http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog Yellowstone Valley Virtual Dog Park Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:14:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=185#comment-32 luvmydogs Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:44:42 +0000 http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=185#comment-32 Interesting, but perhaps you should look a little further into Bark Busters. Positive Reinforcement happens to be a HUGE part of their training method. You might be interested to know that Bark Busters saved my dog’s life. I have (what used to be) an aggressive Labrador Retriever. My dog had issues like Barking in the yard at the neighbors dog, rushing the front door and jumping on guests, and the dog bit a family friend in the face and gave her a gash that required 150 stitches. I employed the services of an ADPT (the organization founded by your beloved Dr. Dunbar) trainer. We worked together for a month…I was diligent with my follow-up training. After little progress, the trainer became frustrated with the dog and said she was too exuberant and should be medicated. Oh, and he also wanted to put a prong collar on the dog…so much for positive reinforcement… I employed trainer #2…again ADPT certified. During the first lesson the trainer became frustrated because she could not get my dog to stop barking at the fence using ‘positive reinforcement’, so she grabbed the dog by the front legs, lifted it off the ground and yelled in its face…is this what Dr. Dunbar and ADPT considers positive reinforcement? I dismissed her immediately. As she left she told me, ‘if the dog bit your friend you should have it euthanized anyway’. Finally I employed Bark Busters. The trainer was extremely personable and professional. He took a lot of time explaining dog psychology, behavior and communication with me before we started working with the dog. The method does include correction. It is FIRM, but it’s very FAIR and it’s never PHYSICAL. At no point did Bark Busters ask me to scare or intimidate my dog, or to use discomfort or pain to correct my dog. My dog was calm and focused during the entire training session. I could literally SEE her learning from me. Positive reinforcement is a HUGE part of Bark Busters training which helped me teach my dog acceptable behaviors. My friends can’t believe the difference – they think she’s a different dog. The results were amazing and the relationship my family now has with our dog is 100x better than ever. Our neighbor used our Bark Busters on our recommendation, and they recommended Bark Busters to their son who lives in another state. Each of us has experienced the same amazing results. Bark Busters works with no yelling, no prong collar, no medication, nothing physical and certainly no suggestion to euthanize. Does ‘treat training’ and strictly positive reinforcement methods work for some dogs?...sure. But when it fails, those trainers have proven to abandon the beliefs you indicate Dr. Dunbar so extensively preaches…perhaps he is just a bit too cerebral and overcomplicates the human/dog bond. Bark Busters is simple…my dog ‘gets it’…it’s effective…and it DOES rely heavily on Positive Reinforcement as an integral part of dog training. Don’t take my word for it, check out the THOUSANDS of customer testimonials available on their website. We will be eternally grateful to Bark Busters. Interesting, but perhaps you should look a little further into Bark Busters. Positive Reinforcement happens to be a HUGE part of their training method. You might be interested to know that Bark Busters saved my dog’s life.
I have (what used to be) an aggressive Labrador Retriever. My dog had issues like Barking in the yard at the neighbors dog, rushing the front door and jumping on guests, and the dog bit a family friend in the face and gave her a gash that required 150 stitches.
I employed the services of an ADPT (the organization founded by your beloved Dr. Dunbar) trainer. We worked together for a month…I was diligent with my follow-up training. After little progress, the trainer became frustrated with the dog and said she was too exuberant and should be medicated. Oh, and he also wanted to put a prong collar on the dog…so much for positive reinforcement…
I employed trainer #2…again ADPT certified. During the first lesson the trainer became frustrated because she could not get my dog to stop barking at the fence using ‘positive reinforcement’, so she grabbed the dog by the front legs, lifted it off the ground and yelled in its face…is this what Dr. Dunbar and ADPT considers positive reinforcement? I dismissed her immediately. As she left she told me, ‘if the dog bit your friend you should have it euthanized anyway’.
Finally I employed Bark Busters. The trainer was extremely personable and professional. He took a lot of time explaining dog psychology, behavior and communication with me before we started working with the dog. The method does include correction. It is FIRM, but it’s very FAIR and it’s never PHYSICAL. At no point did Bark Busters ask me to scare or intimidate my dog, or to use discomfort or pain to correct my dog. My dog was calm and focused during the entire training session. I could literally SEE her learning from me. Positive reinforcement is a HUGE part of Bark Busters training which helped me teach my dog acceptable behaviors. My friends can’t believe the difference – they think she’s a different dog. The results were amazing and the relationship my family now has with our dog is 100x better than ever.
Our neighbor used our Bark Busters on our recommendation, and they recommended Bark Busters to their son who lives in another state. Each of us has experienced the same amazing results. Bark Busters works with no yelling, no prong collar, no medication, nothing physical and certainly no suggestion to euthanize.
Does ‘treat training’ and strictly positive reinforcement methods work for some dogs?…sure. But when it fails, those trainers have proven to abandon the beliefs you indicate Dr. Dunbar so extensively preaches…perhaps he is just a bit too cerebral and overcomplicates the human/dog bond.
Bark Busters is simple…my dog ‘gets it’…it’s effective…and it DOES rely heavily on Positive Reinforcement as an integral part of dog training.
Don’t take my word for it, check out the THOUSANDS of customer testimonials available on their website.
We will be eternally grateful to Bark Busters.

]]> http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-26 atossell Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:27:57 +0000 http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-26 Hello Admin! Long time! Thanks for your comment. Stafford's poem captures what is sublime about being bonded with a dog without getting all syrupy. I know some people who never got to touch that other half of the universe, and I feel badly for them. Stafford's last line about looking in the fire and seeing time going on is priceless! Great site, BTW. :-) Hello Admin! Long time! Thanks for your comment. Stafford’s poem captures what is sublime about being bonded with a dog without getting all syrupy. I know some people who never got to touch that other half of the universe, and I feel badly for them. Stafford’s last line about looking in the fire and seeing time going on is priceless! Great site, BTW.

]]> http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-20 admin Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:29:51 +0000 http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-20 <p>Hi A! I googled "heart dog" and got references to the rainbow bridge, I would guess "Heart Dog" is shorthand for where your late great dog resides now...in your heart. Did you like Stafford's poem?</p> Hi A! I googled “heart dog” and got references to the rainbow bridge, I would guess “Heart Dog” is shorthand for where your late great dog resides now…in your heart. Did you like Stafford’s poem?

]]> http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-18 atossell Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:15:04 +0000 http://www.yvlostpets.com/blog/?p=153#comment-18 This is very touching and expresses my sentiments better than I could. Can someone explain to this non-local dog person the reference to "Heart Dog at the Bridge"? Thanks. This is very touching and expresses my sentiments better than I could. Can someone explain to this non-local dog person the reference to “Heart Dog at the Bridge”? Thanks.

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