Find Out About Purchasing Yourself Some Dog Training Books, They Could Really Be Quite Helpful
Recommended Answer:
I learned the Koehler method many years ago. In fact many of our methods are offshoots of the Koehler method with the exception of purely positive or clicker training. While I don't use all of the method like I once did, I still use parts of it. Used properly it is a very fair and understandable method to the dog. Make sure that if you take a class advertising the Koehler method, that the person teaching the method has a perfect understanding in its use. Many competitive obedience trainers use parts of the Koehler method as it holds up well in competition. Food and toys are added to the method to improve motivation.
Free Dog Training Tips
- Anyone that started training 20 plus years a go learned how to train using the Koehler method.
It works, no question about it...it worked for THOUSANDS of dogs and that alone makes you wonder....
In my opinion dogs should be bred better then they are instead of worrying about coming up with softer methods and such for dogs.
The dogs that were around 30-50 years a go were much better dogs than what we have today.
Have you ever thought what will happen 20 years from now if we keep breeding dogs that cannot take a method like Koehler's? Hope I helped.
ADD: Curtis..please tell me what kind of dogs will we have 20 years from now if we keep on making dogs that are sht?
I know those times will never come back Curtis, I am painfully aware of it...
As far as Evolution...well, yes, it can be a great thing, if something is broken and needs fixing, but, we are breeding sht dogs and have to invent new methods of training them INSTEAD of raising the bar and going back to the days when dogs were REAL.
Oh, I am also willing to bet you that "pet" dogs were also a lot better dogs back then too... - As DaBassett said....started with it almost 30 years ago. It is without a doubt a successful method. As with all methods though...not all will work with every dog. Or, perhaps it works, but at the cost of something else. The mark of a good trainer is to be able to read the dog, and switch methods/techniques, hardness or softness, timing, etc to ensure forward progression. The "main" trainer that taught me the most, was a Koehler Clone. Although I respected his approach and success, I quickly developed methods of my own that left him baffled. Compulsion is not negotiable though...all positive doesn't work unless you live in an "Absolute" controlled environment. People will refer to Koehler as outdated or even brutal....but there's no denying it's success rate.
Just a side note....if you ask someone what "Method" they use...and they actually have a "black & white" answer....they aren't a trainer...they are someone that has learned a method. - Like others said, it's outdated.
Sure it works and produces fast results. That doesn't make it right. There's some bits that are still useful today, I think with a lot of methods you have to kinda pick through and grab what you like. - Koehler method is what I used when I first started training dogs almost 30 years ago. Although it worked for me, I've since moved on to methods that I think are better, and more pleasant for me and the dog.
- Well said Basset! My answer exactly!
- Koehler Method = Outdated. William Koehler had some very forward thinking in his day, which is why SOME of his methods are still applicable to dog training. It's SAD that the people who read his books aren't as forward in their thought process as William.
You'll find most Koehler practitioners ignore BETTER results achieved with more modern methods. It's almost like a religion, of COURSE their way has to be right, and everybody else is going to Hades! Or a martial artist who's style of course is the best in the world, even if they get knocked out...it's clearly the grounds fault that their face hit it!
The pet dog World...would be better off if pet stores stopped putting his books on the shelves. Koehler Method is overly aversive...but it works. It works quickly. It is probably the fastest way to have a 100% obedient dog. If you are the type of person who thinks the ends justify the means then be my guest. If you actually care enough to invest the time in doing things in a way that...well...let's call it the "right" way :) where you actually...you know...teach a dog what a command means BEFORE you hurt him or cause discomfort...uhhh then kudos to you! If you have to PHYSICALLY push a dog into a sit, or a down...then you're a bully and pretty pathetic considering a 2 year old can do it with a piece of kibble if simply shown where to hold her hand (straight up will cause the dog to sit, down low will cause the dog to lay down)...then all she has to do is say "Yes" and release the reward...hmmm...a week tops and the dog gets it...but of course he'll get it in 2 days if you say "Sit" pull up on his choke collar with one hand and shove his butt down with the other. Both work as to teaching the dog what the command means...but one actually requires that the dog becomes active in his own training instead of being the dummy who's put through the paces.
That small example of teaching a dog to sit/lie down is a trend you'll see in Koehler...using more force than is required. Heck if you decide you're incapable of holding a treat over a dog's head to teach him to sit, then you could you know...simply push his butt down a bit and hold the treat right in front of his nose...he'll sit, and you won't have to choke him at all, tada. BUT then again, Koehler and most of his followers (I call them "By the Book Koehler Trainers") believe if you teach a dog behaviors with treats or toy rewards, he'll ONLY listen when you have treats or toys...their thinking is backward and silly. They somehow think by choking a dog and pushing his butt down that he'll sit because he loves and respects you, LOL! But if you train with treats then by God he'll never obey unless you break out the liver biscotti! The purpose of positive reinforcement training ie giving a dog rewards to enforce that he repeat a behavior, is simply to teach the dog what we want. Once he has learned the behavior we want from him, we then teach the dog that obeying is not optional via methods very familiar to Koehler trainers: Corrections. This is the epitome of fair. I teach the dog something in a fun way, and when he knows it 100% and refuses to do it I warn him by saying "No", if he fails to comply after the warning, he is corrected. He knows that as a direct result of HIS actions he brought discomfort onto himself!
Koehler trainers apply pressure BEFORE issuing a command. So who does the dog blame for his discomfort? YOU of course. You choke the dog and push his butt down while saying "SIT"...he's looking at you like "Why are you choking and shoving on me?" and when he finally understands "Sit" = Put your butt on the ground it's too late...he's already thinking of you as the bully who pushes him around and chokes him for no reason. Another common way to train a dog Koehler style with an electric collar is to use the continuous stimulation button, command the dog to perform an exercise (let's say sit), and then release the stimulation when he completes the exercise. So the dog learns to turn off discomfort, he must comply...does this method work? Yes, every time like a charm! Is it fair? Of course not. Do you think your dog would enjoy training if training consisted of being caused discomfort for no reason, then being told to do something? That's like grounding a kid in the summer before school starts and telling them they'll be off punishment after they get good grades on their report card...I'm SURE it'd work, but I'm also quite sure that 20 years down the line when your kid's wife asks "How come you never talk about your parents?" he'll get a weird look on his face and go into "I...just don't wanna talk about it" mode...If you want modern trainers who take the time to do things correctly in training there are numerous people who give seminars, not many have written a decent book yet though, but one of my favorites, Michael Ellis is making DVD's on his methods (He is the owner/trainer of Pi, last years Mondioring 2 champion).
No comments:
Post a Comment