Could you show Jordan Shelley another way?
When I heard that Jordan Shelley wanted to speak to me I admit my heart sank. His world must have turned upside down in the last week. Would he blame me for helping to burst the balloon?
But he wasn't ringing up to complain, far from it.
He'd read my latest blog and he wanted to take me up on the offer of being shown other ways training. I say all credit to him for picking himself up and using this unfortunate experience as a positive opportunity to learn and make some new friends.
"Because it is all about the dogs," he explained.
So good behaviour folk, where to start?
I had thought that the media storm would have passed now, but it seems photographers are still hiding in Jordan's bushes and reporters still knocking on his door.
One way or another Jordan's name has become famous and he seemed remarkably philosophiocal about the experience. He regrets not getting more control of the edit and not having it badged 'don't try this at home'. A lot of the shots were out of sequence. Roxy is fine he wanted me to know.
But I don't think there are many 21 year old's who would be so positive after the week he's had, he honestly sounds really excited about meeting new people and widening his knowledge.
Come on dog world, prove me right that you are lovely people and don't just give lip-service to positive and reward based training - click and treat Jordan for asking for your help.
Email me beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk and I'll pass them on.
But he wasn't ringing up to complain, far from it.
He'd read my latest blog and he wanted to take me up on the offer of being shown other ways training. I say all credit to him for picking himself up and using this unfortunate experience as a positive opportunity to learn and make some new friends.
"Because it is all about the dogs," he explained.
So good behaviour folk, where to start?
I had thought that the media storm would have passed now, but it seems photographers are still hiding in Jordan's bushes and reporters still knocking on his door.
One way or another Jordan's name has become famous and he seemed remarkably philosophiocal about the experience. He regrets not getting more control of the edit and not having it badged 'don't try this at home'. A lot of the shots were out of sequence. Roxy is fine he wanted me to know.
But I don't think there are many 21 year old's who would be so positive after the week he's had, he honestly sounds really excited about meeting new people and widening his knowledge.
Come on dog world, prove me right that you are lovely people and don't just give lip-service to positive and reward based training - click and treat Jordan for asking for your help.
Email me beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk and I'll pass them on.
Comments
I believe Iron Mountain Canine had a great offer for him!
Details via www.imdt.uk.com or www.alphadogtrainingschool.co.uk
Steve Mann
IMDT. APDT. MBIPDT
How fantastic!
I can offer for him to sit in on our dog and puppy training classes on the Wirral. They are taught by myself and Erica Peachey, a pioneer of reward-based puppy socialisation classes in the UK. I would also like to offer that he can accompany me to deliver a canine ethology and dog behaviour lecture that I give to Animal Behaviour BSc students in January. Unfortunately I do not see problem behaviour consultations myself at the moment due to my time being taken up in research and studying, but I am sure many members of the APBC would be happy for him to observe them, and I can highly recommend that he contacts Karen Wild in particular.
Best wishes and looking forward to hearing how he gets on.
Dr Carri Westgarth
Full Member of the APBC
I cannot offer much, but he would be more than welcome over on the positively.com/forum that I run, where he can see how we advise people for the safest possible treatment AND most effective treatment of their dogs behaviour problems.
Being net-based we CANNOT give out advice that is in any way risky, and we HAVE to get as full a history as is possible from the owners and help them change their attitudes and the way they do things, to effect a change in their dogs behaviour.
So if he would like to join, under a pseudonym if necessary and pm me on there (username Emmabeth) he will be made more than welcome and we can discuss things and answer any questions he has.
I would be pleased to try and help him understand that reward based training is not just for 'sometimes'.
And I still promise not to put my foot in anyone's mouth (probably)
Anna Osborne
Iron Mountain Canine
www.scallywagsdogs.com
Good luck I am sure you will enjoy learning other methods
Sharon
Large Breed Dog Rescue
But wasn't it his production company ? surely he would have had some input.
Good on ya Jordan :-)
And PLEASE someone teach him why Cesar Millan the twit is NOT to be idolised at all!
He could turn himself around, particularly after being offered all those opportunities since his phone call. However, just like dog training, his learning will not happen overnight.
The problem is that the whole ethos of living with dogs is looked on from the human point of view.
Dogs chose to live with humans, and in doing so, learnt early on that if they wanted to “Fit in and belong”, they had to learn from their humans what was acceptable, and what was not. This is where the problems arise, because like dog’s, there is a vast “type” of humans out there, some with the right balanced upbringing and morals, some without, and as we all know there are no social boundaries for behaviour in humans, be they rich or poor, as the present recession shows us all.
Even those given every chance in life can show disrespect for their actions and the consequences they cause to others with total disregard and oral forethought, if it means they personally gain what they want out of it all.
The two words “Dog Training” should have something in-between, to start bringing together the void that is getting bigger everyday, “Dog Owner Training”
Just as puppies, in those early days of puppy hood, learn from their mothers, and siblings what is appropriate behaviour, and what is not, so human society should also learn, this way. Many do, but in our busy life, we reject our elders, instead of having them within the home, passing on their experience, we send our kids off to nursery, or employ care givers most times the same age as ourselves, and that passed down knowledge gets lost further, will every passing generation.
Just as we humans have to take lessons to “learn” to drive a car, what makes it “tick” how to handle it, what keeps it fit and healthy and running, what to do around other cars, and the “rules” of the road, and just how dangerous that car can be in the “wrong hands” ONLY then can we take a test to prove we have learnt and absorbed all the information, and then “if” we pass that test, we are allowed to drive that car on the road amongst other cars, armed with enough knowledge to hopefully start us on the “right road” for a partnership of constant learning, as different situations arise, like handling on ice, or that new experience of all those cars when motorway driving! How scary!
Although we have all met that driver with no morals, who thinks he or she owns the road, we are at least armed with enough knowledge a maybe experience to handle the situation when it arises.
Not so with Dog ownership, and for the Mothers out there, we all agree that whilst pregnant, we get all the help out there, but once that screaming baby is put in our arms, POOF! They all disappear, and we are left helpless and alone wondering what the hell do we do next?
Many of us reject our Mothers or Mother in laws “advice” and soldier on, after all “Things” have changed and improved since their day, but in all honesty have they?
Twenty years down the line and looking back, many realise they did end up using must of that advice, because it worked.
So one really needs to learn from both the pup with its Mum, and the human with its Mum, just how “BOTH” learn, and in doing so, one will have a better understanding on just how to form a partnership with “man & woman’s” best friend.
And it starts with communication, if you don’t talk to your dog, your dog won’t learn your language and to communicate to you.
As it happens, we had a session with Jordan last year as he was recommended to me when I needed help with my rescue dog. Some of his advice did help.
I think once he gets some help from more experienced trainers, he'll be great :)
Are dogs bilingual? Yep, look at all the languages in the world, and all the dogs in the world.
We on the other hand find it hard to learn languages other than our own, but we have learnt that going to that country and immersing ourselves in that language by listening, watching, and absorbing, not only the spoken word, but the body language, the tone of the voice, and the look on the face’s of those in conversation is the quickest way to learn, because if we want to communicate and survive, we have to!
The same goes for the dog. Take a look around you, especially those of you with puppies, they spend a high majority of their time just watching us, and in doing so, they are learning just how to communicate with us.
As babies and toddlers we learnt from all that was going on around us, we watched Mum or Dad, and we soon learnt what hurt if we got too close under their feet!
Like sitting kids in front of the telly, or with computer games etc, so we can “get on” with our busy overworked lives.
Shutting puppy in a pen, when we are at home, means they don’t get the chance to “People watch” and learn whilst young just what’s expected of them, and in turn, they learn to amuse themselves, and find their own company is more rewarding, so why should they then suddenly be interested in us, just because we suddenly want to be interested in them?
Our child has a “terrible 2’s” paddy, screams and lashing out, or dogs bark incessantly
We tell them both to be quiet,
They get the reaction they wanted
Our attention,
So they learn that next time, they need to try a bit harder……….See?
But if you ignore the bad behaviour, and wait till they have calmed down, and then distract them into something pleasurable,
They both begin to learn that “bad behaviour” gets them no attention, but good behaviour gets them everything!
Dogs learn by example, just as we do,
It’s not just for Dog Owner handling, but a rule for life,
“Treat others the way you want to be treated yourself”
Dogs do understand everything we say, we just have to learn how to say it properly, so we avoid misunderstanding, and misinterpretation.
It’s us humans that really need to learn from dogs!
Many people struggle financially to keep up their education in dog training; I know of people who have taken on debt to get a degree education in behaviour and are skilled and dedicated but simply unable to afford to attend expensive seminars, so in contrast I find offers to people on the merit of their 'having been on telly and gained some notoriety' rather insulting.
With positive training you have to work with the dog you have not the dog you want, every dog is different so advice has to be taylored to that dog. I have learnt a lot on there which my dogs have benefitted from.
Not only are you given advice on what to do but also why you should do it, what your dog is going through etc. so the owner understands WHY.
Well done Jordan for wanting to learn more, Positively is a good place to learn many different ways that have worked.
I also understand the feelings of those who have worked hard and paid to get where they are. It must be galling.
However, because this lad is still newsworthy, I hope he is converted to positive methods. Because that ensuing publicity can only help ensure the wider public are kind to their dogs. For the dogs' sake, it will be worth it.
There are loads of courses I would love to do to further my education, anyone want to pay for those for me?
As for the last Anon post - lots of us explained how to deal with food aggression, its something I will probably explain once a week over on the Positively forums if not more and that is free for anyone to join.
As for owners being 'naive' and allowing things to happen that they possibly feel are not 'quite right' - this happens a lot. Owners perceive the trainer to be a person in authority, someone who can fix their problem, who knows what they are doing, so yes they DO accept what they are told much of the time, even if a voice in their head is screaming 'no'. This is actually a well studied phenomenon called the Milgram Effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
I have watched it now on i player so to Jordan I say I like the fact that he wants to work with breeds like staffies, and work on behaviours like dog on dog aggression. But I am horrifed that he so clearly hopes this will get him a media career rather than a career training and supporting dog owners. By all means Jordan prove us wrong, put in the work, get the experience, you say that you want to keep learning every day. Please go and do so and come back to us with about 7,000 of them under your belt. And yes pay for your development like others have to. Dog training should not be seen as a fast track to B celebrity status. If you want that can I suggest you take up baking.
Philippa
Is that all he's concerned about? No apology or acknowledgement of the huge distress he caused Roxy? And on whose say-so is Roxy fine? We know that Jordan does not, at the moment, have the skills to decide that one way or the other.
And as others have said, what about all the other people out there working hard to pay for and put themselves through recognised courses to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become a good positive trainer? Maybe they should appear on national TV, abuse a dog, defend their position and then when that doesn't work take up all the offers of free courses and support that flood in.
Well done for wanting to change, Jordan, but the cynic in me wonders what would be happening if there hadn't been a national outcry at the hideous treatment of Roxy?
And the ones who deserve the much bigger well done are the many trainers out there who have chosen to spend their hard-earned money and put the time and effort in to educate themselves about dog training and behaviour and not go down the 'dominance' route in the first place. Now that does deserve a click and treat.
Jan Westby Dip CABT, MAPDT 145
Jordan, good for you. Please do go to some of the events offered to you! If you learn from my seminar and can afford to do so, please donate the seminar fee to a dog charity in the UK, or use it to register another dog trainer for a dog-friendly seminar.