I have a dream...

[Raised By Wolves]

Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Things have been quite hectic on the homefront these last two weeks! A big Happy Birthday to those I missed this last month, too!

I have been thinking a lot about all of the young folks who have shown an interest in a dog training or canine behaviorist career. I wish there was an institute in place, where someone could learn the basics of the various training philosophies and methods, canine psychology and communication, and also how to work with owners and their canine companions to help resolve behavior problems within the home. I would also like to see something offered to help folks understand the special needs of rescue and shelter dogs.

This is my "dream" for the future. Yep, a pretty big one to be sure!

If you could help design one "class" for a "Canine College", what would it be and why?

Thanks!

[mrsgrubby]

I recently attended a full day seminar that was wonderful and certainly could be adapted into a full several week class. The class I attended was put on by a local pet rescue that I foster for.

The class was broken into eight or ten topics, each topic lasting an hour, (I wish many lasted longer.) A different vet or expert was brought in to talk about each topic. The day started at the beginning of a pets life and worked through their entire life.

For instance the first topic was how to take care of abandoned or orphaned puppies and kittens. They talked about how to bottle feed, what to bottle feed, how to stimulate them to go potty, how to keep them warm, how often to feed, etc.

The second topic was on puppy training, puppy and kitten health, ect.

Other topics throughout the day were, Parvo, Behavioral Problems, How to deal with cats with litterbox problems, Healthy foods (nutrition), aging pets/special needs, and a couple others that I can't remember.

Anyway, it was a fantastic class and was wonderful for those of us who foster and might need to know all sorts of different information, but also for those attendees who were from local Humane Societies in our area, other pet rescue organizations, a few breeders were there, as well as pet lovers.

We all went away wishing the day was longer and we could have talked more about the topics, and hour for each just wasn't enough.

[Carrie]

Oooooo....what an enticing and interesting topic!

I think I'd design a class to overview a lot of things: There would be the introduction to the societal relation to dogs...as in shelters and those dogs' needs. Under that would come some typical behavior problems and situations from abusive pasts and HOW to help and deal with those dogs if adopted.

There would be canine behavior and how they think, studies, history etc. There would be wolf studies and behavior and how the domestic dog is similar and different to the wolf.

Then I'd go onto basic puppy care and training and socialization, what to expect, make sure it is well known how much time and work puppies are. (I think so many people jump in over their heads and really don't know what they've gotten themselves into.) This should be part of the education of people who are going to work with people and be out there amongst the public so they can hopefully get word out before people jump into getting dogs when they're so ill prepared and that would prevent a lot of abandoned dogs and euthanized dogs.

Then I'd go into a course of scientific learning theory and how that relates to and works with operant/classical conditioning training methods. I'd touch on a few other methods so they could be compared to the positive type training. But that's the training method type that I would most want to emphasise.

Then of course the students would have to have an understanding of how human psychology works a little bit and how to relate best to them when teaching.

There would have to be sample class outlines, methodical plans and hands on practice and internship. The internship could be that each student gets a dog from a shelter and takes it to a certain level in training for specific purposes. Obedience for adopting out pet dogs, service for use for service dogs etc....all kinds of different services. How to train for these various venues would all be taught with a place for these practice dogs at the end of the time. They'd have to go onto another handler though because the course wouldn't be long enough probably. LOL. (haven't quite worked out those details yet)

They'd have to have a class specifically designed for training for the dog show world. Those things would be endorcements. (is that the right term?) Like extras.

I mean, the school could offer a couple of programs; one might only cover some of this and another program could be added on to to include more extensive studies. It could be broken up so that the one year program would be enough to teach this and that and the two year program would enable the graduate to be proficient in higher levels of training...there could be even more...3 or 4 year programs. The sky is the limit. LOL.

[Raised By Wolves]

Great suggestions and ideas! Carrie, I can see this is a topic you've also given a lot of thought to! Thanks!

[Carrie]

Actually, no....I never gave it any thought. Your thread idea was an interesting one and I thought as I went along. LOL. There really isn't anything quite geared this way to the best of my knowledge. Of course, there's animal behavioral science and husbandry, veterinary and others, but specifically canine in terms of working with the public, dog trainers etc....there's probably very little and more in the way of seminars, not really a 2 or 4 yr. program or degree. (I don't think) I don't think there should ever be government involvement, regulation or anything like that. People should be able to choose and figure out for themselves if they like a trainer or not or a school or not. But, having a "degree" would give more credibility to trainers and I think would help the masses in a general sort of way with their dogs' care and their enjoyment of their pets. It might help with the overpopulation problem in an indirect sort of way because spreading these educated teachers around would make people more aware and make the idea of pet ownership more important....maybe make people more responsible, not that they just have a dog to have a dog. Education of regular people in animal understanding and care would be a good thing. So even those who aren't directly involved....aren't going to school, aren't being taught by the teachers who went to school, this "new" entity would become known and that would make a little more awareness.

[annie_so_pink]

Wow! I wish there was a school that offered a 2-4 year degree in Animal Behaviour(especially dogs) and Dog Training! Or even a 1 year one would be great too! Cause I want to be a dog trainer when I grow up and I want to go to one of the "Dog Training Colleges"...so far my favorites are National K-9 ( www.nk9.com ) and Tom Rose School ( www.tomrose.com ) But they are both sooooo short! National K-9 is only 6 weeks and Tom Rose is only 20 weeks! I really wish that there was a longer one out there!

[tessa_s212]

annie_so_pink, though having those certifications might be helpful, the most important thing for you to do is expose yourself to differnet training methods, different breeds of dogs... etc etc.


There for a while I thought that I had wanted to become a dog trainer...but I don't think I'd really enjoy that. I think that I would much rather spend my time training my own dogs, instead of teaching others to train their dogs. I'm not that great of a poeple person(I am shy).

Even if I never became a dog trainer I'd really enjoy some type of class like this, for my own(and my dog's!) benefit!

When I have my own license and car, I do plan on attending some seminars, though!

[flyndog]

Actually, there are several schools that do just what you describe...with the exception of teach all the various philosophies and methods (and the variants ad nauseum), but there will always be discussion about various methods and the pros and cons of each. Whether that discussion is neutral is entirely up to you.

RBW, what you need to do is brand yourself. And there is where we can all learn from Cesasr Milan and Chris Bach. BTW, can't wait to discuss in depth at a later date!

[Raised By Wolves]

Originally Posted by flyndog

Actually, there are several schools that do just what you describe... BTW, can't wait to discuss in depth at a later date!

Kit,

I'm looking forward to having you visit the northwest!

I'm sure the rest of the NW group will be close at hand...we'll have to keep the big dog's noses out of the lap dog "kill zone"!

[flyndog]

Cozy's no lap dog! I wish I could get her in my lap! She's very tolerant of big dogs in her face...and elsewhere... at first. But she gets a bit testy if it goes on longer than she feels is necessary. She's a terrier, but she's only 4 pounds of fury.