I guess everyone has their favourites and least favourites when it comes to alot of things and everyone has their own opinions too. It's what techniques works for you really and making sure that none of them cause any actual harm physically or psychologically to your dogs.

Trainers learn various styles of teaching dogs and you end up compiling what you've learnt into your own system and i think you have some idea when working with these techniques on whether they are effective.

Personally I beleivce she raises awareness that dogs should be trained to behave in an acceptable manner - she says this over and over again in her show.

Does she encourage viewers to try inappropriate behaviour ? Those with little common sense perhaps - IN her book she does talk you through how to identfiy your dogs fear etc etc - so things like what Joedee says abt JRT being scared by air horn - obviously cannot comment on that individual case cos dont know what happened - but I seriously doubt that someone would watch the program and then immediately test it on their dog without identifyng the issue with their dog first. Or if they did then they have themselves to blame.

Im totally with you 100% on this Dani

I like VS, since her TV programmes have started the amount of discussions on forums and in person I have seen/heard is amazing and that in itself is a good thing as it raises the point of being a responsible dog owner, not to mention that a lot of the problems are caused by the owners themselves, there are people out there that didn't even know that trianers/behaviourists even existed and if her program helps even a tiny amount of people with their dogs, which in turn could prevent rescues being filled up even more or dogs being pts then I personally think it's a great thing

I also like the fact that she doesn't just have 1 method of training and that she uses various methods, cause lets face it, not one method works for all dogs and she recognises that

My last comments on this thread is this What you have said is somewhat niave IMHO As fads in "behaviourists on TV have come & gone the resultant problems are brought to dog clubs & people like myself. From Barbara W with the "walkies"& chokers to VS & her "methods"

The couple saw the Air Horn "work"on TV & thought what a good idea & borrowed one. Same with BW using a choker on a Yorkshire Terrier & sending the dog flying through the air. Nothing changes the GP wants a quick fix & programs like VS give them one

Unlike Jo Frost's Nanny programs which show her dealing with the situations with the parents & then the parents alone & how if not done right it doesn't work & then showing how it should be done again & that it isn't a quick fix. Pity the VS programs don't do the same. The one difference being is tha Jo Frost has been dealing with children as a Nanny(& hence like a parent)unlike VS who has of course never owned a dog & uses the trainer trick in that dogs 99.99999% of the time react totally different to a stranger than to their owners-BW used the self same technique all those years ago

Oh Hum I thought people were no longer quite so gullible

You are totally entitled to your opinion Joedee but personally I dont think I am naive or gullible. i have a dog aggressive staffie - he has seen behaviorists who quite frankly made him worse not better as tried to get him to fit a mold rather than work out why he personally was aggressive. I have Vs book which is an in depth variation of the programme in a clear and concise manner. But its working slowly for bruno.

Ok it may be a fad in how long it stays on the telly - however it has also shown that in most instances its the owners at fault - it makes it clear that it doesnt happen overnight ( or I think it does) as it shows Vs going away and coming back and saying that the owners need to have kept up with it - ALSo - the girl with the husky that came on here and explained how it worked obviously knows it works as she has been on the program.

There are always going to be people that see something on the Tv and think that they can do it themselves come hell or highwater- do we then need a disclaimer on every single show saying DO not try this at home ??? Her methods are simple and done in the correct manner they do appear to work.

as for dogs acting differently for strangers - of course they do - but she gets the owners to do it throughout the program. ( as does the supernanny person) they have an update etc - so how is it different from the supernanny ?? same format ...
Shorter program maybe but if they showed you everything it would be boring.

at the end of the day if it stops one dog from being placed in rescue then quite frankly I think it is a good thing,

We all want a quick fix for a problem, it's human nature, VS always states thats it's consistency that is what needed, we also have to remember that the programm is only 30 minutes long, a lot of it will be editied, but at the end of the day the family and pet seem happy - isn't that what it's about ?

Also think about the person who hasn't watched a program like VS's and gives the dog a good beating thinking that'll sort the problem We've all seen that headline too many times

What is the difference between seeing someone on tv training a dog and copying their methods or choosing a training book in a book store and copying the techniques or watching Crufts and seeing the above mentioned lady performing and copying her?

I owned two dogs before Loki but still went out and got some books before we got him but if you take a look around, there are so many to choose from and so many different types of techniques - unless there is just ONE accredited and regulated body that trains ALL of us in one accredited and regulated method, we are all bound to adopt a preferred or demonstrated method.

Dog training/behaviour is very much an evolving subject and opinions are bound to change/differ etc. Look how they have already and there are two totally opposing schools of thought on the dominance theory.

I find it bewildering, looking around at the array of techniques out there and terrified that if I choose the wrong one and get it wrong it might damage my dog for life. So how do we know? Sure there are bodies set up that 'oversee' some methods but it isn't set in stone and how do I know they won't change their minds in a few years and tell me what I've been trying is wrong as with BW and the choke chains?

It is nothing to do with VS's methods but there is a danger with ANY TV dog trainer or any book on dog training that one glove fits all. We see what we think is a similar problem in our own dogs and try to copy it.

But I would still prefer to see some form of public education as with VS, or Dunbar or anyone who promotes gentle training.

well said LS, and absolutely true. I hadn't looked at it from that point of view !!

Well Jodee, I suggest you take up the quotation of "10 years experience as a dog behaviourist" with the programme editors then, if you feel it to be untrue?

May I ask exactly what qualifications you have then since you have been in the business for 40 years, when she has only been in it for 10, and yet you have asked previously what are her qualifications? It seems to me you are far too quick in slamming these people down (you did it with the female vet we were having a discussion on recently!) and I do detect a slight hint of jealousy here, or maybe it might be arrogance? I really can't see why you have to go into such depths of this condemnation of a person, just because you don't particularly like her, or think you know better? If so, I suspect you must have a long list of qualifications under your belt, which gives you the right to contradict her and her methods? After all, they seem to be working, we have seen the evidence, and not only that, we have had the person posting regularly on here who had her to stay for a whole week with their uncontrollable malamute, and she was overwhelmed by her expertise and couldn't praise her enough!

p.s. I have never heard of Mary Ray either But then I'm just a pet owner who knows nothing about how to train my dogs correctly.

It doesn't matter either that she doesn't own a dog herself and has no intention of owning one! My husband doesn't own a Ferrari, but he can tell you how to fix one!

edited to change spelling of malamute (but I think it was a husky anyway!)

to be honest, years of experience and qualifacations mean didldy-squat to me, what matters most to me is their understanding of the problem, how to approach the problem and their clear communication with me and whether I feel comfortable with them and their methods.