Shewhisperer frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q- At what age should I start training my dog?

Dog training should begin right away, as a puppy, the sooner the better, to establish leadership. It is a myth that you should wait to train your dog until he/she is six months old. This stems from back in the days when there were only group classes, not private ones, and one couldn't get a group of unvaccinated dogs together, hence the very late age to begin training.

Q- What is Natural Horsemanship?

Natural Horsemanship is learning the language of the horse so as to become the lead horse, thereby creating a relationship of oneness, harmony and respect.

Q- What makes trainers different?

A trainer should be talking about the language of the animal, be it dog or horse. Without this ability to communicate, we are missing a very critical piece in training and it becomes mechanical, not intuitive, losing the instinct of both owner and animal, thereby crushing the spirit and limiting the enthusiasm of our beloved pets.

Q- When should I begin training my foal or young horse?

Right away; training begins at birth. Halter training can be done without any trauma to the new baby if we know how to have the horse trust us and respect us all at the same time.

Q- Is your veterinarian a good doctor?

Many of us are guilty of putting doctors on a pedestal, making them into somewhat of a godlike figure. We often do this with our veterinarian, as well.

Veterinarians have an even more difficult job diagnosing illness, because the animals can't speak for themselves. I don't say this as if you don't know this, rather to help you realize the importance of really explaining all the details, even the ones you think are small, or might be silly. These minute details can often be the crux of what the veterinarian might need, in order to make a proper diagnosis.

The problem with finding a good veterinarian has many facets. It is a rare doctor who really listens to their clients...(owners know their animal best.) Unfortunately, in vet school, they are not required to take courses in communication and listening skills. In their 4 yrs of vet school, they learn the general information that they will need to treat patients. There are those individuals who go to school to further their education and specialize in a specific field, i.e. horses, dogs, cats, birds, eyes, orthopedics, surgery, etc. The general small or large animal veterinarian is educated yet limited to a general practice, thus, making listening to their patients owner, more crucial in helping to treat the animal.

In this light, here are several things you can do to find out if your veterinarian is a good doctor:

Ask about their education and if they did any kind of special training, i.e. internships or residencies.

Ask people in your community who they would recommend and beware of recommendations due to bedside manner only, or the fact that they may be inexpensive. While bedside manner is very important, if that is their only claim to fame, then this would not be sufficient to the practice of good doctoring.

Your veterinarian should be able to admit he doesn't know something and refer you for a 2nd opinion or a specialist. They should be able to admit that they are wrong and learn from their experience.

You, the owner, know your animal best and are keenly aware of any changes in behavior, weight, eating habits, all the little nuances of your animal. Therefore, it is imperative that your veterinarian is able to listen to everything you have to say when you bring your pet for an examination. No matter what you are bringing your animal in for, there should ALWAYS be a thorough physical examination and history that is being written down in your records, so that your veterinarian may refer to it, at a later date, if needed for further diagnosis. If you are getting the feeling that your veterinarian is ignoring you or intimating that you might be too anxious an owner, this is a clue you might heed in finding another veterinarian. Always listen to your gut. If you have the slightest feeling that you are not being heard, go to another vet. Veterinarians ALWAYS need to listen to you.

Veterinarians who have a sole practice, that is, only one veterinarian in the office, could lead to problems if this vet is not tightly knit w/ his community/colleagues of veterinarians to be able to consult with them, especially if they are fresh out of school. It may be best to seek out a hospital where there are several vets so that they can consult with each other. Please be very aware of hospitals that are owned by a corporation, (a chain of veterinarian hospitals), as there is little accountability and competence, in my opinion.

The Internet has a plethora of information at our fingertips, and it is becoming more common that pet owners are finding their diagnosis online and then bringing their findings to their veterinarians, which has been a godsend to many animals. If your veterinarian is not OK with your findings and takes it personally, this is a sign that you are in the wrong hands. Your veterinarian should be willing to discuss and learn from you.

Maintaining the health of your pet is a team effort and you need a doctor who is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain this delicate healthy balance.

Q- What are licensed and certified dog trainers?

There are only two types of licensed dog trainers. They are: Guide dog trainers, who train Seeing Eye dogs and Sentry dog trainers who train Police dogs. Only these two types of dog trainers are licensed by the state. ALL other trainers are not licensed. A certified dog trainer is a bit ambiguous at this time. By this, I mean that there are many trainers who just decided to become a dog trainer, who have little or a lot of experience, and who went to a school and got certified. Since there are no requirements to become a pet dog trainer, the field is wide open to anyone who feels they have some knowledge of dog training to call themselves a trainer.

The schools that offer certification programs to become a dog trainer have no requirements or licensing to become a certified training school. The schools and trainers that tout the title behind their name, i.e. CCPDT, IACP, are schools that have come up in the last 14 years. They are not licensed or registered with the state, they are indeed a group of dog trainers who gathered together to form their organization and developed a test for trainers to take and then offer these titles next to their name. The testing requirements are a set of standards that these trainers came up with based on their ideas and education. While this is a good attempt to regulate the field of dog trainers, it is not the end all in qualified dog trainers. I am in favor of these organizations in their attempt to try to have some standards in dog training etiquette, yet, I must remind you that these are memebership (dues paying member organizations) and don't endorse or follow up on any of their members. Given the fact that these membership organizations came to be in the last 14 years, one might ask about all the trainers who have been training longer than this. There are many trainers with tantamount experience who are very qualified trainers, yet will not and do not need to go to these organizations to become certified, as many of them could write the test. These organizations clearly state that although they may have a referral list of certified dog trainers, that they do not endorse these trainers, only refer them. This should tell you something.

Please keep an open mind and ask the trainer if you can come and observe and also ask around in your community and your veterinarians if they have any recommendations for you. When looking at schools to become a dog trainer, the same applies. The years of experience may far outweigh any title behind a name and the education you get from these trainers can be far superior.

Listen to your gut, and ask yourself, do you want to be a stamped out trainer that works for Petco or Petsmart, teaching obedience only, or do you want a more in depth study and understanding of dogs and their behavior. If so, then seek out what you are looking for and ask a lot of questions, to the trainer, not the secretary, who is answering the phone.