Was pleasantly surprised to see that this is an actual trainer training actual protection/obedience dogs.
This man professionally trains dogs for bite work, so please do not think watching this show makes you fit to begin protection training with your dog 🙃
This man seems very capable and I would take a course or clinic with him in a heartbeat. Also lacks a lot of the stupid useless drama like you see in series like "it's me or the dog" with Victoria Stilwell. I will happily take this show over her any day.
Updated note: Go ahead and train shame all you want folks. At the end of the day, the reason you are a keyboard hero and are taking the time trolling review sites is because YOU AREN'T ACTUALLY OUT THERE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I have seen this time and time again from so many of these "positive reinforcement only" trainers.
Positive reinforcement training should have a place in any training routine and is very successful. For these trainers that slam anyone who uses negative reinforcement in any way, in the majority of experiences I have had, you are trying to make money off of people and offering them very little... and costing dogs their lives.
I once heard one of these so called "trainers" tell their client that their puggle "would never need to be within 6 feet of another dog anyways" adding to this woman's hopelessness in her situation. Or how about the other the other one who piped on to me about the scientifically correct methods and a month later their cattle dog (who was having trouble controlling his herding instincts with people) was dead because "he couldn't be fixed". I'm so over it.
Our local animal shelter (who offers an aggressive dog rehabilitation program) got two strong breed dogs in exhibiting dominance and fear aggression. They were automatically labelled as "dangerous". The shelter called my friend and trainer because they were too scared of them and needed someone else to step in and take them on... oh but don't worry... they continued to train shame this trainer's methods to anyone who would listen. At the end of the day, they say it for PR reasons to appease the uneducated... because they cannot walk the walk.
All of the trolls who are taking the time out of their day to slam people like this fellow are just insecure about themselves and their methods and are trying to find another way to build themselves up and gain control... which leads to bullying and reactivity. Sound familiar? Thats right. They are just insecure, unbalanced, fear aggressive dogs in human form. Their methods supposedly only work on one species and using negative reinforcement on people is the only way to get their point across. Makes so much sense, right?
If you are an exclusively positive reinforcement trainer that IS actually taking these extreme behavioural cases and are able to make a difference, good on you and keep up the good work! I am not shaming YOU, because that's not what is needed to ensure every dog has a happy and safe home in this world. I am shaming the shaming. I am making that correction on all of those unstable, reactive individuals who are trying to tear people down to build themselves up. Because that is the method we use when behaviour like that is exhibited... and it works.
