FROM TOM KANDT: Greetings fellow Helena pet lovers! I am totally looking forward to this Q & A experience with you. We are hoping that this forum will be fun, informative, and robust! Why dont we officially start next week, after we recover from the 5-10 lbs we will each gain over the weekend. Let me bring up a few things I feel important FYI. Thanks so much to Robin for getting this going. -- I am whats called a positive reinforcement, rewards- based trainer. This means I believe in training and modifying dog behavior by using reinforcement techniques to increase/maintain, or modify a dogs behavior. I will not condone aversives unless nothing else works. I will tell you up front this is my bias but I will certainly respect your philosophies about training if they differ. -- This forum is not meant to take business away from Helena private trainers. In fact, it is my hope it will increase business for them by making people more aware of canine issues and the need to call a professional in certain situations. I will not hesitate to recommend that a professional be called but will not endorse individual trainers. There are many competent positive reinforcement trainers in Helena to chose from. We will not answer individual questions except as provided by this forum. If you seek advice about your own dog please consult a qualified professional trainer. -- This forum is certainly not restricted to canine behavior problems. In fact, I encourage a wide--open forum where the skys the limit and no topic regarding our furry friends is off limits. -- Dialogue between parties will be respectful and courteous, albeit robust if need be. Be honest, but no name calling, insulting, derogatory comments, or personal attacks. I will be referee and Marcus of Queensberry rules will apply. -- Feel free to chime in and add your thought to any Q & A scenario. Please make them short and to the point. -- If you have a question about a behavior problem, describe for me objectively what the behavior looks like. For instance, instead of saying my dog is aggressive on leash, say my dog barks and lunges at other dogs it passes on leash. Dont use labels like dominant or revengeful or stubborn as they are no help in evaluating the dogs specific problem. I think thats it for now. Lets have fun and learn together. We all do what we do for a purpose, and thats in part to make life better for these great animals that are so important in our lives. Thanks for the opportunity to be part of this experience.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:17:09 +0000
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