Always follow your intuition
My husband and I decided to look into training for Arlo, not because he needs it as much as because I want to learn how to train dogs. I’m hoping to be able to offer doggy daycare with basic dog training included once we move to our forever home in the U.P. of Michigan.
My husband made the appointment for a free consultation for after the both of us got off work last Monday. We arrived to the entry door being locked. The other door marked with a sign “use other door” swings open and a lady waves us over and advised that they are working with an aggressive dog at the moment so locked that door but we could enter there. We were quickly escorted through the training area and into an office. The owner came into the room shortly after and gave us the history of the training center. He explained the training packages. My husband and I immediately leaned toward the once a week training session with “homework”. We started trying to figure out how I could free up 2 hours every evening to do the required homework with Arlo.
During our conversation we mentioned that we just bought a house in the U.P. and will be going up in a few weeks to paint the entire interior. He jumped on that piece of information explaining how he feels that it is a mistake to take Arlo with us; it’s a strange, new environment, and we won’t be able to give him the attention he needs. He made me feel like a horrible pet parent to even consider taking him up with us. I started second guessing our decision to do the once a week training and starting thinking the boarding training would be better. It would definitely make it easier for when we are painting to not have to keep an eye on him and stop to take him out and for walks.
At this point, he pulls out a box from under his desk and asks if we have heard of Ecollars. I think I know what he is talking about but don’t want it to be the case so I say no. He then asks if we have ever heard of Shock Collars. I blurt out, “Yes, and I refuse to use them!” He reassures me by saying he refuses to use them too. He explains that the collar they use is like the patch a chiropractor puts on you for a pulled muscle. It’s not painful and is more like a pat on the shoulder to the dog.
At this point I have developed a terrible headache so I contribute that to my decision to still continue with setting up the training. I mean, it doesn’t make sense for us to board him for me to learn how to train, plus I won’t be using collars for when I train regardless of how humane he insists they are. I should have walked out right then and there, but instead my husband asks for him to take me on a tour of the facility. He does and it’s clean, organized, and everything about the dogs being boarded are logged. He tells me that pictures and videos will be sent to us during the training. All the right things to reassure me.
We get back to the office and are told that the aggressive dog is being moved through again so it would be best if my husband takes Arlo out to the van while I fill out the paperwork and pay the $500 deposit.
As I’m completing the paperwork I get this overwhelming feeling of wanting to cry. I tell the lady that I feel like a mom sending her child to kindergarten for the first time. She reassures me that he will be a new dog when we pick him up after the holidays. I pay the deposit and get all the paperwork.
Fast forward to 2am. I abruptly jolt awake. My headache now fully gone and a screaming thought in my mind, “DON’T DO IT!” I get up and check on Arlo. Get a drink of water. Lay on the couch to try to fall back to sleep. I can’t. My mind keeps screaming, “DON’T DO IT!” I pace the floor. I tell myself there is nothing I can do until morning so I need to just go back to sleep. I lay back in bed. Nope, the screaming is still there. I sit up and rub my husband’s leg. He wakes up and asks me what’s wrong. I tell him. At first he tells me to go back to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning. I tell him I’ve tried but I can’t. I get up and take a few steps. I collapse to the floor in full tears now. This message is strong, “DON’T DO IT!” I pick myself up and go downstairs to the kitchen. A few minutes later my husband comes down. He realizes the distress I am in and, being the wonderful, understanding husband he is, sits down so we can talk about it now, in the middle of the night.
He heard me out. He agreed that we don’t agree with the trainer at that place that dogs don’t have a long term memory - there are tons of videos of soldiers who return home after being deployed for 6 months to a year and their dog recognizes them with great excitement. He agreed that we don’t agree with the trainer that it’s better to train a dog with correction than with positive affirmations - it might take longer to train with positive affirmations, but it strengths the human/dog bond. And and Ecollar IS a shock collar. They have been shown to cause skin irritation and burns on the dog and even, in a few cases, mental distress.
We made the decision to cancel the training and my husband said he will go back there and see if he can get any of our deposit refunded.
My intuition was trying to tell me all along not to do this and I ignored it. I thought about all the ways it would make it easier on us to do this training and didn’t consider the possible cost to Arlo - not like me at all. Luckily it screamed at me in the middle of night. It ended up costing us $250 but my puppers will get the love filled training every dog deserves even if I have to muddle through for awhile. After the holiday’s I will start looking for positive affirmation trainers that I can learn from.
