The Jaded Dog Trainer: What NOT to say as a Dog Trainer Vol. 1

If you're a professional dog trainer, you're bound to get tons of questions from your clients. Correctly and politely answering basic questions goes a long way in retaining clients while getting new ones.

With approximately a bazillion years of experience, The Jaded Dog Trainer is here to help teach you what to say and (more importantly) what not to say when you get some obvious questions from inexperienced owners.

Why Doesn’t My Dog Swim?

Taking a dog to a lake or the beach on a sunny day is a great way to spend some quality time and enjoy the beautiful weather. But if the dog doesn’t want to swim and they’ve brought a whole gear bag full of dog toys, it can be a little frustrating for an owner.

If an owner asks you why their dog won’t swim, don’t simply tell them that it’s a dog and it swims. While that’s the right answer, you’re only going to make that owner mad.

Instead, tell the owner that the best way to get their dog to swim is to start by leading them into shallow water before working their way deeper into the lake or ocean. The dog will eventually start swimming as he or she gets more used to being in the water, especially if they’re a Labrador Retriever!

A great dog toy to introduce your pet to water is the Kong Water Wubba. It floats and is made of waterproof neoprene fabric. It’s super fun for both the dog and the owner, and it acts as a great bridge to help encourage a scaredy-dog that’s nervous around a little water.

My Dog Is Overweight. What Do I Do?

Just like with humans, obese pets are a big issue. If you have a client with an overweight dog, don’t tell him the dog’s fat because they don’t do enough with him.

Tell the owner that the dog is overweight because his or her caloric intake exceeds their caloric output. Owners can either give their dogs more exercise to burn more calories or feed them less to reduce their caloric intake.

Suggest buying more dog toys, like the Ray Allen Ball on a Rope or the Ruff Dawg XL Ball. These toys make playtime fun for any dog letting them burn tons of calories, no matter how plump they might be.

Why Does My Dog Run Away From Me?

The harsh answer to this question is that the person is simply a mediocre owner.

When a dog runs from his or her owner, they’re basically telling their person that they’re not as interesting as whatever else is going on around the dog.

Saying to an owner, “you’re a boring person” isn’t really the best way to go about answering this question, though. In fact, that’s a quick way to lose a client! Let the owner know that they just need to be more exciting when they’re around their dog.

By increasing their excitement level when they’re around their dogs, these owners are sure to gain their pet’s attention and affection.

One way to go about this is to actually run away from the dog. This game of chase invokes the dog’s prey drive and is a great way to burn calories while having fun. Another thing to try is rewarding the dog with a fun dog toy or treat.

Will My Dog Protect Me?

The real answer: If you can’t protect yourself, why would you ask your dog to do it for you? But that’s not what an owner wants to hear.

Instead, tell the owner that with some basic dog training, we may reach a point where the dog will bark when someone’s trying to enter your home. But the expectation of the dog saving the owner’s life is probably a little unrealistic.

Even if you have a seemingly vicious dog like a Doberman Pinscher or a Rottweiler, the killer mentality of many of today’s working dogs has been bred out, resulting in a docile family-friendly pet.

If you’re looking to train a killer K9, though, start with training equipment from Ray Allen Manufacturing. We carry everything from heavy-duty protective bite suits to bite development gear to increase bite drive and effectiveness.

Why Does My Dog Listen To My Kids But Not To Me?

The truth hurts, but the real answer is that a person simply needs to be a better dog owner if the dog only listens to the kids.

A dog that ignores an adult owner and only listens to the kids is likely stressed out by the adult’s presence. And if a dog doesn’t like being around an owner, why would the dog want to listen to them?!

Instead of being so harsh, you should tell the adult owner that kids are typically a lower point of stress. Since dogs aren't stressed out when they’re around kids, dogs are more inclined to listen to a child’s commands.

To make an owner more appealing to a dog, they can try giving their pet some healthy dog treats or chews as rewards for being a good boy or girl.

Shop Ray Allen for All of K9 Trainer Gear

Whether you’re a serious K9 trainer or a new dog owner, be sure to buy all of your dog gear from Ray Allen Manufacturing. From durable leashes and collars to handy Buddy Bowls for a quick drink on the go, we carry everything working dogs and their owners need for a happy and healthy life.