First couple of dogs sort of trained myself I can remember watching Barbra Woodhouse on TV

I had a wake-up call when Chole (cross-bred) came into our lives to literary eat us out of home and pull us like a steam traing down the road That when I sought a trainer who could train me I learnt so much from him in a very short time, and I used to love watching get the best out of chole...

I've been working in a Kennel now for around 18 months when needed... This has given my greater insight and undestanding of dogs, how to handle some of the most awkward and ill mannered hounds, as well as working with Labs from Lab rescue...

This did help me when looking for a rescue dog, being able to pick up character a lot easier and what would suit us as a family... But I've still enlisted the help of a behaviourist/trainer and yes I will be going to obedience class, I'm also hoping to find a activity that Jones enjoys and perhaps in time take on another dog, hopefully a GSD rescue...

47 years owning dogs.

21 years working with them

Tilly (my first dog) and Dogsey members (you know who you are!!) are teaching me as we go

Its a constant learning
I would say (if it dosent sound to daft) my first thing was prob reading 'black beauty' as a kid - I learnt about positive training and empithy from that (without knowing it)
and as a child people were much more open to teaching you things - like how to approach a dog and things

Then watching TV and hearing all about the pack theory stuff
Then on forums learning things

then watching and learning from my dogs and all the other dogs I see every day - deff the best teachers - like when I 1st got Ben as a tiny puppy I had been told I had to always eat before him - so I was eating 5 times a day - and I realised it was daft - I stopped - and Ben didnt take over the world

Now I am buying lots of books, reading lots on the internet and doing a diploma

But I am taking everything with a pinch of salt, noone knows everything, noone can read a dogs mind so if it seems cruel, daft pointless or dosent make sense then I dismiss it - too many experts out there who think they have the magic to dog training when in reality I think we just make it too difficult when its pretty simple really

I think I am learning all the time still, never read a book on dog training (not that I think there is anything wrong with people that do, but I think it is written by people who are still learning to, as does anyone ever know everything about dogs??) My whole life I have been around animals, and have always been interested in them. First is was horses and then it was horses and dogs.
You make mistakes with them, and learn and you try something a different way and learn, just always learning

I started (possibly mistakenly) by learning from TV programmes (like Dog Borstal and It's Me Or The Dog). That was before we got a dog.

Then I learned a bit from the behaviourist and the trainer at Dog's Trust, by reading a couple of books and reading different views on forums.

I also learnt a lot from fostering.

I think though, dogs are so individual that there is no one remedy that will work for all dogs. I've found the best way to go is partly on instinct and partly trying out different methods and seeing what works best. Just because something worked for one dog, doesn't mean it works for another dog.

I've been around dogs all my life, our first dog was the same age as me so we grew up together. Once I was old enough to start playing out on the street, I took the dog with me most of the time and we'd go up over the fields (looking back, I was really silly because I was a kid alone in very lonely places so i'm surprised I lived to tell the tale).

I had dog books galore and from a very early age, new most dog breeds off by heart. I'm very much an observer in life so picked up alot about dogs from watching them, sussing them out.

Once I left home and got 3 of my own, I went to training classes (obedience, gundog and agility), looked up various things on the internet, bought books etc so thats how I learnt.

Gosh when did I start let alone how did I start.

My family had two cross-breeds when I was young & when the last one died, my Dad, who had always wanted a GSD since seeing them in action during WWII, went out & bought a bitch puppy from the local"top"kennels-big mistake-Suzie had been line bred & in-bred to CH Avon Prince of Alumvale, a badly coloured paled, excessive nervous top stud of the day, as a result Suzie was also very nervous & fear aggressive.

Obviously she needed to be trained & as a result we as a family joined the then BAA(British Alsatian Association)to try to learn how to control her. I had always loved being with the dogs & some of the trainers & members of the branch, had well trained dogs that I was allowed to"train"(well they trained me more than me them)under strict supervision. I was bitten by the GSD bug(not the English bred dogs, but some imported dogs that I met)& started saving up to buy my first dog from a good breeder.

When I was nearly 8 I had enough saved up to get my first dog & Tina was acquired from Gwen Barrington in Ireland & she cost me 8 gns(£8 for her & 8 s for the carriage via ferry & train).

I trained Tina from scratch, under the watchful eyes of some real"dogmen/women"who had a natural way with dogs.

Suzie was PTS after attacking my brother in an unprovoked attack.

From being allowed to handle well trained dogs I've been on a 53 year learning curve, along the way learning from some very talented & natural trainers, from shepherds & farmers & I've never actually read a book with a view to learning theories on dog behaviour, but spoken to loads of people & spent many hours watching dog behaviour in more situtations than I care to remember.

My involvement with actual dog training with other people & their dogs has been ongoing since I was 14 & my failures(with people far more than dogs)often saddens me. I don't believe in any one "special"cure all method, more like a jumble(in my mind)of so many bits of knowledge & experience acquired over the years.

When I have read books on dog behaviour I try to do so with a very open mind, but have to admit there is an awful lot of dross(mainly the dominance is all enthusiasts)out there, but there are some very sound books & other information out there.

IMHO there is no substitute for hands on experience & no book learning can ever replace it.

I think I've learned more from Dale than anyone.
Before Dale I'd been around a good training club and read a few books so I thought I knew a bit.
Once Dale arrived I realised how much there is to learn. Now I've met more trainers and I think you learn something from everyone,( even if its what not to do) read more books and found dogsey I also found the holiday week at Wag More was great. Kay Lawrence really showed how much can be achieved by only using positive methods.

I had a dog from when I was about 2 years old. Then friends also had dogs I used to walk as a child (I wouldn't let a child do it now, how things change! ). Then I moved in to a shared house with a male rot x GSD, when I moved out I really missed being around dogs and then I found one and that was it. I had to have one again!! So then I got Miss B 6 years ago.

About a year after getting her I made friends with somebody who also did training and behaviour and was a member of COAPE. (and has a soft spot for staffs so I knew we'd get on ) Through her I met other trainers and behaviourists, went up to a rescue quite a bit and learnt about the dogs they had there, (first time I'd ever seen a dog needing to be walked by two people lol) and then I started thinking 'I really enjoy learning about this stuff, and working with dogs. Why not study animal behaviour?' and that's where I'm at now.

I've always been someone that doesn't like to 'blag' so I read about dogs, and watch dogs, and read and watch......

I try to go to as many workshops and seminars by respected and knowledgable speakers as possible and I really enjoy all the different viewpoints you get from ultra scientific, to more intuitive and emotional.

This weekend workshop I just went on was great, and it was fantastic to be around to many people who know so much. Lets hope they share the knowledge and mentor me!

I think you should read scientific studies and research papers, so that you can be as informed as possible in your opinions, and that the advice you give clients is based on facts and isn't anecdotal.