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I stepped on some toes.



 
 
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Old March 4th 04, 02:59 AM
Julia Altshuler
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Default I stepped on some toes.

I know I've mentioned before how much I liked the clicker trainer who
helped us with Cubbe. Out of everything she did, the thing that
impressed me the most was her question when I first called. She asked
what I wanted from training my dog. What did I want to teach? What did
I want Cubbe to do?


Thinking about the answer made me realize what a brilliant question it
was. There's no sense teaching agility or herding or play dead if
that's not the way I envision my life with my dog. As it is, none of my
dogs have ever been a nuisance. Cubbe's not perfect, but she's darn
good. She doesn't win awards, but we have a good companion, a good
alert dog, someone who is clean, affectionate, fun to play with, not
terribly demanding, fine when children ask if they can pet her. I hope
my trainer realizes she did a good job with us when she helped us get
Cubbe to where she is today. Cubbe has never won any obedience awards,
but I feel rewarded when neighbors tell us they see us in the
neighborhood or see her in the yard and like her.


I'm afraid that I forgot there are trainers out there with agendas.
She's a dog trainer by profession and a quilter by hobby. We met
through a mutual quilting friend. I like her enormously. She's
opinionated and outspoken. That goes a long way with me in this New
England wasteland of people who think lying is polite.


The first time I met her, I mentioned how much I liked my first dog
trainer. She knew her and didn't think much of her methods. I said how
much I liked that she tailored her methods to the client, but my new
friend couldn't see that. She's sure she gets better results with her
methods. To hell with what the client wants.


Today I mentioned conversationally about the recent neighborhood hubbub
about one dog attacking another. Even before I'd finished, she said
uneqivocally that the attacking dog had to be put down. I thought the
point of my story had more to do with the whole sad story and all the
personalities and points of view in the neighborhood, but she stopped
there. She was sure she knew what the owners had done wrong and how much
was their fault, how much the dog's.


Then I told the ages-old story about the time Cubbe got so territorial
when a friend visited. This is where I stepped on some toes. As far as
I'm concerned, Cubbe is well enough trained for me. My new friend
couldn't see it that way. She was sure she knew what I'd done wrong.
She's sure I have a terribly behaved dog. The idea that Cubbe is well
enough trained for me and not a nuisance in the neighborhood doesn't go
anywhere with her. She went into some detail about all the things I'd
done wrong before getting to that point.


The funny thing about this is that I'm sure she's right-- if your goal
is having a dog as obedient as hers.


I hate getting off on the wrong foot with someone I like. I'm afraid I
made her quite defensive. A minute later she was defensive about
something else. Aauurrrgh.


--Lia


 




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