Positive vs. Dominance

Recently I've been really into positive reinforcement training.

I hate to admit it but I used have a very dominance based way of thinking, when it came to working with my dog. Boomer was basically raised with me thinking that he had to be in his "place" and corrections were needed when he didn't do what I wanted. I suppose it worked but I believe he suffered because of it. Boomer lacks confidence in everything he does. If he even gets any hint that he may have done something wrong he becomes upset and wants nothing to do with you. It really makes me angry at myself. He's like this because of dominance and corrective type training. I'm now determined to NEVER do this to another dog again.

Dexter is whole different story. He was raised using almost only positive methods. I'll admit, when he used to mark in the house he was scolded pretty bad and smacked on the butt. It was out of frustration and laziness on my part. I still regret it. Let me just say, the "punishments" did not help at all. He continued to mark until after he was fixed. Then it stopped, thankfully. Other than that he has always been taught in a gentle way. As a result Dexter is confident and trusts me 100%. I never held him back, so he never holds himself back. I love that about him. It makes working with him just a joy because he'll try everything at least once.

Everything we've done with Betty has been positive. Even during potty training, she got no corrections. She potty trained fairly easy, no corrections ever needed. The benefits with being gentle and patient have only gotten me results when working with Betty. She still has many hurdles to get over, but I'll be there encouraging her the whole way.

Even to this day I get frustrated with my dogs, we all do, just as we would with a family member. But I'm learning that only through positive methods will dogs truly respond and enjoy working with me.

First things first

I guess we have to start somewhere.Welcome! My name is Kerr. I happen to live with three very special creatures. They all have their own story and experiences that I'd love to share with you on this blog. I believe that dogs bring so much into our lives and are here to teach us many things. These three dogs bring me lessons and laughs every single day of my life. Without further ado let me introduce them!

First off we have Boomer... the wise one.

He is the old man of the three at around 7 years old. We believe he is a German Shepherd and Pit Bull mix, perhaps with some Akita. I've had Boomer since he was 5 weeks old and let me say that we have been through so much. He was the one who started it all; my love for dogs and my interest in dog training. When it comes to dog training Boomer has seen it all. Everything from negative reinforcement, dominance based training, positive reinforcement, and many other things I'm not sure even have a name! He was my first ever dog that I could call my own. I hate to admit it but he was very much an experimental experience over the years. We've worked through a host of problems. He has overcome dog aggression, human aggression, and crippling phobias. Although not perfect he has come a long way from his crazy youthful days and has become a very loyal and amazing dog. I am very thankful to have him in my life, he has taught me a lot. 

Next up we have Betty... the withdrawn one.

3 year old Betty is our newest addition and probably the most damaged dog I have ever met. About six months ago I found Betty one day limping (as fast as she could!) down a very busy street in the middle of the city. I could not let this poor dog fend for itself. I managed to chase her to a near by middle school where I cornered her. I knelt down and slowly scooted my way to her, and sat beside her. She was terrified and cowering. I picked her up and she came home with me. Once I got her home I realized the bad state this little girl was in. She was in horrible physical condition. Her nails where so long that they curled under her paws, her back legs seemed to be crippled, extremely underweight, her whole coat was falling out, and she had gashes on her nose. The following week we brought her to the vet. She got vaccinated and it turned out she had luxatting patella in her right back leg. (The vet said that surgery was not worth the risk for such a small dog, especially since they didn't seem to bother her much) That same week we brought her to the groomers to trim her nails and get her coat trimmed and managed. It wasn't long before she started to look much better. Her fur no longer fell out , her knees became better and limped less, and she gained weight. Her mental state was a much different story. It took awhile for her to even approach us. She would find something to hide under and shut down. She has come along way and has started to show lots of personality and will play now. She still has a LONG way to go but we're determined!

Then we have Dexter... the nerdy one.

2 year old Dexter is the youngest of the group and the only pure-bred. I got Dexter from a breeder in Arizona when he was 12 weeks old. He was a dream come true. After two years of waiting and planning I brought him home in June of 2009. He has been nothing short of amazing. He was everything I ever wanted and so much more. Through research and training with him is the reason I started and fell in love with positive reinforcement. He has learned all his manners and over 50 tricks/commands using this method. Dexter is extremely smart, friendly, attentive, and passionate. There is nothing that slows this boy down, he is just GO GO GO. He is nearly the polar opposite of Boomer. He loves new experiences, other dogs, and new people. Dexter is currently being trained in Agility, we really love the sport so far. We do plan to compete once he finishes all his classes. I also plan to get him involved in Flyball, Obedience competitions, and possibly therapy work very soon. Dexter is my star in the making and I could not be any more proud!

There you go, an introduction to the whole pack. They each have their own challenges and experiences to come. Stay tuned to get training tips and see their amazing stories progress even further!