A client came to me today, and told me that someone had told her that her using a prong collar with her dog was “old school”. I hear this a lot.
People (usually unfamiliar with a certain tool) like to label that tool, in this case a properly fitted prong collar that the owner of the dog had been educated on how to use. What’s frustrating to me is that the dog training world is divided and that their are two camps: balanced trainers and those that use purely positive methods. Now let me state this now and state it clearly: Positive reinforcement is the best tool that we have in training our dogs. Respectful, calm and appropriate physical and vocal affection (even complimented with food) is a beautiful thing that is wonderful and helpful in training our dogs.
Here’s the thing, my personal belief is that the most “old school” type of trainer out there is one that would pigeon hole themselves into a corner where they only have one method available to them. Jerking on a collar without any feed back or praise? Good luck. Food only to get a dog to do what they want. Sure, works for some dogs in certain situations.
When I worked at The Olde Towne School for Dogs in Alexandria, VA., one of the owners, Carlos, told me something that has stuck with me and that I repeat over and over again. “The only thing two dog trainers will ever agree on is that the third dog trainer is doing something wrong.” This isn’t true, but it’s humor lies in the fact that so many people will argue, to the point of anger, about one method over another. The most important thing to me? That your dog gets trained in a way that enriches your relationship with the dog. That you feel confident and comfortable in the methods being used. Want to use a clicker? Awesome… get it done! Feel that a prong collar will help you? Great! Get a trained professional to show you how to use it properly. There is a place for balance and an open mind in various options for training your dog, and it’s what we seek at The Urban Hound University.
As always, please feel free to comment below, or come at me with any questions – nick@urbanhounds.com