How does one pick a good behaviorist?

Question

I need to see a behaviorist for aggressiveness problem. My Vet clinic recommended me one. We have a appointment on Tuesday. Our first appointment will be an evaluation of my dog, this will last 1 hour. Then each visit will also be 1 hour. He says most problems can be solved in 2-3 visits.

Isn't long for a dog ? During our training (with a different trainer) we never did it more then 30 minutes and even then the last 10 minutes were very demanding on him.

One more thing. He said he is using a 'reward' method. Nothing negative and in worse cases he will medicate the dog.

Answer 1

Jane..you knew I was going to say this, but, you are wasting money!!

I am very curious as to how he/she/it will solve this issues of yours, please keep us up dated!!

Answer 2

Go to Animal Planet.com

                              

                          Contact them and ask for Victoria Stiwell

Answer 3

Its always an outstanding idea to just chuck chickens at a dog that is having aggression issues.  Sure, reward the dog for not biting.  Good idea.

You find a good behaviorist generally by word of mouth.  Ask him for references.

Of course, there is always the option of studying how best to train a dog and then buying a dog with a stable temperament from a good breeder so you don't end up having to attempt to problem solve.  

I have a bit of a jaundiced view of "reward" training.  It seems to work best for dogs who are not having issues and for training tricks.  

Answer 4

Since it sounds like your "behaviorist" is a one-trick pony (all reward, nothing negative, drug the dog) I'd say he already has a few strikes against him.  

A good behaviorist/trainer will have the willingness and ability to use whatever tools required to deal with the issue.  You find a good one by contacting training facilities since they are the people who see the worst of the worst dogs.. or, as another poster commented, by word of mouth.

Since I have no clue what your "aggressiveness" problem is, I can't offer advice or tell you whether I think rewarding the dog for NOT acting out will help.  I will say, from years of experience, it is VERY difficult to reward a dog for NOT doing something and have it become part of the dog's way of being.

Please remember- normal dogs do what works for them.  If your dog is normal and simply has a training issue, making the behavior not worth the dog's while is your best approach.  

Answer 5

I don't think your trainer will be very helpful. He will probably try using treats to make your dog sit, lie down and come. He won't say NO as it will probably hurt the dogs feelings. Then he will say your dog is hopeless and either use drugs (that your dog will be on for life) or tell you to put the dog down. All this will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

You need to find a behaviourist that will work with you and the dog to get you in control or the dog. This may mean that you are not using rewards for everything. You should become the leader of your pack. Once you are the leader, your dog will realize that it doesn't need to protect you.

I recommend Brad Pattison. He has a show called At The End Of My Leash. His Website is http://www.bradpattison.com. He is very good. He doesn't use treats or harsh methods. Just a martingale collar and 6ft leash.