This is an observation, and a generalization. At one time I was considered "The New Breed' of dog trainer. Mainly because of my "outside the box' way of thinking and training as it pertains to modern day working dogs, I.e sport/law enforcement. I had and still have the credentials to back it up. Although I really could care a less about what people ever called me or thought of me. To me animal training (yes I said animal not only dog) is like an art. To be more specific it can feel like painting to me. I mostly train alone, (as an artist would paint) I am not real concerned with what the process looks like (because it normally looks bad) Only the outcome and the way it makes me feel....
While trolling social media this morning, it finally hit me. There is a "New NEW Breed" of dog trainers. And boy do they LOVE the internet. More so then actually training, I think anyway.
The modern day dog trainer has 2-3 Instagram pages for their dogs, that have rarely accomplished anything. I have none lol.
The modern day trainer will classify them selves as either "Balanced" or "Force free' or "Reward based' or whatever other little catchy phrase that boxes them in...…strange. When did being a balanced trainer require you to make that your title? They live and die by this like a religion. Refusing to acknowledged that animal training is a "technology" rather then a "philosophy".
The modern trainer loves a good #hashtag under a pic of their dog. Oh, a lot of #hashtags!
The modern trainer loves to talk about the new young one hit wonder on the seminar circuit!!! They go to seminars and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE when an instructor sugar coats and tells them their dogs are great. (Thats a little technique us in the industry sometimes use to retain and get new clients)lol
The modern trainer LOVES to talk about aggression, whether it pertains to working dogs and protection work, or companion dogs with problems. YAWN.......
The modern trainer will participate in many different dog sports, never really achieving anything to mention and then post results of insignificant results on social media, only to gain the praise of uneducated fur baby lovers.
The modern day trainer decides after one year participating in a sport that they would like to become a professional dog trainer. Make a cool website, get T. Shirts made, a business card, and claim to do "IPO, Ring SAR, Agility, etc....while never titling a dog. (I mountain bike, have been for 20 plus years. I even race and have placed respectfully in my division, but I, AM A PRO..not even close. To consider myself one would be making a mockery of the sport)
Last but not least, the modern dog trainer is part of every social media dog related group and will comment on something (normally every hour) they know nothing about. Just to talk and show how much they think they know about dog training.
I never claimed to be the best, and honestly at this point of my life I have found there are more important things in life then dogs. But I still continue down my path, and still embrace every opportunity to learn.
Once again, this is just an observation and generalization. I honestly could not come up with an interesting training topic this morning...so I just decided to let the demons in my head out for a walk on the keyboard......
