This is the year of new experiences. Starting a new job and career I am always reminded of how I wish I had more experience in some areas (on a computer for instance, like the 20 year olds in the office) and how much I have done and how experienced I have become in the dog world. I still have so much to learn about dogs and teaching but I love how comfortable it all becomes when the skills, both teaching and doing become habit.

I recently ran into a dog trainer friend, a former student of mine that has gone on to get a wonderful education in positive dog training. He is full of good ideas and will likely be one of the trainers I am comfortable referring folks to for classes.

I had one of my Labs in the car and took him out, and started chatting. I had him on a Flexi- the very first thing he said to me was “You? Using a Flexi? Why, that teaches them to pull!�?? Weeeellllll, I wiggled and squirmed, “I don’t really care, “I like Flexi leads” I said.

I didn’t offer my opinion, opting instead to write about it. (See, what experience does?!).

I thought about what this great new trainer was offering me, was it advice? Was it meant to admonish me? Or was he truly surprised that I just didn’t know that Flexi’s leads cause pulling?

I took the big boy out for a walk tonight, on his Flexi lead, said “Okay” and off he went to sniff and pee to his hearts content while I enjoyed the scenery by the lake. I called him back, cueing “side�?? and he trotted next to me, released him with an “Okay�?? his favorite cue, called him back, I varied the length of time he needed to stay with me. I did not need to click, his marker was the cue ‘Okay�?? He was very happy to play with me. It is harder for him at 16 months to stay by my side the first part of the walk. I don’t make him, but I still teach. I help him and tonight for the very first time I realized he had walked the whole hour with out his harness. He was on a flat collar. I had carried the Easy-walk harness with me but didn’t need to use it. We did it.

Flexi’s don’t teach dogs to pull, people do (with apologies to the NRA). I hope that a new trainer out there will read this, and realize that you will get folks that have already taught their dogs to pull or chew or bark or pee in the house. That is a given and how you approach it and what you say to them to get them on board will make or break that relationship. Ask them what they want, if they want a dog that can sometimes be out on a Flexi and sometimes next to their side- get going, teach them how that is done. Hey, it is your job to be able to do this-and you will have plenty of clients that hate Flexi’s for whatever reason and just want to stop skate boarding behind their dog.

Have fun finding out how to give folks the dog of their dreams. Think about starting behaviors, especially your own when teaching, “how can I teach this�?? instead of just “how do I stop this�?? is what helping people with their dogs is all about for me. That I have finally learned from just doing it, experience IS a great teacher.