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Principles Wonder Dog Operates By
Principles To Operate By
Never Judge The Owner
This is a HUGE DEAL. So so so many professional dog trainers judge and make fun of their clients on FB. They probably do a lighter version to the people but we have to do better. Imagine hiring someone and then they judge you? That isn’t cool and it is not okay. Don’t judge the dog or the owner. They don’t know dog training clearly or they wouldn’t have hired us. So never judge the dog or the owner.
Get The Breed Right
For our clients that pay a lot to get a certain breed, honor them by making sure you get the dogs breed right. At best, you slip up and they correct you. At worst, you make them mad and they get upset. So avoid this by getting the breed right. Example: An “English Cream Retriever” is NOT a “Golden Retriever”.
Do the hard work for the client
If the dog keeps acting bad for the handler, take the dog again and fix it, then pass it off to the handler again.
We are there to train the dog. We are there to do the hard part for the client. So for example, if you just trained the dog to stay on place and the dog did it well for you and then you passed it off to the client and the dog is doing poorly, train the dog again for the client. You are there to do the hard part.
Ending an exercise
End each exercise with. “Do you have any questions about this? Can you do this , this week?”
Repeating commands
If the dog isn’t listening to you after the first (at most second) time you say it, make the dog listen using the tools we have
Before you leave the lesson
Always remind them that if they need anything at all to call us and we are always here to take care of them & that if they have trouble they don’t have to wait until next time to reach out.
What to do when it’s not working
Einstein defined the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over snd expecting a different result. So, if you are doing the same thing over and over and it isn’t working, try something new. Obedience training example: Higher correction, different treats, new exercise, change location, back off, take slower steps, etc.
When you don’t know what to do
When you work with a dog and you don’t know what to do, or you have applied the framework above as best as you can, and what you are doing isn’t working, THAT IS OKAY! It is okay to NOT know what to do.
If you find yourself working with a dog or a client and you are not sure what to do or how to do it, here are a few guidelines.
#1- Give your best game plan: Remember, usually any issues ALWAYS comes back to Operant Conditioning! Try to come up with your best game plan for that client. This gives the client confidence that you can at least give them some type of game plan for now. If you tend to just say you don’t know or that you haven’t “seen this before,” what can happen is that the client can start losing respect for you & your knowledge. You were trained in an extensive training program here at WD so let that show :)! It is TOTALLY fine if you need help with a certain situation but try your best to give them some guidance. If not, move to #2 & #3.
#2 - BE HONEST: This is huge! Most people never want to admit when they are wrong about anything! So just being honest goes a LONG way! “I haven’t seen this behavior before, would you mind if I call my lead trainer to get an idea of what to do?” “Well, I did what I learned how to do and it still isn’t working, let me call my Lead Trainer and figure out what to do.”
#3 - Find The Answer: Tell them you will find the answer. When you don’t know what to do, its okay. But telling them and re-assuring them you will find them an answer is crucial!
QUIZ Questions
Professionalism & Client Relations
Why is it important to never judge the owner or their dog during training?
What might happen if you misidentify a dog’s breed, especially for a client who paid a premium for that breed?
How should you end each training exercise with the client?
What should you always remind the client of before leaving a lesson?
Handling Training Challenges
If a dog isn’t responding to your command after one or two times, what should you do?
When the dog does well for you but not the owner, what’s your role as the trainer?
What is a practical example of “doing the hard part” for the client?
What does Einstein’s quote about insanity teach us when obedience training isn’t working?
When You Don’t Know What To Do
What should you try to offer a client if you're unsure how to solve a training issue?
What can happen if you frequently say “I don’t know” or “I haven’t seen this before” without offering a plan?
What is a professional way to admit you need help during a session?
Why is reassuring the client that you’ll find an answer just as important as solving the problem right away?