I’ve started off in positive only/force free mindset, but over time As I did there methods, especially towards reactivity, it really didn’t add up putting a mini gun of treats in his mouth when ever he looks at me for a second. Me being open minded to seeing the other side of everything led me to people like you, and a few other good balance trainers and this week I started using the prong using your mindset and I’ve already got more progress with my dog then the months of the force free reactivity methods. My relationship feels stronger with my dog and he hasn’t even resource guard since I’ve moved to the mindset of understanding the difference of not understanding and willful disobedience. An ideology of no stress does not over run how a animals processes things and even communicates among themselves! I wish I could take part in becoming a student of you or someone with your mindset and understanding . Thank you for the clarity you gave me!
Bribery and distraction with treats is sadly recommended to lots of dog owners and it will get them nowhere. Long-term behaviour change requires clear communication - both positive reinforcement AND negative consequences. 👏
@@meganmay2008 Sure. But 'payment' doesn't have to look the same all the time. I doubt your dog will get a food reward every time he sits when asked for the rest of his life. ;)
@@Taureantiger888 By not using treats for every time you mark the behaviour as good. If at first you do that every time, then start doing it every other time, every third, etc.
I love the take away of keeping your voice consistent (along with consistency in giving the commands). Another nugget to take from this great video and add to the repertoire. Thanks, Tom!
As a golden retriever owner I can understand the “I’ll do everything I know for that treat” mindset from the dog. We have moved to toys and collar pressure to help reinforce the obedience.
I have two huskies, a 10.5 month and a 5 month old so I’m definitely into a lot of training. These videos have been helping so much!! So grateful for you and what you do here, man.
Hey fellow husky person! We got our two huskies just a few months apart, too. Glad you found balanced dog training faster than we did. We're very pleased with them now.
I have a VERY food motivated dog, and I agree that when he wants something else, it doesn't matter what food we have. Definitely a great example of how balanced training works for even non-reactive dogs. Love it!
Trainers like you gave me the confidence to actually correct my dog when she was choosing not to listen. This opened up so much for us both, and now she listens without the bribe of food always being at the end. There are still rewards, and a lot of work left to do, but now I'm confident that we're on the right path with our relationship and our training
Love the comparison to horsemanship. I’ve been riding//training horses most of my life and have been able to apply a lot of my horse training knowledge with training my dogs
Lost my two teenaged large dogs 11 months apart. Got a 3yo boy from the shelter who looks like maybe a Belgian Shepherd mix. Very sweet, great with kids, and loves to walk. Biggest issues are people with little yapping dogs who allow them to come at him aggressively, and squirrels. I could cut up $40 of raw steak and he would pay zero attention to it in these situations. Also, when he's distracted and I have him sit, not only will he not engage with or look at me, he turns his head away. Just recently saw Tom use a prong with a buckle, which is going to be a lifesaver for me. No grip strength (neck thing), so my collar isn't very effective because it has to be loose enough to slip over his head. Love these videos.
I too (not knowing better) started with a positive reinforcement trainer. I now have a big dog who is reactive (to other dogs). I've watched & learned so much from your videos! I've been able to connect with a balanced trainer who is helping me use the tools (Herm-Springer prong, 280C Dogtra e-collar) to teach me how to help my dog be balanced. Thank you for your expertise & sharing
Anytime someone comes to me for training, they were positive only. Their dogs by this point are bite cases, rehab, last chance and out of control. If there is no balance, you get chaos. Thanks for being a real trainer and an amazing example. What I wouldn't give to have mentored under you. When I first started out over a decade ago, I was a positive only student, graduate. But then I got into the real world and dogs do not work that way. They need structure, discipline, proper affection and standards.
Once again, excellent explanation of the use of tools and how to correct when needed. What a beautiful big boy! Well done Tom. Keep up the great work.❤️
I just have to tell you that you are my favorite trainer. You are just amazing with all those dogs, I see myself with many of the issues these dogs are having and they way you train them and the turn around in them blows my mind. I have been watching all your videos and applying these techniques on my recent rescue Ruby. Thanks so much for these videos and helping all these dogs that wouldn’t have a chance if it weren’t for you.
My dog really only listens when I treats are involved. I’ve been debating on whether or not to get a prong collar. I’m watching your vids and others before I get one so I’m well informed.
These videos continue to keep me focused on training and learning more about dogs and how to be a better owner. Thank you for continuing to educate dog owners !
I LOVE your videos and watching you with your training. I've owned 5 Rottweilers and just love them!! My last girl "Deja" Vu actually became my emotional support dog after a horrific divorce from a narcissistic husband. I did not realize how emotionally broken I was until I left. Deja and I spent 2 Christmases alone because of it. I don't know if I would be here if it wasn't for her. In March of this year I lost her all of a sudden at 6 years old 😭😭😭 she got sick on a Friday. I drove her 200 miles to a specialist recommended from my vet only for her to take her last breath in front of me😭😭😪😪 I will forever be grateful to have had her and she will always have my heart. She got me through a really dark time. I now have a new rotti puppy and love her so much as well. I know they are all different but I am really struggling with her. She is 6 Mos and we haven't even gotten past the leash wrestling yet. 🙄 It's so hard to work with her. I paid 300 to take her to a traing class. It was a group class and we made it through but we are no closer now than then. She is so challenging for me. I don't want to have to find a new home for her. I'm not one to give up. I would love so much to be able to bring her to you but you are a long ways away and I'm not in a financial situation to be able to do that. I will continue watching you and your videos and hopefully we will get through this. Thank you so much for all you do and your love for animals.!!
Ive got a 6 month old Giant Schnauzer from a working line, and these videos have been such a great resource with helping create a system that works for my family and the newly added puppy. That no bad dogs edition e collar would be a GREAT tool to have! Thanks for all you do!
I've been watching your videos for over a year, and was so happy to see this video. Having a 120 anatolian Pyrenees mix that wants to say hi to everyone, this video is so relatable to me. The herm springer has worked wonders this past year, and our communication on walks is great. Like you said, when you have a big dog, the world expects more from them. Misbehavior is treated differently between small and large dogs. I think Augustus my pup, understands that if he's well behaved, people will come say hi to him.
Your videos have shown and inspired me to start my own dog training business! I started watching because I got a new dog (German Shepard/huskey mix) . I started watching before I got her and applied all your tactics to build my relationship with her. You don’t just show how to train a dog but you show us how dogs communicate. Calm and assertive. You’re great and your videos are the best!
My Presa Canario does this exact thing. Listens perfect when treats are out and then goes deaf when I put them away. Thanks for touching on this topic!
I love your videos, my dog use to pull on the leash and once I tried the prong collar I noticed an immediate change. Now he walks much better! Your videos are so helpful!!
As an owner of a 6 month old German shepherd I need all the tips I can get to help train him. I love watching your uploads, I find them so so helpful! I have never seen someone take a dog and know exactly what that dog is thinking and what it's about to do. You have a special gift and I want to thank you for sharing it with us. I wouldn't of had a clue how to train my dog if I hadn't of came across you on RU-vid. Take care,much love
Been watching your videos for a while now, and have learned a lot. Owe it to you for how well our German Shepherd is doing, and we didn’t have to take him to any classes. Your videos genuinely helped me grow and discover things I never knew - not only about my dog - but about myself as well. Quality content!
I have watched your videos for about two years now since I got my first GSD and I can’t thank you enough. I now have two and are pretty well trained. When I feel I’m like I’m not doing something right I look up your videos and rewatch them. To make sure that I’m doing it right. Thanks again!
So glad you touched on how to get away from treats when the dog only listens when treats are present. Having reinforcement when the dog blows you off is a huge thing most people don't understand. Love how you break everything down for people to understand.
I was the person who majorly researched training before I got my new puppy and after working with him, I realized solely treat based training was not working for his reactivity. A trainer mentioned an e-collar or prong collar and I've been trying to do more research to feel comfortable using them! Videos like this help a lot.
Again Tom is a great mentor for not only the dogs but their humans. His advice has helped me help other people understand and communicate with their dog, so thank you Tom Davis. Would also love to have one of your collars to show other and explain how it could benefit them.
Love these videos! So much real world help for my 1 year old GSD and I. Love all the love you give the dogs, but also keeping them accountable! It just makes sense
I tell everyone how amazing you are as a K-9 educator and should totally check you out. I love watching your videos. My boyfriend is always telling me things like "you watch that like it's a show."" You know that's not a real TV show." "You're not gonna win that". I respond with things like " blasphemy" "I reject your reality and substitute my own" "Leave my buble alone No popping my bubble.".
Rudy is gorgeous! And nice to see an owner ready to learn, listen, and ask questions. I wonder if 'break' would be a better break command as the owner seems to say 'OK' a lot when walking Rudy along.
Love your videos, and its some of the few content I can confidently share with friends who don't believe in using the right tools the right way brings about more reliable results that just a treat
Been watching your RU-vid videos and I have a 11 month old shepherd/husky mix and been lucky enough to say I have been with her since she was 2 weeks old. I started training her around 8 weeks and have fell in love with dog training, your videos have taught me so much and made my connection with her that much closer! I am excited to keep learning the art of training and to see how far I can go with my dog!!
Love the little tip of back pressure while using your body to get the dog to turn. I’ve just begun training my GSD to heel and we look so awkward when I turn her and look like I’m cutting her off with my leg. I’ll use back pressure to communicate the turn to her next time.