The Dog Academy

And interestingly when they did the bit at the end ‘several weeks later…’

The lads with the jrt’s said they were better but obviously the one they had problems with wasn’t better at all.

You can’t solve those problems in a couple of hours.

It gives a false impression. And they aren’t eve. Using their trainers to best effect. Victoria talking endlessly about past traumas (human not dog) is just irritating.
 
Didn’t see the cockapoo with other dogs afterwards. As my trainer always told me, it’s the owners you’re training more than the dogs. The jrt owners thoroughly irritated me-‘We’ve never trained the dogs’. Jeez.
 
Had to skip a fair bit of the first half of the ep because the JRTs yapping was so annoying/disturbing my dog!

I agree that the show gives a false impression and I'd love to see more of the trainers actually training because that's the most interesting bit, but I guess 'joe public' wouldn't be engaged if it didn't include the human aspect/traumas/family stuff etc. The fact that it's a prime time show pushing positive reinforcement training is a good thing.

The owners are something again, though. We can't train this one dog so let's get three more! Also why didn't they RUN to pick up that poo off the rug? 😅
 
Errin Paddywack said:
Personally I like Graeme Hall and he does get some good results. He seems very good at analysing why the dog is behaving the way it is and helping people to put it right. All positive based training and the programme does show how the owners are getting on a few weeks/months down the line.
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Can't agree with this. The guy is an absolute idiot. He has literally no clue about body language and most of his so-called training is guesswork. He's bloody awful. Not only that but he doesn't have a single qualification in dog behaviour!!!
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
Can't agree with this. The guy is an absolute idiot. He has literally no clue about body language and most of his so-called training is guesswork. He's bloody awful. Not only that but he doesn't have a single qualification in dog behaviour!!!
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Most dog trainers haven’t hit any qualifications and those that do aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

If someone is a good dog trainer they (much like horse trainers or riding instructors) don’t need paper exams to prove it.
 
Parrotperson said:
Most dog trainers haven’t hit any qualifications and those that do aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

If someone is a good dog trainer they (much like horse trainers or riding instructors) don’t need paper exams to prove it.
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I disagree, recognised qualifications show that person has a good basic understanding of dog behaviour and how dog's learn. Yes there are some good unqualified dog trainers out there, but there are many more unqualified trainers who are awful, charge lots of money to abuse someone's dog in the name of training, won't change their ways ' because they work' and it's their livelihood, regardless of the fall out from their methods. Recognised qualifications as least give you an idea of their skill set, although sadly so many people are sucked in by glossy social media vidoes and look no further. I wonder how many people have asked that awful Southend Dog Trainer bloke what his qualifications are ?
 
As with everything, there are shades of grey in amongst the black and white. I know people with qualifications coming out of their ears, who cannot train ivy up a wall/look at me blankly when I explain something perfectly simple, and people who spend so much time on Tik Tok that I don't know when they have actual time to train any dogs.

Personally speaking I prefer people who have 'done' something with multiple dogs in terms of qualifications and competitions and results rather than what they have learned online or from a book, it's easy to talk a good game/blind people with science/make a nice video in your own back garden.
You're a good dog trainer? Great. Show me. It's generally easy to tell which dogs have been trained in which ways ;)

Married to that, I also have always held that when some people become a professional pet dog trainer/that's what pays the bills, a lack of ethics can creep in - either to make a quick fix, or to keep the paying customer on for as long as possible.
A lot of people in sports become professional dog trainers and then they stop competing, because they cannot **afford** to have a bad day at the office, it's not a good look.
I admire more, the professional dog trainers who also keep competing and let the world see that everyone and every dog can have an Oops Moment.
 
I can see both sides of the qualifications argument!
I posted anon on my local dog page looking for help with a specific issue and I was appalled at some of the trainers recommended.

As a customer I like to have an idea of what I'm signing up to, and as I'm looking for help with my most precious possession on this earth I want some reassurance that my dog won't be damaged by methods used. That's not to say that dog trainers need to be qualified, but for me I either want an excellent recommendation from someone who's dog knowledge I trust(I never realised how clueless the average pet dog owner is until I got a dog...including me, but I'm trying to learn) or someone who subscribes to a particular method I approve of and has qualifications to back it up. I have one who is both highly recommended and qualified coming tomorrow, fingers crossed for us!
 
The collie on this week's episode made me sad, poor lad, every time she yanked on his lead I winced. And the cockapoo, being put on the 'naughty step' for trying to protect herself :confused:

I've just noticed there's a 'The Dog House' Australia version on channel 4 now too so that's some more dog-based watching if anyone else hasn't spotted it!
 
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