Owner blames training session for dog's death

[IceyBlueSibes]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbccent...ddog_0719.html

Owner blames training session for dog's death

By Susan R. Miller
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Courtesy Lisa Bernstein

Ringo was a 1 1/2-year-old German shepherd.

A year ago Lisa Bernstein rescued Ringo, an 8-week-old German shepherd pup, from the Tri-County Humane Society. The high-spirited dog became her teenage son's best friend, though the pooch didn't much like others.
In hopes of getting him to behave, Bernstein, of suburban Boca Raton, hired Jill Deringer, a dog trainer whom she met at Petco in Boca Raton and whom she now blames for killing her family's beloved pet.

"The woman came into my house with a dog that was in perfect health. She sat on my dog for one hour and killed him," Bernstein said, weeping.

Deringer, of Lake Worth, who claims to have successfully trained more than 1,700 dogs, some even more aggressive than Ringo, used what some trainers call a questionable technique, muzzling the dog and holding him down to show him who's the boss. She's been on national talk shows displaying her ability to bark like 200 breeds of dogs.

"I do an alpha role. Many trainers do this. I hold it down to prevent myself from being bitten," Deringer said. "I am a huge animal lover. This was just a tragedy."

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control is investigating the dog's death, which occurred Sunday night after Ringo was rushed to an emergency animal hospital suffering from what appeared to be heat stroke. A necropsy is planned, said Dianne Sauve, the agency's director.

"There are red flags going up with tactics that may have been taken," she said.

Bernstein, who also filed a report with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, blames herself, in part, for the dog's demise.

"This was a year-and-a-half-old vibrant, healthy puppy that she tortured for one hour, and I allowed it because she kept telling me over and over again that he was OK," Bernstein said.

Bernstein's experience serves as a cautionary tale for other dog owners looking for trainers.

"Anybody can be a dog trainer; there is no licensing, certification or requirement," said Chris Altier, a trainer with the National K-9 School for Dog Trainers in Columbus, Ohio. "There are situations where you might have to restrain a dog, but I have never heard of anybody having to do that," he said, referring to Deringer's training method.

A qualified trainer, said Altier, should have recognized the signs of stress before the dog's condition became critical.

Deringer said she was simply holding the dog — kneeling over him, but not applying her full weight — to prevent him from kicking her. Despite those efforts, she said, "He struck me over 100 times. I have the scratches to prove it."

When Ringo finally calmed, Deringer took off the muzzle but he just sat there panting. That had never happened before, she said.

She and Bernstein quickly put the dog into a tub of water to cool it down and then called Bernstein's vet. Because it was late on a Sunday night, he urged her to take the dog to the emergency clinic. By the time they got there, Ringo was blind and showed signs of internal bleeding. A couple of hours later, the clinic called to say he had taken a turn for the worse and had little chance of survival. That's when Bernstein agreed to let them put Ringo to sleep.

Deringer said the whole situation is "sad and emotional."

A spokesman for Petco, where Deringer worked, said company officials were aware of the situation and were looking into it.

"This is unfortunate all around. What this person did is something she is responsible for, and we are investigating it fully and will take appropriate actions," said Don Cowan from the company's corporate office in San Diego, Calif.

Cowan said their trainers go through a certification program that includes classroom training and some on-the-job training with other trainers.
It's unclear what training techniques Deringer used while at Petco, but Stephen Zawistowski, a certified applied animal behaviorist with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York, said the "alpha dog" method is based on concepts that are 20 to 30 years old.
"Theoretically, beating kids with a strap used to keep them behaved, but we don't do that any more," Zawistowski said. "Our concept is that humane training does not inflict unnecessary distress or discomfort."

On Tuesday, Bernstein got a call from Jeannette Christos of the Tri-County Humane Society that another German shepherd, one the same age as Ringo, was available for adoption. Her family had moved to Costa Rica and couldn't keep her.

It was a "beshert," Yiddish for "meant to be," said Bernstein. "This dog needed us and we needed her. She is going to help us heal."

[mulroony]

Why you would allow a trainer to muzzle and hold your dog down for 5 minutes let alone an hour is beyond me. This is the harm I see w/ the popularity of "alpha role" training technique. All people see is the complete success so when they would normally question something they do not. This trainer should never be allowed near another dog ever again.

(PS Not saying proper alpha role training does not work, but it is not the end-all answer some people claim it to be)

[IceyBlueSibes]

I know. I saw this on the news today and it just shocked me. Why on earth would anyone let someone do that. Then again, that's when people think "Well they're a trainer, so they must know what they're doing." It just bewildered me. I agree... they should never be allowed near another dog again.

Agreed that the alpha role can be a useful technique, but there are only certain people and certain situations that it should used. This dog certainly did not need an alpha role... and I've never heard of the alpha role done while holding the dogs mouth shut (I would assume to avoid biting), but an hour is ridiculous.

[richnrissa]

I agree its shocking to think this went on to the point the dog was BLIND and had INTERNAL BLEEDING.....in hindsight its horrid, its ridiculous, but we werent there.
IBS is right about the "well theyre a trainer". Many of us have the tendency to place way too must trust into a "title" or position of "authority" w/o question when we lack the knowledge to know better. I can only imagine the desperation and total lack of preparedness these people faced w/ their dog to think that anything that happened that day would be considered "normal" and "acceptable" training practices....but there are HUMAN therapists that do the SAME technique on severly troubled kids too...
I hope this woman loses her job/affiliation w/ Petco, as i'm sure she will as they will probably want to protect their 'image'.
What is also upsetting is that a shelter allowed people so horribly unprepared for this animal to adopt it and then so quickly gave them a 'replacement' dog.

[Swiftwind]

My god, that is horrible! I feel so sorry for Ringo and what he had to go through. He must have been in so much discomfort. It's really sad to hear that something like this has happened.

[Spiritus]

At our training club, none of the trainers, including myself, are what I would call "professional" trainers. We all have dogs, have had them for years, LOVE them, and love to help teach people to teach their dogs. The only class I teach at this time is puppy class, because, when it comes to teaching people and puppies, I am quite comfortable in my knowledge. Yes, I have trained my own dogs to odedience titles, but I still get stressed going in the ring (I still lack confidence when competing). But with puppies, I do not lack that confidence. One thing I stress in all my puppy classes is that if I do anything or teach anything that someone is uncomfortable with, they NEED to tell me. I stress that their job is to not only teach their puppy, but to protect their puppy. I tell them that if EVER in their dog's lifetime someone does something to their dog that they are uncomfortable with, they must stop them, just like they would if someone did something to their child.

I feel that people need to know this - that they have the power to stop anything that is inappropriate. That they can walk out of any class at any time - that the money paid for a training day, or even a 6 to 8 week session, is not worth potentially harming the dog mentally and physically, and that THEY know their dog more than anyone else. Most people look at trainers as "experts", and think that someone who calls themself a trainer must know what it is they are doing. But what is "right" for one dog is not "right" for another, and training methods often need to be adjusted for specific animals, and for their people.

This situation infuriates me. What the heck was she doing to cause internal bleeding and blindness? Sitting on the dog? She had to have been - how else does someone hold down an 80+ lb animal that is terrified and possibly angry? Argh!

I have alpha rolled a dog once - my own dog. He had decided, in an obedience class we were taking, that he didn't like the rottie we kept meeting while practicing heeling, and lunged and snapped at the dog. I put my hand on his shoulder, said NO strongly and forcefully, and he dropped WILLINGLY - I did not put him down. I didn't have to. He "gave" to me, and stayed down, with no hands on him until I told him he could get up. My reaction was instinct - I don't think I expected him to drop, but when he did, I understood what he was doing, because I have seen it in my own yard in my own dogs. He has never shown any signs of having "issues" with rotties, or any other dog while I have him on leash, since. Good boy.

[Ritz459]

That is just horrible. It is no wonder that the dog died: dogs aren't supposed to be muzzled for over an hour anyway and if it was all worked up it probably was having a hard time panting from being sat on for a freakin hour!

What the heck was she doing to cause internal bleeding and blindness? Sitting on the dog? She had to have been - how else does someone hold down an 80+ lb animal that is terrified and possibly angry? Argh!

Why anyone would let them do that to their dog is beyond me. A "trainer" in the 4H program is extreamly harsh with the dogs. She is fine with them if they do as they are told, but if they don't, then she just gets mean. I vowed that if she ever tried to do anything with Rose I'd tell her to back off and I'd leave.
She was giving a pug one time such harsh corrections for not downing (it didn't look like it knew what "down" ment either) the thing was yelping. And the owner of the pug just stood there and didn't do anything. I would have been screaming at the lady if that was my dog. But then she turned right around to a big dog that wasn't downing and said that if the dog doesn't down to lure them with a treat. That lady has some issues if you ask me. If she was the "trainer" I'd leave, but she is just an overseerer I guess, and she's never bugged me.

[sammy]

Originally Posted by Spiritus

I have alpha rolled a dog once - my own dog. He had decided, in an obedience class we were taking, that he didn't like the rottie we kept meeting while practicing heeling, and lunged and snapped at the dog. I put my hand on his shoulder, said NO strongly and forcefully, and he dropped WILLINGLY - I did not put him down. I didn't have to. He "gave" to me, and stayed down, with no hands on him until I told him he could get up. My reaction was instinct - I don't think I expected him to drop, but when he did, I understood what he was doing, because I have seen it in my own yard in my own dogs. He has never shown any signs of having "issues" with rotties, or any other dog while I have him on leash, since. Good boy.

I wouldn't describe that as alpha rolling. Like you say, he volonteered a submissive position to appease you. You did not force him into a submissive position or any position at all for that matter.

It's great that you get your puppy class clients to think for themselves and question. There are LOTS of "trainers" out there giving all sorts of varied advice, some of it useless, some of it downright scary. People need to take responsibility for their dog and it's training.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread. This situation is appauling and I suspect is more commmon than what is reported in the news. I wish people would realise there are better, far more effective ways to train dogs. So sad.

[Carrie]

OMG! That is the most upsetting thing, horrific abuse! When are people going to give up this freakin' mindset of this "I'll do it because I'm boss!"....all this over bearing, domineering BS and start learning how to train a dog? This is just one more example of how this mentality of extreme dominion over a weaker animal just because we can.....can easily get away from people. It comes in varying degrees, but it's the same BS. It is still, unbeliveably common to hear or read how owners or trainers are looking for which brand of punishment to use on a dog. What can I spray at, throw at, jerk with, shove with....it just goes on and on. And there is all the evidence and science to prove that gentle, non-over bearing methods work beautifully with dogs, their nature and their way of learning....in harmony with the way they relate to humans. This just angers me no end.

Oh, and P.S. I trust that the people who have been on this board for a while know that my avatar is expressing my extreme sarcasm.

[Raised By Wolves]

This was not a trainer training a dog or a behaviorist helping a troubled dog. This sounds like it was a power struggle and all about "winning". It sounds to me like the dog was fighting for it's breath and the "trainer" saw it as refusing to give up the fight. Yeah, I'll bet she had scratches on her from the dog. I'd fight too, if someone was slowly suffocating me over the course of an hour.

But, I wasn't there and I'm only going what I've read here.

You're right Spiritus, my lab dropped in a similar situation just by me using an abrupt body movement in from the side and touching her on the neck when she went for somebody soon after I got her from the shelter. She never did it again and everything about her changed for the better in this moment.

This dog was fighting for it's life, and lost. IMO

[Carrie]

This was not a trainer training a dog or a behaviorist helping a troubled dog. This sounds like it was a power struggle and all about "winning". It sounds to me like the dog was fighting for it's breath and the "trainer" saw it as refusing to give up the fight. Yeah, I'll bet she had scratches on her from the dog. I'd fight too, if someone was slowly suffocating me over the course of an hour.

That's for sure. That was no trainer, but some kind of a nut case! That poor, poor sweet dog. It's already been said, but HOW could anyone stand there and let someone do that to their dog????? How moronic can someone be to put that much blind, unquestioning trust in ANYONE???!!!!

[dollface]

Thats just ridiculas I would never let someone train my dog that way. I had my daughter in a training class with T-Bone and they were teaching people to hold their dogs down to dominate them. I would not allow them to do that to T-Bone cause I knew it would just set her back it was just to be a fun class for us for socialization more so then training since T-Bone already knew everything. They were also teaching lay down and my daughter just did the hand signal and said down and she went down, they told her no she must be showed like this and went to force her in a down and the lady almost got bit there should be many techniques to train a dog cause one does not always work for every dog... Alot of people were not pleased with her training and went else where as well, I gave them a couple of places to try out. The reason why we tried this place was because it was for children grrrrr

I do feel sorry for this lady but in the same breath she obviously did not feel right with what this lady was doing, and should have stopped it then. Sadly the poor dog had to suffer like that, how sad

[KennelMom]

That poor dog What an idiot "trainer." It is not an accident when you PURPOSELY restrain a dog for an HOUR in such a manner that it asphyxiates and dies.

I hope they charge her with *something*...cruelty to animals maybe?