Upset over so-called "positively" method

[PHOENIX]

Hi All,

I was perusing the web for the Walkeez harness the other night when I noticed a site that offers a free ebook for download. On that site it states the author/ trainer is dedicated to "positively" training practices and that she has earned a Counseling Certificate from the world- renowned SF-SPCA dog trainers academy.

The first three quarters of the ebook was interesting and contained some good information.

But it is the last quarter of the ebook that has me upset. I cannot tell you how many times this "trainer" endorses the use of citronella collars. The first mention of the use of the citronella collar is under the section regarding barking:

"4. Use a Citronella Spray Collar: This should be reserved for when you “can’t take it anymore!” and the
barking is not associated with fear or aggression."

Of course the trainer uses the disclaimer "This should be reserved for when you “can’t take it anymore!” but for those who are new to training their dogs and think this ebook will be a good guide to use, isn't this "trainer" sending mixed messages by her advocating the use of punishment?

I guess I just needed to vent my frustration over this.

Thanx for reading.

[Noobs]

I just wanted to clarify - is the trainer associated with "Victoria Stilwell's Positively Dog Training" or did the trainer claim to be a "positive trainer"? There's a difference so I just want to make sure.

I am disappointed that someone who claims to be a positive trainer (let alone one associated with VSP if that's true...but I somehow doubt it) would recommend an aversive like that.

[PHOENIX]

This person does NOT claim to be associated with Victoria Stillwell. She just claims to be a "positively" trainer.

Sorry for the confusion.

[GllntKnight]

Years ago when I had my rescue dog that had every issue in the book. we took Him to an instructor of positive training and learned that as far as we were concerned she was all wrong she also tried using citronella collar on our dog it didn't faze the dog so you could say it does not even work. When we got the rescue we were told he was food aggressive people agressivedog agressive you name it and he was it. We worked with him and he was not food aggressive unless he stole food so you just don't leave anything around for him to get into. He was not people agressive but was dog aggressive so he was muzzled when in close proximity of other dogs. Before she put on the citonella collar, he did bark constantly disrupting the class and lunged at the other dogs, she walked up to us with a spray bottle had we known she was going to spray him we would have warned her but she just walked up and sprayed him of course he went for her but we were aware this would happen and had him under control but she was dumb founded saying "Did you see that? He went for me!!" and our reply was we could have told you he would. Afterall who know their dog better than the owners. But she never took our advice. Came time for the recall and she wanted him off the leash unmuzzled although we suggested a long line and muzzle she just poo pooed it. Fine she is the instructor and knows all, we know nothing so she held him my husband called him, she realeased him after about ten feet he banked a right flipped over a doxy and was about to go in for the kill but she was able to get there just in time to pull him off I just sat there with the I told you so look and my husband came over and let her have it that isif we everhadanother recall in class the dog will be muzzled and on a long line so all of a sudden she became overly apologetic saying she should have listened to us. Instructors like that have no business being in the business, just like whenever we went to the vet he was muzzled and once we went to Tuft's a new place for him so he was muzzled and when the doctor bent down to look at him he lunged at him well we thought when he jumped back and almost went through the wall and even the technician thought the same if you can't stand the heat you shouldn't be in the business afterall he was muzzled so he couldn't have done anything anyway. But the doctor walked out refusing to examine him then later he and another doctor agreed to examine him without our presence and there was no problem. He was a wonderful dog and we still miss him but we did extend his life by four years as we found out later if we hadn't taken him he was scheduled to be euthanized the next day.

[Mattie]

Trainers like that do a lot of damage, they say they are positive but don't know what positive training is, many think it is just stuffing treats into a dog's mouth, we all know different.