Having a velcro dog, it makes you realize that a lot of training is aimed at the obstacle-focused dog. That being said.......
After reading the article, I thought to myself. Why did this experienced handler just accept what the trainer was telling them and change their ways? Why didn't they think about what was good for their dog. I mean, they are experienced enough to know better, but yet, the author just became a sheep and did what the trainer told them to do. Seems a bit sad.
Maybe it's because with Koji, I know I made a ton of mistakes and he was not easy. He's easy enough to train, but I had to figure out why the regular training wasn't working. And when I figured it out, I realized, oh, he kinda learns differently.
I know, when I started with a new trainer (twice now), I looked to see if they were on the same page with me. That all dogs are the same and should be trained the same. That I don't need to learn the newest handling techniques if it's not really going to do anything for me. Teach me the new things, so I, as a handler can learn, HOWEVER, let's decide together if it's worth it to really train my dog to understand a "new" handling technique. Or is he better off doing it the "old" way?
For example. The blind cross. Since Koji has a bad habit of going behind me (my fault in training, not his), doing blind crosses a lot really adds to him wanting to cut behind me. I learned that the hard way. Had we thought really thought about it, me and/or the trainer, we would have realized training a BC isn't a bad thing.....but we needed to fix him going behind me first.
So with that. I disliked that article a lot. It showed me that the author was just a mindless sheep, doing what the trainer said. I love learning new things, but I usually discuss it with the trainer to first see if it'll make any of Koji's bad habits worse. No? Good. Then we discuss if it'll add to his agility. Yes? Let's train. No? As a handler, I'd like to learn it, but not put it into his repertoire of tricks.
I also disliked the bit about walking off. I'm sorry, but no matter how much proof work you do, being in the ring is different. We all know it. Sometimes, some dogs NEED to be walked off to be reminded what they did wrong, because we can't train in the rings. Heck, we sometimes can't even correct our dogs in the ring (in a firm voice). I picked up my dog too roughly according to one judge and was warned. Wow. Really? Point is. Some dogs needed it. Koji did. And wow did it work!
That's my long rant. Maybe it's due to Koji's weirdness. But I've learned to find a trainer that likes to learn new things, keeps up with what is going on, but doesn't push it on everyone. I also learned to find a trainer that trains each team differently, because each team is different. I also have learned to stand up for what I believe in. I will listen, I will learn, but in the end, it's my decision. I will do what is best for the team....in all areas.
Here is great article by Karen Pryor, not about agility but about different topic- clickers, must have turned the world upside down some time ago too and look where are we now
