Karen Davison's Blog - Posts Tagged "dog-behaviour"

Have you ever wondered what ends up on the cutting room floor, when watching dog trainers on the television?

During my career as a professional dog trainer and canine behaviourist, I have been battered, bruised, flattened, tied up in knots and found myself in some funny, strange and sometimes painful situations, that celebrity trainers would probably not care to admit to.

It can be a very rewarding job as well as a challenging one, often you have to think on your feet and you certainly can’t afford to be a shrinking violet.

It is difficult to describe that sinking feeling, when you hear the splash of urine a split second before the warmth soaks through your jeans, trickles down your leg and into your boot. I also have to say, that my legs have seen more action from male dogs than I care to think about.

I will share some of the most funny, embarrassing and surprising moments of my journey, as well as some of the frustrations of the job in my new book - It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog Trainer, which will be available soon! I hope it will give you some insight into a life working with dogs and their owners.

One of the most mortifying incidents involved a sign post, a middle aged Polish gentleman and a very large dog - which turned into one of those 'you couldn't make it up' moments.

NOW AVAILABLE!

http://www.dogtrainingkerry.net

It is quite surprising how many times I have been invited to move into peoples homes to help 'train' the men folk and indeed the small folk. You might think that my profession involves marriage guidance, family counselling or indeed human psychology, and in many ways these areas do come into my daily work, probably more than your would think considering that I am a professional dog trainer and canine behaviourist.

A large part of my work is educatiing the owners, the dog actually is the easy bit. Visits usually break down to 10 mins teaching the dog to sit, lay down and come when called, the next hour and a half are spent teaching the owners how to get the dog to sit, lay down and come when called.

In order to become a dog trainer you have firstly to have a passion and deep understanding of dog behaviour and the way dogs think, but also you need to be a people person. Just as you have to have a unique approach to teaching each dog, you also have to adjust your approach to individual owners.

In my work I only use positive reward based methods, which is very effective for dogs, and also works very well with children. At the end of the day bringing up a dog to be a good canine citizen is not indifferent from teaching children good behaviour and nice manners.

Husbands however, can be a little more difficult as they tend to be set in their ways. The old adage 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks' is not actually true where dogs are concerned. Men folk on the other hand - not so much. My own long suffering partner is a good example of this. He has been under training for some 24 years, and I feel I am getting there by increments. Unfortunately no matter how much positive reinforcement I use, I still cannot get him to put the toilet seat down with any consistency! Perseverance and patience, of which fortunately I have in spades, may pay off in the end in this regard.

For those of you that are interested in the best methods for teaching your dogs, your children and even with a little effort your men folk (or indeed your women folk) My newly launched dog training and behaviour book
The Perfect Companion - Understanding, Training and Bonding with your Dog!

http//www.dogtrainingkerry.net
http://www.amazon.com/karen-Davison/e...

While working as a dog behaviourist, I have travelled the length and breadth of rural Kerry, much of it off the beaten track and often in reverse gear. This is usually due to obscure directions resulting in lots of three-point turn practise, or backing up to the last passing place because there is a tractor coming the other way.

Postal addresses in rural Ireland have no house numbers, street names or postcodes. They are simply the general area where the house is located. This means that there can be thirty properties spread over several miles with exactly the same address, which can make finding a particular house a tad challenging.

Ireland has many quaint features, the sense of humour at the road signs department for example. While on main roads, signposts are on every junction, which is most helpful. Once directed off the main road however, you are led down a maze of small roads with many crossroads and junctions where signposts are conspicuous by their absence. The approach seems to be that they point you in the general direction; then you’re on your own.

There are some cultural differences in the Irish approach to pets, which is somewhat more relaxed than I was accustomed to. It took me quite a while to get used to the fact that in Ireland, you see large numbers of dogs running loose all the time. Town dogs take themselves off for walks and meet up with their regular friends to find adventure, while in rural areas you often have to run the gauntlet of sheepdogs and terriers that break cover of concealment to chase your car up the road, trying to bite your tyres.

A good proportion of dogs live outdoors, which means that much of my work is carried out in the elements. In Ireland, this can be an uncomfortable experience. Autumn is the season of constant rain and gale force winds. Winter is like the twilight zone; it never seems to reach full daylight and rains most days. Spring can see rain for weeks on end with no respite and summer can be glorious - if it is not raining. When trudging through muddy fields in the lashing rain, it sometimes occurs that there may be easier ways to make a living.

Occasionally after training I have to call into the supermarket to pick up supplies. I get many sympathetic glances from women who look like something from Vogue magazine with their designer clothes, perfect hair, impeccable make up and high heels. In contrast I stroll up the aisles in my walking boots caked in mud, my dog training coat covered in muddy paw prints and my hair, which looked halfway decent when I left the house in the morning, plastered to my head.

Notes to self:
Should have moved to Spain.

Excerpt from It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog Trainer - Volume 1