Nosy trainer!!!...I lost my "cool!"...I struggle w/ "long story short!"

[bomary]

I'd report her to corporate. You are there as a customer trying to purchase a collar. I would have asked her 'Why do you sell these collars if they hurt dogs? Maybe you should take it up with your manager. In fact let's both go talk to your manager about it".

I wish I had the poise to have done that! The manager is going to be very disappointed when I do go tell him. He has no clue what my name is, but he loves my Jaxie Boy. He greets him by name and takes his leash to walk him when I come in...lets Jax kiss all over him. I told him I think Jax's crates might not be tall enough (not sure), and though he knows I've had them for three months, he told me to just fold one up and he'd find a box for it and give me the next bigger one (plus the difference in price.) He wants to "dog sit" for me, but I told him I won't be away from my guy for a whole night for a while yet!
I will definitely go up there this weekend...I just needed a "cooling off period!" One of these days maybe I'll be mature enough not to explode at things like this....but I'm 43, so I kind of doubt it!

 

[MyBuddy]

As I walked off, the male customer commented on how pretty Jax is : ), and the trainer said "Dobermans are beautiful and they are great dogs, but she...." I just pretended not to hear and went on (biting my tongue, but knowing it would be futile to "engage.") I got to the checkout where the whole group was still assembled. I was in a hurry because it was getting close to my baby's dinner time, and I wanted to get home to try the posting technique that I read about here. From ten feet away, with the "group," other customers, and the cashier listening, she said, "So why did you go to that collar?"

I probably would have said, "Are you ing deaf? I told you THREE times already! I'm not going to explain it again!" She was really trying to intimate you by saying that in front of the other people. I would have turned it around on her! But I totally get being caught off guard.

I'm not your moms age yet but darn close and I totally get the strength of a Doberman! I think it's great that you are concerned about her size and strength. The prong collar is a wonderful tool and with the help of your trainer, it will be one of your more useful training tools. Good luck and Welcome to Doberman-Chat!!

 

[Drogon]

! I really wanted to wait until my boy was 6 months to learn to use the prong, but it seemed like he had a major growth spurt overnig

For what it is worth, the private trainer I have for obedience in Ring Sport started my pup off with a prong day 1 and I think he was only 4.5 - 5 months old. He is a big boy but he wasn't back then only 40/50 lbs.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I would certainly order from herm sprenger they have good quality prongs and it shows when you go to take it off its really easy. I do not like the ones they sell at petco or petsmart they aren't good, very cheap and the ends of the prongs are flat and I don't like that at all. With the herm sprenger collars they have nice round edges and you can just tell the difference in the quality of the collar. I deterred that couple at petco from buying one of their prongs and told them where to order and I'm glad they listened. If you'd like I can get you the link. You'll certainly have no problems pinching him with these collars when you go to take it off or put it on. It's ok if the collar slides down the neck a little bit you don't want it to be to tight.
Here's a older pic of my guy and I'm sure there is a thread in here on how to properly fit one but as you can see I use the small prongs.

Now, since I don't use a prong collar on a regular basis at all, let me ask: Do you flip it inside-out to put it on, then flip it right-side-out once it's on their neck? Then reverse the procedure to remove it. That's what I've done.

 

[AresMyDobie]

Now, since I don't use a prong collar on a regular basis at all, let me ask: Do you flip it inside-out to put it on, then flip it right-side-out once it's on their neck? Then reverse the procedure to remove it. That's what I've done.

Nope I undo it from the "master key" and put it on. Lol

 

[bomary]

This is a 'funny' coincidence because collars have been on my mind all day. I'm a leader and dog trainer in a 4H club for the past 8 years. Last night there was an incident where Dog1 got loose, got in the face of Dog2, and the adult parent handling Dog2 got bit by her own dog. Dog1 and the parent have been a headache for me ever since the 4H year started in late September because Dog1 parent just doesn't get the picture about controlling dogs. She buys collars too big and Dog1 slips out of them. Every new collar, I point out why it is too big, and the next dog training session, Dog1 comes back with a new collar that is still too big even when adjusted to the smallest size. (I also had problems with her about leashes.)

After the meeting, I gave my standard demonstration of a prong collar because she went to a pet store and the clerk told her how prong collars torture the dog. I put one of my dogs prong collars with a short tab on it looped over my forearm. I then yank down on the tab with the same amount of force I use on my dogs to demonstrate that the prong collar neither hurts nor injures my forearm, although I do admit I feel it. We then put the prong collar on Dog1 and the dog was under control for the few minutes we let her use it. Then she starts telling me she can't use the prong collar because her dog doesn't like it! Duh, he's no longer the boss!

Your private trainer sounds very sensible to me. The best quality obedience equipment isn't usually found in pet stores anyway, and I usually buy online. I agree that the Sprenger collars are among the best.

Please do whatever you can to make sure your mother doesn't get hurt. I'm also on the board of a home health care agency and know very well how a minor accident can radically alter the life of the elderly.

That is precious of you to be concerned about my Mom, and she truly is the only reason I went to a prong. I was determined to just work through the pulling on the flat collar. My Mom would be mortified if she knew that I put that she is 75 and tiny on here!! (She HATES for people to think she's "fragile!" She's still teaching middle school algebra with no talk of leaving any time soon...that's tough!!) She's a little pistol and thinks she's 40..she lives on 1/2 acre and still mows it herself (on a push mower!!) However, I moved back up here because she lives by herself and her house is so big I worried constantly about her...I live with my Mom!!..oh well...I love that lady. I said earlier "Jax is my world;" actually Jax AND Mom would be a more accurate description! What is so adorable to me is that my Mom is NOT an animal person. I took a picture of her and Jax together and sent it to my Dad (Doberman lover), and he scarcely commented on Jax at first...he was astonished that Mom was allowing a dog in her home!! He said, "Wow, I wonder if we were still married (they've been divorced for 35 years) if she would allow a beer in the home now...!" She is IN LOVE with him. I was steadfast about him not being on the furniture...came home one day to find her on the couch with his head in her lap...I said, "Mother, what is happening here?!" She said, "Well he just looked so comfortable and cute. He's peaceful and he's not hurting anything....I thought just this once was okay..." He now has his "own" chair. My brother and sisters are shocked that she not only lets him live in the house, but that she absolutely loves that baby. We all agree that it is surprising but he is a great thing for her. (My sister and triplet nieces moved out of state and it made her very sad. He is not a replacement, but she really enjoys having a baby to dote on!)
Thank you again for your concern...very sweet.

 

[JanS]

Do you flip it inside-out to put it on, then flip it right-side-out once it's on their neck? Then reverse the procedure to remove it. That's what I've done.

I do that with the Lola collars, but with the regular prong I just open one link and put it on like any other collars. A properly fitted prong would never fit over their heads, unless you have the kind with the other type of opening that can be adjusted after it's on.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I do that with the Lola collars, but with the regular prong I just open one link and put it on like any other collars. A properly fitted prong would never fit over their heads, unless you have the kind with the other type of opening that can be adjusted after it's on.

Ah good info. Well, it might fit over Oji's little head

No, wait. That doesn't make sense, as his neck is proportionately small too.

 

[Prushanks]

For what it is worth, the private trainer I have for obedience in Ring Sport started my pup off with a prong day 1 and I think he was only 4.5 - 5 months old. He is a big boy but he wasn't back then only 40/50 lbs.

Same here, I started using a prong -for walking only- a month ago [my girl is 5 months now] and have absolutely no qualms about doing so. The positive change was immediate and HUGE. Used and fit properly, the prong collar is a fantastic and humane tool. I've always used prongs with my previous dogs with great and immediate success and thank goodness it was invented!!! [We don't use it with Tank of course because he has specific equipment he was trained with].
For the record that horrible "pet store trainer" should absolutely be reported [if not get a smackdown out back in the ally ] ... WHAT is it lately with these kind of wackos mistreating our DCF friends?! GRRR!!!

 

[WiglWerm]

I would go see the manager, in PERSON and let him know HOW you were treated!!!! Get results or go above their heads!!! That is RIDICULOUS!!!!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I would go see the manager, in PERSON and let him know HOW you were treated!!!! Get results or go above their heads!!! That is RIDICULOUS!!!!

Agreed. I don't tolerate disrespect from employees of places I'm spending my money. Yeah, anyone can have a bad day, and I give them some leeway, but at a certain point, I stand on principle.

 

[GennyB]

This is simply my opinion. Petco/Petsmart, any big box store really are not the place to go for dog training. Anyone can be a trainer, you just walk in off the street and say I wanna be a dog trainer. There is no experience required, they'll train you. You simply take a course and then call yourself a dog trainer. Is this a good start? Perhaps if you as an owner uses it as the op did, more practice skills and socialize.
The trainers are given minimal information on one type of training and think they are experts. We all know that one thing doesn't work for all dogs. IMHO, it takes years of working with different dogs using different methods to call yourself a dog trainer.
It can be a challenge to find a good trainer, sometimes you have to work with more than one to find the one that works.
To the op, I would continue to work with a trainer and not go back to this store until your dog is very well trained. Then go back and practice right in front of this "trainer". She may not say anything to you, but she will know what your point is.
Nothing like a well trained to make a point.

 

[bomary]

Update...
Okay, do not judge me!! This is awful but it's a bit funny as well. Jax and I went to the vet Saturday for shots. He has an iron stomach and has never reacted badly to medication/shots/even surgery, so I thought nothing of taking him up to Petsmart to speak with the manager about the "Nosy Trainer!" It didn't even cross my mind that he would get the poops. He is like clockwork and has been since the second week I had him.
The manager that I wanted to speak to (the one who knows and loves Jax) wasn't there, so an employee (who also knows and loves Jax) told me he would go get an assistant manager. I just strolled around waiting. We were in the COLLAR aisle (yes, with the cruel prongs) just practicing some commands. I had him sit and stay while I looked at a couple of leashes that I had no intention of buying...I had looked away from him only for a moment when I smelled a very familiar and foul smell. (I normally would not get amusement from this, and of course I didn't like that my boy had an upset stomach.) I didn't appreciate the full irony of the situation yet, though. I was embarrassed and hurried to the end of the aisle where there are cleaning supplies and bags for accidents. The dang paper towel dispenser was clogged up and I could get nothing. In my haste, I didn't realize that Jax had stepped in his "business," and was leaving smelly footprints up and down the aisle! (I promise I am a conscientious dog owner, and this is so not something I would normally get a kick out of, but....)
The assistant manager walked toward us, and I recognized her...from the day the trainer was such a BI**H to me!! She was one of the five people who were huddled with the trainer the whole time I was there and she did not intervene in any way. I told her that there was no point in talking to her because she clearly didn't recognize the problem with what happened. She said, "I told her to approach things like that differently, but you know, that is part of her job." I chose not to have a conversation with her because she obviously isn't business or customer service-minded. I said, "Well, here we are in the aisle where prong collars are sold. Why don't you tell Julie ("trainer") that Jax left a message for her by the collars?" Of course I did clean it up, but I was amused at myself.

This is simply my opinion. Petco/Petsmart, any big box store really are not the place to go for dog training. Anyone can be a trainer, you just walk in off the street and say I wanna be a dog trainer. There is no experience required, they'll train you. You simply take a course and then call yourself a dog trainer. Is this a good start? Perhaps if you as an owner uses it as the op did, more practice skills and socialize.
The trainers are given minimal information on one type of training and think they are experts. We all know that one thing doesn't work for all dogs. IMHO, it takes years of working with different dogs using different methods to call yourself a dog trainer.
It can be a challenge to find a good trainer, sometimes you have to work with more than one to find the one that works.
To the op, I would continue to work with a trainer and not go back to this store until your dog is very well trained. Then go back and practice right in front of this "trainer". She may not say anything to you, but she will know what your point is.
Nothing like a well trained to make a point.

That is my plan exactly! I already have to "real trainer" I am going to start working with on a more regular basis. So far, we have only done a few sessions for little problems (the leash pulling, etc.) but this weekend we start in earnest. I CANNOT wait to take my baby in there and show her what a real trainer can do for a dog. It's really strange because she has two very well trained dogs (one is a therapy dog and the other is training to do that). They obey everything that she tells them to do, but (and this may just be me) they don't seem "happy." Their heads are always down and they look like they are "moping around" when they walk. When someone pets them, they obviously allow it, but they don't have any reaction that looks like they enjoy it. I want my Jax to be incredibly well behaved, but I don't ever want him to lose the gleam in his eyes when he does something well or is enjoying attention.

 

[Cariboo Country]

I had never used a prong collar on any dog till I started using it on Kris when she was year old. It was icy out and I did not want to take the chance of her pulling me down. When I went to look at the Prongs, I found I had a very hard time opening the link up to put it on and off so I bought one that had an adjustable strap that you unsnapped, it opened up plenty wide to put it on over her head, then it snapped shut again at a size that stayed up on her neck. I only used it for her first winter and just use a martingale collar on her now or her flat leather collar.

 

[MyBuddy]

I bought one that had an adjustable strap that you unsnapped, it opened up plenty wide to put it on over her head, then it snapped shut again at a size that stayed up on her neck. I only used it for her first winter

And how was your experience with it? I'm all for them. Just curious on your opinion.

 

[katie's mom]

Update...
Okay, do not judge me!! This is awful but it's a bit funny as well. Jax and I went to the vet Saturday for shots. He has an iron stomach and has never reacted badly to medication/shots/even surgery, so I thought nothing of taking him up to Petsmart to speak with the manager about the "Nosy Trainer!" It didn't even cross my mind that he would get the poops. He is like clockwork and has been since the second week I had him.
The manager that I wanted to speak to (the one who knows and loves Jax) wasn't there, so an employee (who also knows and loves Jax) told me he would go get an assistant manager. I just strolled around waiting. We were in the COLLAR aisle (yes, with the cruel prongs) just practicing some commands. I had him sit and stay while I looked at a couple of leashes that I had no intention of buying...I had looked away from him only for a moment when I smelled a very familiar and foul smell. (I normally would not get amusement from this, and of course I didn't like that my boy had an upset stomach.) I didn't appreciate the full irony of the situation yet, though. I was embarrassed and hurried to the end of the aisle where there are cleaning supplies and bags for accidents. The dang paper towel dispenser was clogged up and I could get nothing. In my haste, I didn't realize that Jax had stepped in his "business," and was leaving smelly footprints up and down the aisle! (I promise I am a conscientious dog owner, and this is so not something I would normally get a kick out of, but....)
The assistant manager walked toward us, and I recognized her...from the day the trainer was such a BI**H to me!! She was one of the five people who were huddled with the trainer the whole time I was there and she did not intervene in any way. I told her that there was no point in talking to her because she clearly didn't recognize the problem with what happened. She said, "I told her to approach things like that differently, but you know, that is part of her job." I chose not to have a conversation with her because she obviously isn't business or customer service-minded. I said, "Well, here we are in the aisle where prong collars are sold. Why don't you tell Julie ("trainer") that Jax left a message for her by the collars?" Of course I did clean it up, but I was amused at myself.

That is my plan exactly! I already have to "real trainer" I am going to start working with on a more regular basis. So far, we have only done a few sessions for little problems (the leash pulling, etc.) but this weekend we start in earnest. I CANNOT wait to take my baby in there and show her what a real trainer can do for a dog. It's really strange because she has two very well trained dogs (one is a therapy dog and the other is training to do that). They obey everything that she tells them to do, but (and this may just be me) they don't seem "happy." Their heads are always down and they look like they are "moping around" when they walk. When someone pets them, they obviously allow it, but they don't have any reaction that looks like they enjoy it. I want my Jax to be incredibly well behaved, but I don't ever want him to lose the gleam in his eyes when he does something well or is enjoying attention.

Ooooh!!! that was a good one!!! hope Julie got her message loud and clear!!! ( if Jaxs' poops are anything like Katies, the smell will linger....

 

[Cariboo Country]

The prong collar I got worked great, in fact a couple of people that I do Obedience with also got some just like it as they also had trouble undoing the prongs to get theirs on and off. The strap that comes unsnapped is adjustable so it is easy to fit it so it stays high on their neck like it is supposed to.

 

[Gelcoater]

@bomary



I appreciate your writing style.

I haven't read all the posts in this thread.

I'm a couple years older than you,and the prong collar has definitely helped me.As the arthritis overcomes my hands it's a valuable tool.I have to imagine it is for you and your 70+ year old mom as well.

Try to remember here this pet store "trainer" is a minimum wage (or there abouts) worker.We get what we pay for.
She sounds like someone who's got to big for her britches.
Don't waste time arguing with morons,they'll drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
I might consider doing as @Drogon suggested and file a grievance with corporate.
Then again I might just move along.I guess it depends on just how much she pissed you off.
Stick around and check out the forum,lots of cool people here,lots of experience.
Tons of info,health,nutrition,training,recipes both human and dog,off topic threads,we have it all here provided by a great cross section of not only our country but global.

 

[bomary]

@Gelcoater Very kind of you to compliment my writing!!!...and to read to the end! I can be a bit "wordy!"
I finally got over caring about that "trainer!"
You are certainly right about this forum. I am so glad I found it. I love everything about it...the advice, knowing people are having the same issues as I am, and mostly looking at pictures of all of our beautiful Dobermans...just hope I don't lose my job because I'm addicted and ALWAYS on here!!...Oh well, I'll be a stay-at-home Dobermom! (No...how would I buy dog food!?)

 

[Gelcoater]

@Gelcoater Very kind of you to compliment my writing!!!...and to read to the end! I can be a bit "wordy!"
I finally got over caring about that "trainer!"
You are certainly right about this forum. I am so glad I found it. I love everything about it...the advice, knowing people are having the same issues as I am, and mostly looking at pictures of all of our beautiful Dobermans...just hope I don't lose my job because I'm addicted and ALWAYS on here!!...Oh well, I'll be a stay-at-home Dobermom! (No...how would I buy dog food!?)

If you're on a work computer you might want to stay out of Hott Topics.
While not littered with it you may stumble upon a NSFW pic or two.