Jan Fennell

[Crystal]

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I must as I said earlier about my lurcher she was quite horrendous when greeting people at the front door and she is such a laid back dog normally, getting in the house with the tesco's bags and trying to get to the loo in time was a nightmare!!

I know some breeds her methods may work but more often than not it's the owners that need the training as you can see at our club - you get some really odd matches and I often wonder why people have gone for that breed etc. My parents use to have a Bullmastiff who was an angel , but although when he died they too were so much older and knew that another Bullmastiff would be hard work at their age - I think they were quite sensible but they would love the companionshiop of a dog(keep trying to persuade them to have a lovely whippet)

 

[wilfred]

I think she explains to the novices what they should have learnt before they went out and got a dog. I would never go buy an animal until i understood how to care for and train it. Maybe we should have training schools for dog owners like you have horse riding schools, learn first before you go and buy at least that way people would work out a dog isnt for them before they brought it and sent it to rescue whistling.gif

Well, in an ideal world, people would properly research the breed they think they'd like to live with, before buying a dog and finding it's the wrong breed for them, they didn't realise the work they'd have to put in, etc etc etc (altho let's face it, we all know people who put the same effort into child-rearing as they do into bringing up their puppy to be acceptable in society - ie, zero effort!).

It is always the owners who need training first, so they can learn how to effectively (kindly, consistently, etc) train their dog. My gripe with Jan Fennell isn't just her methods, it is the way she puts her methods across. I have never yet seen her explain a subject coherently from point A to point B, and then to point C, etc. Every time I have seen her she seems to start off in the middle and then veer from one tangent to another. I have seen extremely experienced dog trainers completely bemused as they try to take in what she is attempting to put across! This is why I wonder how a novice could be expected to pick up on what she is trying to say. And we've all been a novice at some time, we've all had to start somewhere, haven't we?

I have no doubt at all that she is a very genuine lady, extremely well-meaning in her efforts, but a poor communicator to humans perhaps. And the shame is, she needs to explain her points effectively to humans, because they are then going to go away and attempt to teach their dogs what she has "taught" them. Neither do I think her attitude of "it's your fault and your dog thinks you are stupid!" is very helpful. You catch more wasps with jam than with vinegar, as the saying goes, and maybe that is an area she needs to work on, if she is going to go in for public speaking. Let's face it, if you went to someone for help and they were harsh and abrasive with you, and still didn't explain clearly what you needed to know, would you go back for seconds? If you are a bit of a shrinking violet this could crush you, and deter you from seeking help again (after all, all dog trainers might behave that way with their clients!) or if you are more strong-minded you might just think "up yours madam!". And nobody likes being humiliated in public, do they?

Most genuine dog trainers have learned the knack of gritting their teeth, smiling politely, explaining the point again for the "umpteenth" time and then having a moan and opening a bottle when they get home after dog-training class is over, because they are genuinely interested in getting human and dog sorted out!

(... and breathe!). sorry for long post ... it is just something I feel strongly about.

Gill

 

[littleminx]

I havent seen her in action i have just read her first book out of curiosity and in fairnest it explains a fair bit, which is where a novice would grasp more dog understanding. I am not for or against her and am looking forward to seeing it all on animal planet next month.