Controversy in dog training and infighting among dog trainers has been going on for many years - at least since the 1960's when Steve said "cookie pushers" were known as "foodies" and were ridiculed by the established "way" dog trainers. But should you throw the "baby out with the bathwater?" Should young trainers read the dog training book by Colonel Konrad Most that Steve was advised to read when he started out and training books by Carol Lea Benjamin? We think it's good for Old School and New School trainers to learn dog training history and be open to learning from others. Jeff feels that "drawing a line in the sand is causing the indsutry to be afraid to do what's right!" Bonnie talks about why she's glad she learned "back in the day" how to use what's now considered an aversive tool.

What do you think is a solution to all the discord among trainers?

Steve Diller has been training for 30 plus years as well as 14 years working in the animal field as one of the first licensed vet techs in New York State. He teaches and when we asked what his business name is called he said: “let’s stick with the name my mom gave me!” http://www.stevediller.com/

Jeff Coltenback - http://www.jeffcoltenback.com/​ Jeff has been training 20+ years, is a holistic pet care practitioner, pit bull rescuer, his pet care education website is for dog trainers and pet owners www.thepetcareinstitute.com.

Bonnie Brown - https://www.dogtrainersconnection.com/ Bonnie trained dogs for over 12 years in New York City and Hudson County, NJ and founded Dog Trainers Connection in 2003 (with Steve Diller’s help). She and her husband Joel now have a liver treat business called Happy Hudson Valley Hounds check our sales page out - we'd love you to try them! https://www.dogtrainersconnection.com/pupsluvem/

Chris Redenbach started training dogs in 1971 with a protection trained GSD her parents gave her when she moved off campus from Georgetown U. She decided to breed purpose bred working dogs while she lived in Brazil and chose the Bouvier des Flandres, a breed that, at that point, had very few genetic issues and was known for strong and stable dispositions and the multiple talents of farm and police dogs. This was before the breed split genetically between working dogs and show/pet dogs. As time went on, and in response to the behavioral traits that are needed in working dogs meant for both police and farm work, Chris developed some testing and observation procedures to try to identify the best prospects for work at an early age. She believes strongly in getting very young pups out in nature from at least 4 weeks to develop their senses and grow their physical and mental skills. She bases her methods on a foundation of ethology, the biology of behavior, a discipline she has been studying since the late 70's. Her dogs have excelled at protection and herding, being useful in both real life applications and sport. In a time of doodles, Chris thinks it's more important than ever to maintain purpose bred working dogs. 

Chris is also certified as a dog behavior consultant by both IAABC and CCPDT and she teaches a very comprehensive course called Becoming a Behavior Consultant, the Human in the Middle, for trainers who want to develop their professional skills as behavior consultants. She has more courses in the works as well as working with private clients near her home in the Atlanta area. She continues her education taking courses in cognitive neuroscience at a local college. Find her at [email protected] 

Bonnie Brown from Dog Trainers Connection interviews dog trainer Joyce Keeton about her creative and unique program for working with people and their dogs!

Dog trainer Dennis Fehling, CPDT-KA, CBATI, of Friends for Life Dog Training in Redmond, Oregon, is passionate about giving back and helping veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  He and his wife Pam Bigoni worked with a program called “Battle Buddies” in Oregon, training veterans and their service dogs.

Dennis invited two veterans whom he worked with in the program, Tom Imholt and Dax McMillan, as well as retired Navy Seal John Surmont, to talk about the effects the dogs had on their lives. Dennis also discusses what kind of training he did with the veterans and their service dogs.

As Dennis points out, “we need to have more programs like this one because the dogs actually change people’s lives as they connect vets with a non-judgmental being to help with their new “mission.””

Steve Diller has been training dogs for over 40 years and was instrumental in helping to start Dog Trainers Connection. Besides being passionate about the dog training profession and the need for trainers to talk with each other and learn from each other, no matter what methods they use, Steve is a wonderful story teller. In the interview he shares what happened when positive reinforcement training evolved among the classical compulsion trainers – why he embraced it – and the reactions he got from both sides of the table. He also shares what he does with clients that has helped him have a successful career for over 40 years.

Mike D’Abruzzo of K9-1 Specialized Dog Training LLC in Peekskill, New York, has been specializing in aggression cases and formal protection training since 1998. He told me that most of the personal protection training he does is an outlet for otherwise aggression cases that need a job to do and “a place for owners to control the aggression even more so than to use it.” He has an impressive background of training dogs for the military, private security dogs, and he was a trainer and handler for narcotic and explosive detection dogs for FEMA in the aftermath of 9-11. I really enjoyed hearing about Mike’s work with aggression and the stories of how he’s helped owners with “problem” dogs overcome the obstacles of living with them.

How to Observe the “Structure” of a Dog Brian Corrigan, Chiropractor Trainers need to learn how to observe a dog fully. While we mainly focus on training and behavior, it’s very important for us to look at the overall dog we’re working with and observe any possible physical issues that may be going on.

In my interview with Chiropractor Brian Corrigan of Jersey City, NJ who has been seeing people and their dogs for 20 years, he told me “It doesn’t work out if the person isn’t relaxed – I need to treat the person then their dog.” And isn’t that the same with dog training? Brian talks about how to observe a dog’s physical structure and what specific things to look for that may be signaling that the dog is in pain. And he shares other insightful tips that will be helpful to anyone working with dogs.

You’ll hear some of his success stories too. There are no machines in Brian’s practice - only his healing hands for people and their dogs!

Take a listen to my interview with Chiropractor Brian Corrigan of Jersey City, NJ

Living with multiple dogs is something that dog trainer Dennis Fehling, CPDT-KA, CBATI of Friends for Life Dog Training in Central, Oregon and his wife Pam have had a lot of experience with - he presently has 7 adopted dogs!

Dennis shares great information on how to make multiple-dog households run smoothly, what to do to keep all the dogs relaxed, peaceful and satisfied, as well as considerations that trainers should be aware of before adding dogs to their already existing dog families.

Michael Shikashio, CDBC and Board President of IAABC, discusses the makeup of a good aggression trainer, how to deal with fear that may sometimes come up when working with an aggressive dog, and his personal path to becoming a specialist in dog aggression cases!