# People who are inconsistent trainers.



## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

I'm talking about any animal, but this is mainly stemming from a dog perspective.
My mum has always taught me consistency with animals is KEY. We raised hunting dogs for the first half of my life.
But no one else seems to get this?
My partner's sister has a cane corso and a pitbull who they have tried to train and send to doggy training courses, and they always say, "They were great when they came back, but three days later they forgot everything!"
... They didn't forget anything, you just weren't reinforcing it. 
The day I met these dogs, it was also the first time I met my partner's sister (who is significantly older, like three kids, a husband, and a retirement plan, own your house outright type of older). 
I took 5 minutes to realize which dog was the alpha, and which was the follower. The follower wouldn't even let me come near him, and of course, the alpha, sensing my dominant presence, tried fighting me on things. Within and hour and a glass of wine, I had the alpha dog under my feet, without her normal choker, licking my leg on the porch. 20 minutes later the follower realized the alpha accepted me as leader, and followed suit. 
I give the family a few tips, and leave.
I come back a few weeks later, "THESES DOGS JUST DON'T LISTEN."
UGH. I can't even fricking take it. Those dogs are SO loving. But they're kept in cages for a majority of the day. Not trusted or trained to eat beside each other or even be out together in a fenced off yard because they "fight". The dogs aren't fighting. They're playing, but this family hasn't done their research and realized that these big dogs are going to blow off steam and run around with each other a little more aggressively than other breeds.
To most, this isn't animal cruelty, but I view it as such. If you aren't willing to work and learn with an animal, then why do you have it? The kennels these dogs are kept in almost 20 hours a day are way too small. And they don't get out for bathroom breaks, so when they are left out, they can't hold it anymore and urinate all over the floor, which then they get punished for. 
It makes me so sad, and I just want to take them away from that situation. Sure, they get food, they get water, their owners are wealthy and give them and every vet care they need, but their energy isn't used for anything beneficial like agility training or even commands for that matter.
Long rant is long, it just upsets me so much.


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## euneirophrenia (Mar 6, 2014)

I definitely agree with you that consistency with animals is key. In my vet tech program, we have animals that we work and practice on which are also up for adoption and that we have to train and take care of, and our teachers make sure to go over strict protocol for how to be consistent in our training, especially for things like behavior modifications and tricks. It's really obvious to me when someone hasn't been as consistent with one of the dogs the day before because if its not reinforced everyday, they forget it sometimes. 

Sometimes dog owners, or any animal owner, find it hard to change themselves and make excuses for their dogs behavior, but it sounds to me like they truly just don't know they are doing something wrong and are expecting way too much from their dogs. I see that a lot with people who view animals as needing to be perfect, which is silly in itself considering we don't expect perfection from humans yet we expect it from animals. Even I am guilty of that sometimes, as hard as it is to say. It seems to me that the people are too caught up in what they think is right and haven't yet accepted the fact that they need to try new things, including a different method of training in which they are more consistent and crate the animals less. Why do they crate them so long anyway? Do the dogs get into "trouble" around the house? Maybe the first step to helping them is giving them tricks so they can get the dogs out more without fearing something bad will happen, like a kong with frozen peanut butter or something.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I have a working dog as well as a pet dog and a foster. My working dog is a service dog for me, and for sure he is high drive, high energy, and obnoxiously smart. And consistency is very important for any dog, and so is mental stimulation.

As for the rough play...I ought to get a video of my service dog and our foster dog playing. My service dog is a tiny chihuahua and the foster is a 10 pound min-pin cross. They play like little ferocious devils.


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## ahrat (Aug 12, 2013)

They crate them because they're too lazy to train them not to chew. Mind you, they're just out of puppyhood. They yell at them when they let them out of the cage and they pee, but they really can't help it. I don't see them enough to help them enough, but it's so sad to me.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I have to admit...
I'm an inconsistent trainer. I hve really low expectations of my companion animals, I prefer to spend time in love as equals. 
So, my dog is not allowed to go potty in the house. But if I was gone for twelve hours or she aske to outside and I took too long getting ready and messed, I don't get mad. If she does I when we've just come in she's trouble. I also have problems with her social anxiety. Sometimes I discourage it, others I encourage it...
And of course, my stuffed pets. Sometimes we can play together with them but her playing alone upsets me. 


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