All right Fred, remember, you started this unnecessary conflict.
I take exception to your innuendos and snide remarks. Yes, you never said my name, but like all your other posts I have read, you always leave yourself an avenue of escape. I have never joined in one of your self-promotion discussions as a courtesy, even though I disagree with your techniques in most cases. And you have never heard or read on any lists any negative comments or implied remarks about you attributed to me. The comments Lou made on this list and others regarding the dog Caesar was from a private conversation we had on the subject of compulsion and balking. I suspect he chose to repeat parts of that conversation because of your frequent inferences to training PSD’s – typically you never give a straight answer. Somehow I think if you had trained even one PSD, we would all know about it. Incidentally, I have talked to police handlers that were ordered to attend one of your so-called seminars. They will state only privately that it took them two weeks to get their dogs back to acceptable working levels. Once again, your “Sit Means Sit” compulsion methods are focused only on demanding compliance and will throw a good working dog way out of balance. You have never done a search, tracked a lost child, or captured one crook with a dog. Your lack of true experience with working dogs coupled with your constant protective posture is what prevents you from truly understanding the all around balanced hunter needed for police work – and when a dog is thrown out of balance in one area – such as using too much compulsion in protection/control, it significantly effects the working ability in other, more critical areas.
It appears that every time you visit, talk to, or have any association with anybody in law enforcement or SAR, you make some big announcement on several lists that infers that these people are coming to you for help and to fix problems. You have done this with Las Vegas Metro, Las Vegas Marshall’s, Tucson PD, me, Lou Castle, etc. It is clear you are at least initially ready to exploit names in areas of working dogs that impress at you. Face it – you are a namedropper. OF course no body knows these names, but you put some kind of title in front and everybody assumes they are knowledgeable. And those that do know these people are not going to jump in and bad mouth them all over the Internet. So, as you have discovered, dropping names and titles lends credibility to your statements to the uninformed. You always pump them as if their abilities somehow reflect on yours– that is until they become business competition, question or disagree with you. Then you kick into full-blown defense with unctuous comments and thinly veiled insults. And, like the defense dog that lacks courage, you quickly bow out when others call you on your questionable statements. It is always interesting how you pop back up on a list you previously resigned from when the heat is off you and you need to promote yourself or drop names again. So let us get down to the truth Mr. Hassen. It’s guys like you that take credit for others’ reputations or achievements that cause so many law enforcement agencies to ban outside civilian trainers from even watching their training. It’s not that they are afraid or have some super secrets – it’s because they have been burned by circus performers before.
A perfect example is this situation with the Las Vegas Marshall’s Office and the dog Caesar. You brought it up, so let’s put the whole truth out.
Asst Chief Bill Frazer is a good man and an excellent cop, and I don’t think he will appreciate you dropping his name here. But you dropped his name so let’s tell the whole truth. Chief Frazer will be the first to tell you he has no experience with dogs and has no concept of how a police dog is trained. A friend had given him an older male Jack Russell that was out of control. You were a local dog trainer so he paid you to fix his problems. Of course you used the e-collar and were able to stop much of the unwanted behavior. Bill likes you personally Fred – many people do. But being likeable is a necessity in your business, is it not? You are a salesman – being nice is your job. It is easy to be nice when you are being paid.
Butch Martin and Caesar Sch I (two more names you dropped), attended and graduated from the San Diego Police K9 Academy certified for patrol and narcotics detection. That is the extent of Martin’s K9 experience. I don’t think he will he will appreciate you dropping his name here either.
I first met the team in October of last year while I was giving a month long course to another LEA in Nevada. I only saw Martin work his dog a few times – but I did train extensively with the other two dogs in his Department. It was clear that Caesar had excellent drives and courage and had potential to be an excellent police dog. There were a few issues that I discussed with Martin, and advised him and his supervisors that the team needed additional, consistent training and to seek out a knowledgeable police dog trainer locally. It appears they went to you instead – perhaps you are the only game in town. To them, a dog trainer is a dog trainer. Also, Bill Frazer was impressed with your ability to gain control. Of course he has no concept of what the consequences can be for a police dog when the trainer’s sole focus is robotic compliance.
A few months later, LVMO requested a 3-day training seminar. You had already worked with Martin/Caesar a little. Caesar had a few minor problems with balking and anticipating control commands. I noted that Martin was using high levels of stimulation causing the dog to vocalize. He was also using only momentary stimulation. It was clear he had just replaced the leash with a remote collar. The dog was somewhat nervous and lacked the intensity I had seen a few months earlier. I asked him about his use of the e-collar and he told me it was what you had taught him. I showed Martin how using comfortable, lower levels coupled with escape training techniques brought back the intensity and focus in the dog.
A couple of weeks after I left LVMO, I was contacted by them again and asked to be their contracted trainer. I agreed and went for training again. Martin was on vacation at the time so I did not get to see Caesar work. However, I did return again for training and I saw Caesar working. He was back to anticipating control, would not stay in the B&H, and lacked his normal intensity. Martin was again using high levels and momentary stimulation, and once again stated he was using your method. I instructed Martin on the proper use of the e-collar again and after a few short sessions, Caesar was back in shape.
BTW, all during this time, you blasted over all the lists that you were training this dog and what a great dog he was. You even tried to elicit comments from me. I let it slide and looked at it as just another trainer trying to better his business.
A few weeks later I returned to LVMO and worked the dogs over several days. The first night, Caesar would hardly leave the handler’s side and exhibited signs of confusion and stress. The dog would not stay in a B&H, and in some cases would return to the handler half way to the decoy. On other occasions, the dog would be commanded by Martin to bite, the dog would take 5 or 6 steps forward and stop. The dog would balk until the handler ran past the dog towards the decoy and encouraged him to engage. If he did engage, he would only do so while the handler was in close proximity. Once the handler moved away, Caesar anticipated a recall and dropped off the bite. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these are classic behaviors of a dog that has been improperly trained with the e-collar.
I watched the handler during this fiasco, and sure as can be, he was using the old momentary stimulation with high levels – just like you taught him. And BTW, he had trained with you just a few nights before. Once again, Martin stated it way the way you trained him.
Martin’s supervisors were at the scene and were understandably concerned. They had seen the progress we had achieved during the prior remedial trainings, and that once again the team had reverted. A discussion was held, and it was clear to them as well as me that Martin could not continue to train with you because your training significantly interfered with the dog’s working abilities. Martin was then given an official order by LVMO Staff Officers that he will cease all training with Fred Hassen. Martin was also given specific instructions by me regarding the training of his dog. It took at least two days to unscramble Caesar’s brain, but being the genetically solid dog he is, he bounced back and was actually more intense than I had ever seen him.
Another couple of weeks passed and I returned to train with the dogs. Interestingly enough, Caesar was working well, very intense, clean, with no anticipation. Martin was working the dog on low levels and employing the guidance system. Gee – what a surprise.
A few weeks later I shot a training video with all the LVMO dogs and handlers. Martin had maintained the proper training and Caesar worked very well. Once again you play on words and with your statement would like everyone to think that this dog Caesar, the one you put so many hours of training in, is so good because of you and that I used him as the feature dog in my video. He’s not featured as some outstanding example – he is merely one of four dogs shot in the video.
Let’s see, the dog is a Schutzhund I – so that means there was at least several hundred hours of training by someone other than you. The dog went through at least 16 weeks of training at the San Diego Police Department K9 Academy – 8 hours a day – 5 days a week - extensive training by someone other than you. I have spent only a few hours fixing what you broke. So comparatively, that leaves very little training either of us have actually done with this dog. Someone other than you did an excellent job of training with this dog long before you or I ever saw him. They deserve the credit. How dare you take credit for this dog – especially since you screwed him up. But that gets back to the real you, huh Fred.
On another list you bragged about being able to use the e-collar to compel any dog into any action. I believe it was in response about a dog balking. Of course you never came out and said it, but you intimated that electricity could be used to make a dog faster and more intense in pursuit and combat. When you were pressed for more specifics, you cautiously tap danced around the question – how rare. Come on Fred, give a straight answer – have you used electricity to compel a dog into combat? – no semantics – no tap dances – yes or no. Perhaps this technique was used with Caesar and that is why you have videos of him not balking.
I also take exception to your remarks regarding my video. Your comments are not only uncalled for, they are rude, without foundation, and unprofessional. Perhaps you are afraid someone will show something other than tricks. Your comments read like you are really afraid of the competition.
Your comments regarding Tri-Tronics vs. Dogtra are pretty petty – even for you. I will not get into that argument. Then again, my whole business is not based on selling as many e-collars as I can. I used Tri-Tronics for many years – probably while you were still in high school – or maybe it was when you were bar tending just a few short years ago. In fact over the years I helped Tri-Tronics develop and field test many of the products they have today. It is a fine company with fine products. It just so happens that Dogtra has developed recent products with features that I have asked the manufactures to develop for years. These new features, coupled with the product’s reliability, have opened an area of ability that I could not achieve consistently before. Dogtra is my choice of e-collar – so what. I don’t sell them, I just recommend and use them because they fit my needs better than any other brand.
Please Fred,leave me out of your nasty little world. I don’t have the time or interest to expend energy on you or your tricks.
Regards
Donn Yarnall
http://www.donnyarnall.com
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