Genuine Training Method?

We met a nice family with a fun-filled 21 week old husky/GSD cross (they reckoned about 1/4 GSD).

They'd had a local behaviourist in who took the dog, reassured them that he wouldn't hurt him then, using a slip collar, held the dog firmly in one place allowing the dog to pull and squirm against the collar, hurting himself. The behaviourist told them the dog was doing this to himself and that this action would do away with the young dog's alpha behaviour.

Is this a common form of training?

Well I don't claim to know a lot about dog training but I would'nt have been happy about it if it was my dog. It is only 21 weeks old, just a pup and alpha behaviour exhibited at this age I would find hard to swallow. I think there is a bit too much blamed on 'alpha behaviour' and I can't see this helping him to be honest, just my opinion, I'm sure someone will be along to correct me if I'm wrong

String him up and shoot him.. No on 2nd thoughts.. hold him down and make him squirm first!!!!!!

What a stupid person!

I wouldn't let him near a goldfish

Alpha behavior? At 21 weeks? That pup could do permanent damage to his cervical spine! The morons that go around calling themselves "dog trainers" Thats barbaric.

I'm glad it wasn't just me who found this unpleasant. It worries me how there seem to be so many different methods and beliefs - how on earth do you know who to choose if you want a 'profressional' in? This behaviourist came recommended by another trainer who only believes in positive reinforcement and who is heavily against slip collars and who thinks the alpha thing is nonsense. She obviously doesn't know about his methods.

I think that is barbaric, training should be a positive experience, especially in a pup. Poor thing.
Becky

Training should always be a positive experience! You choose a trainer by being very critical, and you make sure they only use positive, reward based methods. If they start telling you that you have to show your dog that you are the boss, being dominant over them, use choke chains - prong collars - electric collars, you show them the door fast!

Sounds like a quick lesson on how to make a young dog fearful of men <sigh>

Strangling a dog on, what is no more than a noose, is, in my opinion, abuse not training. How can the dog be strangling himself, when there is a person at the other end of the noose holding on making sure there is no means of escape?

This sounds barbaric . Were they having problems with the puppy, at that age it sounds like a sledge hammer to crack a nut to me.That age is such a vital one for relationships. They will probably have twice as much work now to help the dog get over this.

Poor dog. Stupid trainer. Anyone can set themselves up as a dog trainer...it cuases so many problems.