection). The dog was out of control and handler had no idea how to get round this behaviour. It was suggested that the flat collar be removed and a pinch used in it's place to make the corrections mean something to the dog instead of pulling the dogs head off and kicking/kneeing it.

This suggestion was dismissed out of hand and we were told that the handler had no intention of using force :-)

The head trainer said that if the handler was unable or unwilling to control the dog and use appropriate methods to make sure the dog was under control, then he would NOT train the dog in protection (which I think was the correct thing to say).

My question on this is as follows:

How do you deal with people like this at your clubs? Is there any benefit in trying to talk them round and spending a lot of time with them to make them understand more?

I think a lot of us are in the same place that we would rather NOT turn prospective new members away and close the door to the sport, but where is the line?

Cheers

John

If and it is a big if, I was placed in that kind of situation; the first thing I'd try would be to tell the (ahem) gentleman that protection and ob are pursued hand in hand, otherwise why not just go out and get full blooded wolf. Why not just have a loaded gun with a randomly generated timer on the tigger?
In short, I'd try to find some terms he'd understand, that protect without ob is the same as not having any protection at all, but just a junkyard dog that can't be trusted on any level.

I know I'm hardly the well spring of wisdom, but I'd try my best (for the dog if nothing else) and if he walks, shrug, the club is better off and he's going to carry on being an idiot. (until his dog eats him)

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Oh, and I may have point out, that kneeing and kicking IS using force.........of the worst kind.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Dogs without strong OB simply aren't trained in protection at my club.

A handler with an out-of-control dog and who wasn't open to learning how to control their dog would be asked to leave and told not to return, period.
( I am not going to waste my time ( and my club member's time ) on people that are not willing to learn )

And from the other side of it, the first thing I was asked to do was take my dog out on the field and show his obedience. And not just once. And only on leash for a while too.