Glasgowdogtrainer
Well-Known Member
A great post from Denise Fenzi yesterday. If you don't know who she is, look her up. Please read and digest before some of the usual reactionary replies."Today's Full Disclosure Statement:I am a cross-over trainer. That means I've done a lot of things to dogs that I would not do today, and I've seen a good deal more on top of that.I know the difference between training methods. I am well aware of how to apply a correction, how to "correctly" use an e-collar, and I know perfectly well how internal resistance and cognitive dissonance plays out when you are being confronted with choices about change and methodology. I've been through it, and I'm a formidable opponent when I think you're stupid. I thought +r trainers were stupid.I am not sorry for my history, because it allows me a degree of understanding that I could not have had any other way. I am, however, sorry to the individual dogs (and people) that I now believe I misunderstood and mistreated.I started training with Koehler methods about 35 years ago, started to soften about 25 years ago, made a conscious choice to soften more about 20 years, stopped using force with my own dogs about 12 years ago, stopped using force with other people's dogs about 7 years ago, and changed my entire philosophy (which goes well beyond techniques) about five years ago. About a year ago I took it even further, but that's a story for the future as it hasn't played out yet. Evolution happens. Nothing wrong with that!If you feel the need to share this with others, I say run with it! If you need to ask me questions, then ask me. I have never been private about this but apparently it comes as a surprise to some people. So there it is.End of Full Disclosure Statement."