Re: [PyrNet-L] If Pyrs were easy to train...

[David Wong <dkw02@gnofn.org>]

On Thu, 5 Nov 1998, Janice Swenson wrote:

> I have a tendency to disagree on some of these points.  I've done 
> quite a bit of researching what are the non-traditional obedience 
> dogs that are out there and talking to the top trainers.  Something 
> that is starting to come across is those going to OTCH's and high 
> titles with non-traditional breeds is training techniques that are 
> used.  It seems the newer evolved techniques, clicker, and the like 
> are what are working for the non-traditional ones.  The range is 
> narrower and the training is evolving for the better so that people 
> are getting them out and competing more than they used to.  

While that would appear to be true, I've looked into it as many people are
obedience enthusiasts do.  There are fewer people participating in
obedience overall and that includes those owners who train what we refer
to as non-traditional obedience breeds.  Many (not all) people who do use
food exclusively and clickers have a tendency to overrely on those items
and when it counts in the ring, things start to slide downhill.  Not that
everyone doesn't have a bad day, but once you're past novice, total
operant conditioning and clicker training falls short of other techniques. 
When several people on an obedience list looked into those who use
clickers exclusively and have advanced obedience titles, few people
emerged. And other top obedience experts have noted that scores have been
dropping lately.  If anyone is satisfied with that type of training,
that's fine by me and good for them--there's room and I'd applaud them for
participating.  What puzzle me is when some who claim to be diehard
whatever experts often do nothing more than lip service going into
scientific terminology. Several of those experts don't even compete.  How
can one of those experts say something will work when they themselves
haven't gone through the process? 

A majority of the successful trainers use a mix of training methods,
gadgets, and ideas.  

It 
> seems that a broader range of techniques seem to be able to be 
> used with what are considered traditional breeds....anything from 
> the old Koehler to what it's evolved into on up and the dog will still 
> perform while we see our non-traditional breeds go into shutdown 
> when the training technique is wrong.

Well, there's a broad spectrum of proven training techniques.  I hope
anyone who is interested has an open mind and watches the instructors,
students and especially the dog's reaction to a given method before
deciding on a preference.


David
  & Dixie, Chowmix (U-CD Dixie Over the Top, CGC)
    & Summer, Great Pyrenees 

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"Life is a journey, not a destination."