Adam recently had an initial lesson with a new client – this client was told by their previous trainer that they wouldn’t work with the dog whilst the dog was wearing a slip lead.
That’s ridiculous enough; what makes the situation more unbelievable is that the trainer simply advised the client to turn the slip lead into a ‘figure of 8’ head collar (a formation around the nose).
You’ll already know that we are honest at Valorant – we call a spade a spade, and we’ll tell you if we think any form of consequence, punishment or aversion is necessary for your dog’s progress. Those words aren’t dirty words, they are not synonymous with pain & abuse if used correctly, and we shouldn’t be afraid to learn more.
What’s depressing about the above situation is not only the emotional blackmail but also the evident lack of knowledge.
A Halti, a ‘gentle leader’, a figure of 8 collar, all those popular ‘force-free’ tools are also punishment! Anything used to stop the frequency of a behaviour (particularly if using pressure or aversion) is still punishment. Apply a friendly label and a few ‘qualifications’ to the ‘trainer’ all you want, but you are still using punishment.
Call a spade a spade.
If you use a Halti or similar for your dog and it works for you both, great. We don’t use them, but we are happy for you if you have success & the tool fits your dog appropriately.
Please don’t be conned into thinking an individual knows better because they use ‘kinder’ tools. Pressure is pressure, aversion is aversion, punishment is punishment. All of those have the capability to eliminate problem behaviours in your dog and make your life easier.
