PucciNPoni
Well-Known Member
I started a new thread about the dog whisperer....and it's disappeared. Did I say something taboo??!
Thread black hole...
- Thread starter PucciNPoni
- Start date
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
How old was it? You sure you didn't post it in the wrong room? 
Dog Whisperer threads tend to attract people who only ever come on here to slate him, but are nowhere to be found when people actually need advice or people who claim to have trained gazillions of working dogs using only the power of thought, but can't tell me how or from what lines
I found him an inspirtational speaker when I saw him in person. The danger is that people just go out and copy him without understanding the psychology behind it, ie my friend's dad scruffing a baby collie for nothing much in particular, because he saw it on the telly and he thoughts that what you did.
Dog Whisperer threads tend to attract people who only ever come on here to slate him, but are nowhere to be found when people actually need advice
or people who claim to have trained gazillions of working dogs using only the power of thought, but can't tell me how or from what lines I found him an inspirtational speaker when I saw him in person. The danger is that people just go out and copy him without understanding the psychology behind it, ie my friend's dad scruffing a baby collie for nothing much in particular, because he saw it on the telly and he thoughts that what you did.
PucciNPoni
Well-Known Member
'twas just today - sat down round lunch time and posted and it's possible that numpty here didn't hit submit button. However, it wasn't to slate him or to praise him....but I was more concerned about what they actually show of his training.
The episode in question was of him working in a grooming salon to have a dog overcome it's agression while it's getting it's ears handled. So they alpha rolled it while it was in the bathtub, had somenone help him hold the dog down (just a wee lhasa) and proceeded to pluck the dog's ears while it screamed the house down. I found that very very disturbing to watch - and in as much it's probably what was needed (I couldn't say, I'm not a trainer/behaviorist and don't play at being one). I do follow some of his methods in my salon, though some was stuff I worked out on my own and not by watching him...and some techniques I've seen and tried.
My concern was -- how many groomers might try to alpha roll a dog, pin it down to pluck ears?! :/
The episode in question was of him working in a grooming salon to have a dog overcome it's agression while it's getting it's ears handled. So they alpha rolled it while it was in the bathtub, had somenone help him hold the dog down (just a wee lhasa) and proceeded to pluck the dog's ears while it screamed the house down. I found that very very disturbing to watch - and in as much it's probably what was needed (I couldn't say, I'm not a trainer/behaviorist and don't play at being one). I do follow some of his methods in my salon, though some was stuff I worked out on my own and not by watching him...and some techniques I've seen and tried.
My concern was -- how many groomers might try to alpha roll a dog, pin it down to pluck ears?! :/
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
Look out for the ones with missing limbs, that will be the giveaway!
That's the kind of thing that would concern me, yes.
Dogs that have sore ears may well snap or get arsey if people try to poke around in their ears, they're defending themselves from a perceived threat...
to me I'd be worried about spooking the dog so much that it never wants to enter a grooming parlour again, but then he would argue that resistance meets dominance or 'something something something'.
He's spent time assessing the dog and seeing how it behaves, other people are just seeing the end product.
I read on another forum how a Joe Bloggs type came over to a Schutzhund trainer in the park, the dog was lying across his knee on the grass in the sunshine or something, and gave a big speech about how the dog was dominating him and how he should poke it in the side
PucciNPoni
Well-Known Member
Okay, I'm quite a firm person by nature - and my energy or whatever you want to call it, is positive and not a fearful one. But even I would balk at performing Alpha roll on a strange dog. And it's not that I'm against the tactic if it works without hurting or breaking the dog. But it's more that "jeez, maybe that shoudn't have been shown on the telly!"
Plucking ears is pretty sore and it's my least favorite job. But I can work out with most dogs what's easier for them (even if not painless). Today I had a wire dachsie that screamed like I was cutting her ears off when I started to part the hair in her ears. I poked her in the ribs and told her "Oi! enough!" and funny....she was quiet after that. Drama queen!
Never mind, Merlin quite likes watching the dogs on the big funny window (he even tried to climb in for a play when there were two dogs playing tug o war - and when he obviously couldn't get in there, he went and got his own toy and presented it to the tv...bless...he IS special).
Plucking ears is pretty sore and it's my least favorite job. But I can work out with most dogs what's easier for them (even if not painless). Today I had a wire dachsie that screamed like I was cutting her ears off when I started to part the hair in her ears. I poked her in the ribs and told her "Oi! enough!" and funny....she was quiet after that. Drama queen!
Never mind, Merlin quite likes watching the dogs on the big funny window (he even tried to climb in for a play when there were two dogs playing tug o war - and when he obviously couldn't get in there, he went and got his own toy and presented it to the tv...bless...he IS special).