Which is better to handle dog obedience: A dog whisperer or a dog trainer?
i inquired on a dog trainer and i asked him how he teach the dog obedience, if he punishes it to learn, he said they do it a bit—i don’t want that. do trainers really have to do that? i dont think its right.
a dog whisperer is someone who knows dog psychology & behavior , while a trainer is someone who teaches your dog commands & tricks.
if u dont know much bout the question, then don’t bother answering this.
September 18th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Go to a dog trainer if you want your dog to be trained. Go to a dog whisperer if you want your dog whispered… I don’t even know what that means, but it sure wouldn’t be the same as training.
September 18th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Please don’t bother trying to down people for giving “wrong” information when you yourself do not know the correct information.
A dog trainer is generally used for the basics, and generally helps you in learning how to train your dog personally. There are different levels of trainers from the individuals with a week of training working in Petsmart to the people who make a life commitment of it and have had years of experience.
A behaviourist is someone who knows and studies dog behavior and psychology. Generally behaviourists are used for the more difficult behaviors, and generally used when a trainer just can’t do the job (such as food aggressive dogs, fear bitters, and so on). Behaviourists are better equipped with a knowledge of why a dog does something and how to fix it.
A dog “whisperer” generally refers to on that believes he or she can communicate with animals (generally on a psychic level) in true speech manners.
If you’re referring to the “dog whisperer” from the television show- The guy is a top rated idiot without any clue what he’s doing.
As far as which is better to use- it depends on your situation. Trainers are generally used first, behaviourists when the trainer can’t help, whisperers are generally for entertainment purposes (and that differentiates a bit depending if you believe in what they say or not), and no one should ever use Mr. Millan’s horrible advice.
As for the trainer you spoke to- Are you sure he said punishment?
Many people now days believe in only 100% reward based training, but many will use correction based training as well (such as a quick leash snap, prong collars, and other such methods). If he’s using correction techniques, and you’re comfortable with that, then it will likely be fine. Indeed more than just reward based training is needed for many dogs, and is perfectly acceptable if done correctly.
If the trainer physically “punishes” the dog, I would run far far away and find someone that has a better idea of what they are doing.
September 18th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
a dog trainer
September 18th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Hey cesar millan can work miracles. I tried some of his techniques on my knuckle head chihuahua mix and now he behaves and listens. I thought he was the only dog whisperer I didn’t know it was an actual title
September 18th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
For obedience you want a dog trainer, for behavioral issues, you want a behaviorist (whisperer).
You may have not understood the trainer you spoke to. No descent trainer punishes to learn these days. Learning is done with positive reinforcement. Once a task is learned by a dog, you test the dog’s obedience under distraction such as on lead in a park with other people, dogs, and squirrels around. If the dog fails to obey the command he knows already through training, he can receive a correction (not punishment, a physical correction) to refocus him on the command.
If the trainer you spoke to uses punishment to learn, get away from him fast!
September 19th, 2010 at 12:17 am
A good trainer is both. A “whisperer” (behaviorist) is someone who went to school to learn a bunch of theories, but can’t “read” a dog and isn’t capable of training one. Basically, one is the “real deal” the other is a wannabe.
You just need to find a trainer that will use techniques you can deal with. Be prepaired for a long, LONG search.
September 19th, 2010 at 12:41 am
A dog trainer will train your dog. A dog whisperer will be able to tell you why your dog is misbehaving.
Some dog trainers do not use negative reinforcement (only possitive, without even physical correction). The dogs usually become rather high maintenence that way, but if you are willing to live with that, then go for it!
September 19th, 2010 at 1:27 am
depends on if you are dealing with a training issue or a behavioural issue.
The word you are looking for isnt “dog whisperer” either, its called behavoiralist. (To my knowledge, the “dog whisperer” on TV does not actually have any kind of certification or credits for any kind of animal behavoiralism!)
If you are needing to teach your dog obedience, or need tips on housebreaking, its best to consult a trainer.
If you are having aggression issues, its best to consult a behavoiralist.
I also dont like the word “punishment” in terms of training and dealing with dogs.. “correction” is the proper term.. in my opinion, you need to use a balance of corrections and praise/rewards when training your dog tho. Even in dog packs, the alpha will correct other dogs.. how else do they know when they are doing wrong?
Each trainer will have their own method of doing things.. ask to sit in on a training class and watch to see if you like that trainer’s method. Talk to the trainer about how he corrects dogs in his training.