Promises, promises....

Lots of dog-trainers make promises.  Promises like "10-minute training (and that's all you need!)", and promises like "simple, quick, easy", and promises like "that's it -- your dog will be trained for life -- you'll never need bother with him again!"  And, they promise to do this without making you hurt your dog... and then candy-coat what they tell you to do with words like "correction", "motivation", or "dominance".

First, let me address those looking for "quick, easy, simple, 10-minute, lifetime training in one comprehensive everything-from-housetraining-to-aggression session, guaranteed":

I can't help you.  If you're looking for methodology that doesn't require commitment and work, you won't find it here... because it doesn't exist, and I don't lie to people.

I don't make guarantees of success.  NO reputable trainer does, simply because we can't guarantee owner compliance with protocols.  No guarantees, no false promises, no hype.  The methods I use and condone WORK... but, like any other relationship, your relationship with your dog involves work.  And, it's a lifetime prospect -- NO method works for a lifetime, with no further commitment.

I believe, personally, that trainers who still cling to dominance theory as a means of explaining dog behavior are using an outdated paradigm simply because it's hard for the average owner to understand... so, it increases their business.

I don't adhere to dominance theory in explaining or coping with dog behavior... I don't need to.  The methods I use and condone don't involve force, or sacrificing your dog's trust, or causing emotional distress by "showing him who's boss", or sensory deprivation (a common technique utilized by trainers who have no other tools in their toolbox, "sensory deprivation" involves locking your dog away from you for hours on-end, so that he's so incredibly overjoyed at seeing you -- getting simple contact -- that he can't help but hang on your every word!!)  Yes, trainers can be incredibly imaginative, in finding ways to subjugate animals.

So.... how can these other trainers make the guarantees that I can't?

It's simple: read their fine print.  They only offer their guarantees contingent on proof that you're using the methods as outlined.  They know that the average dog-owner -- with any common sense -- will refuse to do those things to their dogs!!

So, they just made some easy money... because smart people don't train that way, and they can't get their money back without it.

Again: reputable trainers don't make guarantees... it's that simple.

My training philosophy follows the Physicians' Credo: First, Do No Harm.  This means that I will never recommend that you do anything to or with your dog that I suspect may have the potential to harm your relationship with your dog -- under any circumstances.  I take what I do very seriously... it's not "just my job" -- it's part of my commitment to all dogs, everywhere.  No guarantees, because I can't guarantee owner compliance with the protocols.  Very simple.

Brenda