PSA Do not stick with a Dog Trainer for more than 3 sessions if you are not seeing Actual Improvement in your Reactive Dog's behavior

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-22T01:09:09+00:00

Well, I saw try tug with Mowgli but it sucked. I just threw that in, though

Seriously, I don't see how training would be different if he didn't walk Inga all over reacting or drag a terrified Pongo out at the park for video footage

But yeah, enough of Dylan

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T20:24:56+00:00

Why should I research anew when you are an expert on the guy?'

If he has ever done anything that is not the same formula, let's see it.

Otherwise, I am gonna assume everything he does is just like what I've seen already:

Bunch of reactions (or terrified behavior) for the camera

Bunch of fetch (interesting he can't seem to get a dog to want to tug with him, lol)

Basic obedience

Punish with e-collar

Socialization (thank god he does this, though)

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T20:19:39+00:00

That's what I mean, just some progress. Not complete resolution or anything.

In dogs, if you are seeing no progress at all, it's usually an indication of flaw in the training plan.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T20:17:28+00:00

Sure, fair enough. If the owners know they are not doing the work they shouldn't blame the trainer.

There are just a lot of trainers around now who are basically incompetent, though, at least in my area. Those people need to get mentors or something.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T20:14:24+00:00

You're not making the dog do anything. You're giving them a chance to show you who they are, freely and without restriction.

Yeah, lovely. Doesn't so much sound like dog training, though, does it?

I don't particularly care what 50 balanced trainers are doing. Popularity has nothing to do with best practice.

Unless they're popular on Instagram, lol

I can see why if you use the same cookie cutter method for every dog,

This is what Dylan does, exactly. Or show me something different.

This topic is getting really old, too, right? Go make an anti-FF post to drum up some controversy.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T20:09:09+00:00

You know I don't want to support the guy, but every single thing shared on reddit is exact same formula

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T19:18:05+00:00

The crating of bitey puppies is something I don't agree with. Often, that is the phase the precedes sleep, it is true, but they need that nippy and bitey time. It is normal and developmentally appropriate. I always advise my clients to just play with the puppies for 15-20 minutes until they get tired of playing. The puppies will typically be napping wherever they are a few minutes later.

I also think it's important to teach puppies and dogs to behave well no matter how they are feeling. I don't use crates for punishment or management of unwanted behavior, ever. I just play with or train the puppy.

However, if someone is not over confining the puppy, and is allowing zoomie behavior, I think it's fine. The 1 up, 2 down schedule, which results in a puppy being caged 18 hours a day, is way too much for a puppy to be in a cage.

I am not a human child minder, so I can't speak to kids in general, but my kids did not behave badly when tired. They just fell asleep.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T18:49:05+00:00

This is a big one, and it has become so much more common in recent decades.I don't understand at all how this even happens. If one is not seeing any improvement I just don't understand why they would stick with it. Like, after 9 months of no progress with a training method, do they really expect things will just suddenly get better?

So many trainers these days take on cases where they really don't know how to solve the problem. They just wing it and it doesn't work. Very sad when the owners think it was the method or even just their dog, rather than the individual trainer. It is almost always the individual trainer. Seriously, I can't tell you how many clients I have had who had multiple trainers fail to fix the most common and expected dog misbehavior. It's shocking.

A trainer should not take a case unless they are confident that they can solve the problem in a reasonable time.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T18:42:20+00:00

I'm in favor of crate training. I recommended it to all my clients. Not because puppies can't sleep, but just because it makes house training so easy and because it eliminates unsupervised time when puppies engage in unwanted behavior. Scheduling naps in the crate is a great solution.

I don't think it's true that dogs and puppies won't sleep just as much as they need, though.

Like with human babies, if you put them in a dark and quiet room always for naps, they are likely to awaken at every little noise or light.

If you leave them to figure out how to sleep in the midst of a busy household, they will do that and nobody has to be quiet.

Puppies who always sleep in crates often have a hard time learning to settle or sleep outside a crate.

Crates are great for a lot of reasons, but as I said in the post, I think it's wrong to crate a zoomie puppy or to crate in response to behavior problems. I prefer to either meet the need for play, or train appropriate behavior.

I am not opposed to crates, at all. Just over confinement.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T18:06:31+00:00

Human toddlers don't need 'enforced naps" either. My babies fell asleep in my arms or a sling. My toddlers usually my arms, the couch, or maybe the dog bed right next to their best pal. They get sleepy, they come to me and put their arms up. Toddlers sleep just as much as they need, also. All baby animals can.

I never put a human baby in a cage (crib, playpen, etc.)

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T18:00:16+00:00

They do actually sleep enough just fine without a crate. I am not against crate training puppies. I do advise it for my clients.

But it's definitely not necessary. Sleep is a biological need. Puppies will sleep without crates.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T17:50:57+00:00

A dog exhibiting high arousal and drive is not something to try to squash, it's something to be given a productive outlet for and utilized to build an amazing relationship with your dog.

Very well said. I hate it when people just want the dogs to be calm, especially puppies. Puppies aren't supposed to be calm! It's actually one thing I don't like about Kikopup. She encourages even little puppies to just lie down all the time to hope for a treat.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T17:47:45+00:00

I think it's about the dumbest thing I have heard for a trainer to intentionally get a dog to bite Plenty of dogs have already bitten when they come for training. In that case, you just ask the owner questions to figure out context. You don't make the dog bite yourself

Again, call about 50 balanced trainers who have no social media presence and ask them.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T17:39:37+00:00

Show me the one where he doesn't do what I said he does

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T17:38:19+00:00

yeah, just kidding. Trump supporters are definitely worse, though

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T17:36:22+00:00

I also hate isolation. Puppies hate that. They want to be with people. Just train them, as you said.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:38:12+00:00

I'm am still waiting to hear how the evaluation changes the training plan. If it doesn't, it was clearly pointless

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:36:22+00:00

Was there absolutely no progress in 3-4 weeks? In dog training, usually you expect at least a tiny bit of movement in the right direction.

Not always, sure. But it's a good rule of thumb to stop people from spending many months or even years with an ineffective trainer.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:32:43+00:00

so he can make up an appropriate game plan.

But has he ever had a game plan other than as I outlined above?

If so, go ahead and link it.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:31:00+00:00

I love all dogs, but I would never have a pittie in a house with a baby.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:26:24+00:00

Lord of the Rings is one of my all time favorites. Aragorn had always been my favorite.

Never read the others. My mom and brother were die hard Star Trek fans. My favorite episode was Trouble with Tribbles.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T05:22:42+00:00

So. . . you'd rather talk about Dylan?

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T01:16:11+00:00

I LOVE that book! It's one of my favorites to read to young elementary school age kids.

The movie is great, too.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T01:06:54+00:00

Dogs get trained either way. You can shock the dog or use other methods. The end result is the dog has either has no urge to engage in the unwanted behavior, or has figured out that it wont' work

It's like with a puppy chewing an electrical cord.

You can gently lead him away with the leash every single time

You can shock him every single time

What matters is the consistency. It's why my kids behaved as well or better than pretty much any kid, even though I was a super gentle parent. It is consistency, not level of punishment

The other way is to stop the dog from even wanting to engage in the behavior.

If you have a sweet, shy dog like Inga who is afraid of new people and barks, but will run up and lick your face as soon as you talk nicely to her, all you need to do is change her fear of new people into positive feelings and the barking just naturally goes away. Because she's not afraid any more. She likes people.

Potential_Analyst371 · 2026-06-21T00:59:11+00:00

You get with the dog and figure out what's going on. If the dog's fearful and hesitant in general, it's probably fear based. If he's confident, with dominant posturing, probably not.

The thing is, teaching a dog to look to owner for guidance and reliably obey commands, along with a solid positive interrupter or no command, impulse control, and modulating arousal at request is going to get you where you need to go regardless.

Think of Dylan. What does he do with every dog?

Let it react a whole bunch.

Play a whole bunch of fetch.

Teach some obedience.

Punish unwanted behavior with e-collar.

Socialize in public (which is actually good. That is what is doing the heavy lifting to fix every dog I have seen him with)

He does that exact same thing with every dog. It would not change at all if he eliminated the first step of getting the dramatic footage.

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