One Show Dog Bully

[EvianBaby]

http://www.dailymail....ies-Jack-Russell.html

I watched this and thought the trainer did look quite forceful but then the dog was worryingly agressive. Now it seems lots of people have complained about the dogs treatment.

Do you think this sort of training is cruel for a dog who displays that behavior or is it the best way to teach them whos' boss?

[Purple_Popple]

Difficult one, how far does one go with 'teaching/training' an aggressive dog to be submissive and calm, I believe from all my experience with dogs that you have to be very firm with them from day one, no matter how young they are, and immediately nip any undesirable traits in the bud, at times you have to be tough with dogs themselves as it is the only way they learn. Dogs are by no means stupid and if you give them an inch they will take you for a mile, that is why do many owners dont have a real clue when you see them being pulled around on a lead by their dog, or getting away with sleeping on the family bed when a dog needs its own place and own bed, not a humans. Dogs respond very well to routine and continuity. Alot of dog ownership is common sense at the end of the day, you really have to be committed if you want a dog to share your life and it really bugs me these silly women that get tiny pooches to dress up and carry around - its a DOG not an accessory, no wonder little dogs get branded for being snappy....alot of the time it is the owners fault for the way their dogs behave.

[madmaggot]

I don't like this type of training. Various methods will work and trainers use whatever method suit them, there is nothing to control this except the cruelty laws that we are all subject to.
Training is merely finding a way of letting the dog know what behaviour is required, this can be done by rewarding the required behaviour or punishing wrong behaviour. I consider this to be too vague; the dog carries on trying things until it hits on the behaviour that does not get punished. Much better to show correct behaviour by rewarding it IMO. Also, most dogs will meet a challenge head on which can worsen rather than improve the behaviour.

[askyourgran]

The young man who treated the dog said that the forceful method was the only way to curb the dogs' behaviour, either that or it would be put down. The dog was aggressive and it looked to me as if it wasn't completely cured.
I think he fancied himself as another Dog Whisperer by the look of his place.

[ladybirder]

Well I hear he bases his training on the Cesar Milan (the so called Dog Whisperer) method and that would be enough for me to never let him near any dog of mine. Of course the dog needed to be sorted out and so did the owners but there are much kinder methods. Victoria Stilwell is the way to go. Reward based training without the aggressive macho outdated showing off is what I would advocate.

[Purple_Popple]

Personally, I didnt find this guys treatment of the JR that bad, not sure why everyone is getting on their soap box about it, if the poor dog bit a child then people would be queueing up to batter the poor animal....this dog needed a very firm hand !! On a different angle dogs can and do often suffer from mental trauma and mental health problems and with this no amount of 'training' will help and the kindest thing to do is to put them to sleep. When I was young our family mongrel jumped up at me out of the blue and bit me in the face, I almost lost an eye, however I stopped my father from putting the dog down, my sister used to tease our dog something rotten and the dog didnt like her plain and simple, but I always treated this dog with love and respect and firmness, he only went for me the once, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have never been scared of animals, least of all dogs and i should be after this, but I think our dog meant to attack my sister...not me.