Philosophy of My Training Techniques

As I teach my students, I'm observant. Square dogs don't fit into round holes; let your ego go and truly train. Let the dog show you who it is, not who the owner thinks it is. It's easier to teach "Good!" behavior than to modify "NOOO" behavior. Are we smiling, laughing and glad to be learning together? If we're not smiling, we're not training for success.

As I train you and your dogs, I'm adaptive. I'm always ready to adjust my goal for that session; ready to put my dog away if this class isn't productive; willing to skip a group session if some of the teams repeatedly demonstrate behavior I don't want my dog to see (yes! "see"); always remembering I don't feel my best 24/7, so I shouldn't expect my dog to.

As dogs learn from me, they are adequately compensated. In their mind, is the compensation (toy, treat, praise) given for their behavior worthwhile? I don't work for free, so why should they. Are corrections fair? Were they really trained for each, and every piece of the exercise? Did they receive proper signals (verbally and body language) from me to perform successfully? Had they already been trained, practiced and proofed successfully?

As my Coach teaches me, he/she is honest. Is it honest feedback about our session, not just an agreeable comment? Am I being given timely, understandable information? Will my Coach feel pride in our performance? Do lengthy research before you pick your Coach. Driving "a ways" to a seasoned, quality Coach should be considered an investment in your future.

As a Competitor, I'm CHEAP!! Is this entry fee being well spent, am I really ready, or am I here because the show was close to home? Did someone convince me we were ready so they'd have someone to travel with? Have I "tested" here, there, everywhere, before I compete? Do I mentally have an excuse to tell on-lookers why I failed? Have I trained at least one tiny step beyond where I need to, to be able to succeed at this level?

In my prior life I was a Rottweiler. Although housebroke and happy, I felt I was misunderstood, and looked down on. I vowed that in my next life I would work hard to bridge the gap between human and canine communication.

Seriously though, we've all been frustrated over an inability to communicate with friends, relatives, co-workers, etc., even though we speak the same language. Imagine how difficult it would be for a Russian and an American to communicate if they didn't have a root language.

It was obvious to me, upon taking my first several dog obedience classes, that much was lacking. I decided to resolve this communication problem. I studied at Wolf Park Institue of Ethology at Battle Ground, IN (yes, with a pack of wolves). I've spent years reading dog behavior books and magazines, studying videos, and attending seminars and conferences. After all that money and time, what was my conclusion? If you have 100 dog trainers in a room, the only thing they can agree on is that the other 99 dog trainers are doing it wrong.

I needed verification I understood the communication process; so to the Competition Ring I went, being critiqued by impartial Licensed Judges. Hundreds of times I went in the Competition Ring, and won. My Ibizan Hound is the most titled in the world, ever. My German Shepherd won the U.S. German Shepherd National in Obedience and Agility, and missed a perfect score in Temperament Testing by only 1 point. This test included gun fire and whip agitation work. I trained and competed with non-traditional canines (Borzoi, Dalmatian, Ibizan Hound), in Schutzhund, Agility, Obedience, and Confirmation. By using my understanding of human/canine communication, I won. A LOT! I finished in the ribbons (top four highest scores) nearly 90% of the time, again, and again, and again. My dogs and I have finished in the Top Ten at National Level Competition many years in a row.

The consistency between my canine team mates and I was the proof I needed to feel qualified to pursue my communication passion full time. I work with over 500 canine/owner teams every year, each one different and unique . . . yet, perhaps very similar?

Canine Training by Mystic Moon, Inc.
Des Moines Dog Training, and surrounding areas
Tonja Osborn, Owner/Trainer

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515-287-4809

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