| Training Methods Little Angels Dog Training is owned and operated by San Diego Dog Trainer Katie Harlow, and does not employ student trainers. Katie has been serving San Diego County through dog training for the past ten years, concentrating in advanced obedience, as well as Service/Assistance Dogs, Mobility Assist Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Seizure/Medical Alert Dogs, and Psychiatric Service Dogs. She is Certified in dog training, fully insured, and a member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers). Katie is also a certified AKC (American Kennel Club) Evaluator for the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certification. It is her firm belief that training should be a dog-friendly experience. She uses positive motivation at every opportunity. Training should be fun for trainer, owner and dog. If one becomes frustrated then the training session should stop. Firm, but gentle reinforcement is added only when the dog understands what behavior is wanted, but chooses not to follow through. This creates a dog who responds consistently to commands in all situations. When you call your dog, he should come to you with tail and head held high, happy to be by your side – not slinking towards you with his tail between his legs. Some trainers would like to command a dog with treats and praise alone – but this creates a dog who will respond only if the treat or praise is more positive than anything else that he would rather be doing. For example, if you asked your dog to “sit” and “stay” at the park, he may respond well just to get the praise you have to offer him – but if he likes chasing cats, and one just happens to run across the street, he is faced with an immediate decision. Your dog is thinking, “Which is better – chasing that cat all over town with my tongue lolling out the side of my mouth and having the time of my life . . . or getting a taste of that treat in my master’s hand?” For most dogs it would be chasing the cat. He then breaks away from you and darts across the street after the cat – where he has a high chance of getting hit by a car. . . . But if he had been through training that involved positive as well as negative reinforcement, he has two reasons to do what you tell him, and a negative and a positive usually outweigh the positive alone. Dogs come from a social structure with a strong hierarchy. It would be unnatural for your dog to view life neutrally, without care of who is the alpha – who is to be dominant or submissive. If you do not take the lead, and become the alpha of your “pack”, your dog will either be insecure, or take that position himself. The latter can turn into a potentially dangerous situation. With Little Angels, all commands are initially taught with positive motivation only. The dog is lured into certain positions, such as “sit” or “settle”, then is rewarded with either treats, a favorite toy, or verbal and physical praise. Only once your dog responds consistently to the positive, but chooses not to act, is the correction added. Determining what level of negative reinforcement your dog needs is a very delicate task and should be approached with care. Some dogs will submit to your authority with just a simple “no” in a firm and low voice – but with most dogs a gentle tug on the leash is all that is needed. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trainers out there who prefer to get the “job done quickly” and are too hard on the dog. This creates an animal who responds out of fear, rather than one who is well- rounded with both positive motivation and low-level negative reinforcement. Extreme training techniques should be reserved for extreme, life- threatening behavior problems, such as aggression, or car chasing. If you believe that a trainer has been too hard on your dog – please don’t look the other way – act! Ask the trainer why they are using the aggressive techniques, and if it doesn’t seem right to you, then act on your instincts and seek out another trainer. Please call us at #619-334-3007 to schedule an initial consultation. Or email; littleangelsdogtraining@yahoo.com |
Training Methods
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| Aslan is learning to retrieve with a consistent recall. Teaching a dog to play fetch is a great form of exercise. |
| Cocoa is learning to stay in a toy tractor. A dog's response to commands should be consitent no matter what the situation. |
| Here is a picture of Jet meeting our friendly sheep. Dog's should be introduced to as many situations as possible. |
| Little Bella is learning to share her bed with five-year-old Elijah. Positive socialization with children is an important aspect of training. |
| Step #1 Once dog is trained in an advanced 'Down Stay', cats are introduced at a distance. |
| Step #3 Both cats and dog learn to interact in a positive, gentle manner. |
| Timber is a breed who naturally has a very high prey drive - which can be a danger to cats, other small animals, and even young children. When he came in for training he had a problem with cat chasing - but now that he is trained he does well even if they are running past him. It is important to properly socialize dogs in a safe, controlled environment - while at the same time teaching self-control with a reliable stay and recall. |
| Step #2 Dog's stay is reinforced and cats feel comfortable enough to approach. |
| The following steps were taken by a professional trainer, with a dog that had already been through rigorous obedience training. Do not attempt cat socialization with a dog who demonstrates questionable behavior without the help of a professional trainer. |