FAQs
What kind of dog trainer are you?
Good Wellesley Dogs is a Balanced Training & Owner Coaching service, working exclusively with pet or companion dogs. We believe that all thinking creatures need clear, kind, & consistent feedback to learn. We use a balance of both "Yes" and "No" in a positive and yet fair way to effectively communicate to your dog. The goal is to help families teach their dogs good manners - as well as address and diminish unwanted behaviors. As in all of life, balance is the key. We can help you bridge the communication gap between you and your beloved canine.
I hear a lot about ONLY using positive training methods. That sounds good, can we train my dog that way?
In the last decade, "Purely Positive" training has become a marketing catchphrase used by corporate pet companies to draw in customers. Yes, it sounds really good. Unfortunately, if you ONLY use positive feedback, you leave your dog stuck with only half the information they need to learn and succeed in our modern human world. Yes! We will definitely use positive reinforcement (food, praise, toys) to teach and reward good behavior. But if an owner doesn’t also communicate clearly and fairly to the dog what is NOT acceptable - the dog has no incentive to stop dangerous or annoying behavior. We will help you learn what an "Effective No" means for your unique dog, and how to communicate it in a fair and non-dramatic manner. Just as thinking humans learn from both positive reinforcers AND negative consequences; our dogs need both types of information to successfully navigate our world.
What kinds of training equipment do you use?
We utilize a wide variety of training equipment uniquely chosen for each situation. We train with safe, effective equipment that we also use for our own beloved pets. Our equipment or "tool list" may include:
Raised “Place” cots, target sticks, crates, training/prong collars (Herm Sprenger brand only,) food rewards, clickers, verbal praise, verbal corrections, tie-back leads, bonker towels, toy rewards, pet corrector (compressed air noise,) long-line leashes, spacial pressure, & body language. For advanced off-leash obedience work, owners may choose to train with high-quality remote systems (E-collar Technologies brand only.) We DO NOT work with retractable leashes due to numerous safety risks associated with them.
I want my dog to listen to me off-leash. Why do I need to work on training inside our house?
Many of us dream of taking our dog on adventures, that type of life can be wonderful for both owner and pet. But the foundation of behavior, expectations, and limits must be taught at home before they can be transferred to the world at large. Like all new skills, we recommend starting small (limit your training space to just a portion of your home,) and increasing the boundaries with effort and success. We all learn to walk before we run. However, dogs are a little different. Soon after they are born, dogs instinctively know how to run; but they don't instinctively know that running into a street can end their life. They instinctively want to chase a small moving critter at the park, but aren't born knowing that they may scare a small child by running at them. Our human world can confuse and confound our canine companions. It's our job to teach them - through fair and consistent communication - what is acceptable and what is not, both in our home & out in the community. As our leadership skills AND their ability to follow our lead improve; our ability to include them in interesting adventures will grow.
Our new puppy is so cute…… we can’t bear to correct her behavior. Won’t he just outgrow the silly puppy behaviors we don’t like?
Most of us fall in love with a new pup almost instantly. There’s just something about a puppy; they literally appear to be a walking stuffed & cuddly toy. But in reality, the weeks of their early puppyhood will fade quickly. We are raising an adult dog, not raising a puppy - even the small toy breeds! What seems cute and mischievous in the early weeks, will become stronger and likely anti-social (both in the human and canine social world) very quickly. Nature provides a simple, straightforward way for members of each species to teach and learn from each other….. both what is acceptable, and what is unacceptable (or could be dangerous) to self & others. As your dog’s leader, it is your responsibility to communicate & mark what behavior warrants a “No” (and correction) just as you share lots of “Yes” (with reward) moments. If we only share “comfortable” information, we leave our dogs confused. By only giving partial information when faced with a safety (or serious social) issue, we are being unfair to our devoted companion. True leadership includes the commitment to “Love Them By Leading Them” both in what’s easy/feels good in the moment; and what can feel a little uncomfortable at times.