Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Wolfdogs (Wolf Hybrids) Are Not For Everyone

Courtesy of our friends at Howling Woods Farm. Visit them at www.howlingwoods.org

High content wolfdogs are very strong and difficult to train, require large secure outdoor pens, have special diets, and require a great deal of attention. They are very intelligent and get bored easily. While in some ways the behavior of wolfdogs is not much different than that of the typical canine family pet, certain traits are greatly magnified. For example, wolfdogs:
  • react poorly to standard dog training
  • may dig large holes in their pens or the backyard, especially if bored or tied down
  • can jump or climb a six-foot high fence
  • are smart and learn commands easily, but often decide to ignore them
  • require an enclosure large enough for exercise and play.
  • will roll over and over again in the most obnoxious smelling substance known to the human nose.
  • do not respond to discipline the way most dogs do. Training a wolf dog is about as 'easy' as training a house cat.
  • do not like to be alone (they need a canine or human companion). Providing a companion often negates undesirable behaviors discussed in this section. Remember, wolves are highly developed social animals that normally live in groups; it's not in their nature to be alone. A lone wolf is not a happy wolf.
  • require a very high protein diet. Most commercial dog foods are difficult for wolf dogs to digest due to their high vegetable/low protein content.
  • may be very fearful of people outside of the family. Taking them to public places may cause high anxiety and stress.
  • Require a very high amount of socialization, often and repeatedly, from a very young age through adulthood, if you expect to ever take them to public places (or even for a walk).
  • are not good off leash; they may run off in pursuit of something interesting and are difficult to call back; or they may find that obnoxious smelly stuff discussed above.
  • bark very little, but boy do they howl.
Lastly, they bond strongly; should you ever give them up, they could languish. At best, they would not bond as easily with their next human companions as they did with you. A decision to bring a wolfdog into your home is a major lifetime commitment. Giving one up, no matter how good a reason, would likely result in its death; it would most likely never make it out of the shelter.
Wolf Dogs For Adoption


Wolf dogs are poor watchdogs!


They don't bark and tend to be fearful of strangers.  

Monday, February 15, 2016

How to Teach Your Dog to Take Treats Gently, Without Biting Your Fingers

Here's a method you can use to cure "Hard Mouth." Hard mouth refers to a dog who snatches treats fast and hard from your fingers, accidentally making contact.

Hard mouth usually begins in puppyhood, when owners (especially children) pull their hands away at the moment a treat is offered, to avoid contact with the puppy's teeth. This teaches the puppy that he has to lunge forward quickly to get the treat. This bad habit often continues into adulthood, and his bite gets harder and harder.

The following method will train a puppy, and can also be used to retrain an adult dog, to take treats gently:

1) Get some small food treats about the size of popcorn. Have the dog sit. Offer the treat to your dog in a closed fist, start with your hand at your side and slowly swoop your fist up just below his chin.  When the dog gives your fist a gentle nudge with his nose, open your hand, palm up, and let the dog eat the treat from your flat hand.  

2) While the dog remains seated, repeat the presentation of the treats exactly as described above. Do this several times. (If he stands up, tell him to sit again.) When the dog has calmly and gently eaten the food from the palm of your hand several times in a row, move to the next step.

3) Move the hand with the food treat toward the dog exactly the same way (swooping up from your side to just under his chin) except now, instead of holding it in your closed fist, you should be holding it under your thumb, completely hidden under the thumb. Thumb on top, all four fingers together on the bottom. When the dog touches his nose to your fingers, move your thumb out of the way revealing the treat. Do this several times. When the dog has calmly and gently eaten the food from your fingers several times in a row, move to the next step.

4) Continue offering the food as in step 3, only now you can begin to hold the food slightly exposed. Be sure to slowly swoop the hand up under the dog's chin the exact same way as before.
Congratulations, your dog is now taking treats without snapping!

Over the next few days, every time you give your dog a treat, start with step 1 and work toward step 4. Eventually it will take fewer repetitions between steps to achieve the desired result. With practice, the bad habit of snapping at your fingers will completely disappear.

Be careful not to pull your hand away while giving treats, or the bad habit may return.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Dog is Aggressive Upon Waking Up

Some dogs will snarl, snap, growl or bite when they are awakened from sleep. Let’s start by discussing what this behavior is NOT:

It is NOT a dominance issue (i.e. “Hey! Don’t bother me when I’m sleeping!”).

It is NOT idiopathic aggression (also known as “rage syndrome”). A variety of studies and testing over the past 30 years have failed to produce a clear cause for idiopathic aggression. But fortunately, it is extremely rare today.  Idiopathic aggression has basically been bred out of the most susceptible breeds (Springers, Cockers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Dobermans). It is so rare that it is practically unheard of today. And most importantly - idiopathic aggression typically does NOT present as aggression upon waking. 

So now that we’ve established that your dog is not trying to take over your house, and your dog is not crazy, here’s what this specific behavior usually is:  It is an involuntary fear or startle response, completely outside of the dog’s control.  

For clients who have dogs with this particular problem, we suggest the following:
  • Crate train the dog and don’t allow him to sleep in places where humans are likely to disturb him (especially not in bed next to you, as the chance of rolling over onto him can trigger a bite).
  • Don’t waste time trying to systematically counter-condition or desensitize the behavior. This is not something you can fix with training. The key is management and prevention.
  • When you need to wake your dog, do it from across the room, NOT by touching him. Call him in a happy voice, clap your hands, give him time to stand up, walk over to you and be fully awake  before you touch him.
  • Instruct all family members (especially children!) to stay away from the dog when she’s sleeping. Again, this is easier to do if you crate train the dog.
  • Don't punish the dog for this behavior - it is completely outside of his control.  
  • Be aware that certain medications (Benadryl for example) may put the dog into a deeper sleep and may, therefore, intensify the startle response upon waking.

(Note: The above discussion is about dogs who aggress when they are awakened from sleep. This is NOT the same problem as dogs who growl, snap, snarl or bite when approached while they are resting (but wide awake).   That is a different problem - sometimes rooted in dominance, sometimes in fear, and sometimes it’s a form of resource guarding. In those cases you will benefit from the help of an experienced dog trainer to identify the specific cause of the behavior and help you work to correct it.)

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Dog Breed Lists

Here are 154 American Kennel Club (AKC) breeds, ordered based on popularity of AKC registrations (2013 - 2015):

1. Labrador Retriever   78. Giant Schnauzer
2. Golden Retriever   79. Cardigan Welsh Corgi
3. Yorkshire terrier   80. Schipperke
4. German shepherd dog   81. Basenji
5. Beagle   82. Border Terrier
6. Dachshund   83. Irish Wolfhound
7. Boxer   84. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
8. Poodle   85. Bouvier Des Flandres
9. Shih Tzu   86. Gordon Setter
10. Miniature Schnauzer   87. Belgian Malinois
11. Chihuahuas   88. Toy Fox Terrier
12. Pug   89. Norwich Terrier
13. Bull Dog   90. Welsh Terrier
14. Pomeranian   91. Keeshond
15. Cocker Spaniel(American)   92. Great Swiss Mountain Dog
16. Rottweiler   93. Tibetan Terrier
17. Boston Terrier   94. Borzoi
18. Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)   95. Afghan Hound
19. Maltese   96. Norwegian Elkhound
20. German Shorthaired Pointer   97. English Setter
21. Doberman Pinscher   98. Flat Coated Retriever
22. Miniature Pinscher   99. Standard Schnauzer
23. Pembroke Welsh Corgi   100. Belgian Tervuren
24. Great Dane   101. Bearded Collie
25. Siberian Husky   102. Tibetan Spaniel
26. Bichon Frise   103. Fox Terrier – Smooth
27. Basset Hound   104. Manchester Terrier (Standard & Toy)
28. English Springer Spaniel   105. Kerry Blue Terrier
29. Weimaraner   106. Plott Hound
30. Brittany   107. Australian Terrier
31. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel   108. American Eskimo
32. West Highland White Terrier   109. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
33. Mastiff   110. Pointer
34. Australian Shepherd   111. Belgian Sheepdog
35. Papillion   112. Norfolk Terrier
36. Collie (Rough) & (Smooth)   113. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
37. Saint Bernard   114. Anatolian Sheepdog
38. French Bulldog   115. Spinone Italiano
39. Lhasa Apso   116. Neopolitan Mastiff
40. Scottish Terrier   117. Irish Terrier
41. Cairn Terrier   118. Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
42. Bullmastiff   119. Saluki
43. Havanese   120. Bedlington Terrier
44. Vizsla   121. Briard
45. Chinese Shar Pei   122. Clumber Spaniel
46. Newfoundland   123. English Toy Spaniel
47. Bernese Mountain Dog   124. Welsh Springer Spaniel
48. Pekingese   125. Affenpinscher
49. Chesapeake Bay Retriever   126. Miniature Bull Terrier
50. Bloodhound   127. Scottish Deerhound
51. Akita   128. American Water Spaniel
52. Airdale Terrier   129.  Lakeland Terrier
53. Chinese Crested   130.  Curly Coated Retriever
54. Rhodesian Ridgeback   131.  Black And Tan Coonhound
55. Border Collie   132.  Puli
56. Italian Greyhound   133.  Ibizan Hound
57. Great Pyrenees   134.  Greyhound
58. Alaskan Malamute   135.  Field Spaniel
59. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier   136.  Irish Water Spaniel
60. Brussels Griffon   137. Kuvasz
61. Whippet   138.  Polish Lowland Sheepdog
62. Bull Terrier   139.  Lowchen (Little Lion Dog)
63. American Staffordshire Terrier   140.  Pharaoh Hound
64. Chow Chow   141.  Black Russian Terrier
65. Silky Terrier   142.  German Pinscher
66. Shiba Inu   143.  Sussex Spaniel
67. Irish Setter   144.  Skye Terrier
68. Japanese Chin   145.  Komondor
69. Old English Sheepdog (Bobtail)   146.  Sealyham Terrier
70. Australian Cattle Dog   147.  Canaan Dog
71. Portuguese Water Dogs   148.  Finnish Spitz
72. Parson Russell Terrier   149.  Dandie Dinmont Terrier
73. German Wirehaired Pointer   150.  Glen Imaal Terrier
74. Cocker Spaniel (English)   151.  American Foxhound
75. Samoyed   152.  Otter Hound
76. Fox Terrier – Wirehair   153.  Harrier
77. Dalmatian   154.  English Foxhound    


Here is a list of dog breeds ranked by working/obedience intelligence (i.e. the number of repetitions required for the dog to understand a new command), based on surveys of professional dog trainers. Breeds ranked in the top 10 may learn new commands in as few as 10 repetitions, while breeds in the bottom 10 may require up to 100 repetitions or more to learn a new command.

 1.  Border Collie    43.  Saluki
 2.  Poodle      Finnish Spitz
 3.  German Shepherd      Pointer
 4.  Golden Retriever    44.  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
 5.  Doberman Pinscher      German Wirehaired Pointer
 6.  Shetland Sheepdog      Black & Tan Coonhound
 7.  Labrador Retriever      American Water Spaniel
 8.  Papillon    45.  Siberian Husky
 9.  Rottweiler      Bichon Frise
 10.  Australian Cattle Dog      English Toy Spaniel
 11.  Pembroke Welsh Corgi    46.  Tibetan Spaniel
 12.  Miniature Schnauzer      English Foxhound
 13.  English Springer Spaniel      Otterhound
 14.  Belgian Tervuren     American Foxhound
 15.  Schipperke      Greyhound
   Belgian Sheepdog      Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
 16.  Collie    47.  West Highland White Terrier
   Keeshond      Scottish Deerhound
 17.  German Shorthaired Pointer    48.  Boxer
 18.  Flat-Coated Retriever      Great Dane
   English Cocker Spaniel    49.  Dachshund
   Standard Schnauzer      Stafforshire Bull Terrier
 19.  Brittany    50.  Alaskan Malamute
 20.  Cocker Spaniel    51.  Whippet
 21. Weimaraner      Chinese Shar-pei
 22.  Belgian Malinois      Wire Fox Terrier
   Bernese Mountain Dog    52.  Rhodesian Ridgeback
 23.  Pomeranian    53.  Ibizan Hound
 24.  Irish Water Spaniel      Welsh Terrier
 25.  Vizsla      Irish Terrier
 26.  Cardigan Welsh Corgi    54.  Boston Terrier
 27.  Chesapeake Bay Retriever      Akita
   Puli    55.  Skye Terrier
   Yorkshire Terrier    56.  Norfolk Terrier
 28.  Giant Schnauzer      Sealyham Terrier
 29.  Airedale Terrier    57.  Pug
   Bouvier Des Flandres    58.  French Bulldog
 30.  Border Terrier    59.  Brussels Griffon
   Briard      Maltese
 31.  Welsh Springer Spaniel    60.  Italian Greyhound
 32.  Manchester Terrier    61.  Chinese Crested
 33.  Samoyed    62.  Dandie Dinmont Terrier
 34.  Field Spaniel      Petit Basset Griffon
   Newfoundland      Vendeen
   Australian Terrier      Tibetan Terrier
   American Staffordshire Terrier      Japanese Chin
   Gordon Setter      Lakeland Terrier
   Bearded Collie    63.  Old English Sheepdog
 35.  Cairn Terrier    64.  Great Pyrenees
   Kerry Blue Terrier    65.  Scottish Terrier
   Irish Setter      Saint Bernard
 36.  Norwegian Elkhound

Can Dogs and Cats Live Peacefully Together?

Can dogs and cats live together in peace? Absolutely! But can any dog and any cat be reliably trained to get along perfectly with one another? Probably not.

One of the most frequent questions we hear is, “How can I train my dog to get along with my cat?”  Things get complicated when dog trainers try to answer that question.

First the trainer must start with another question: “What is your dog doing now when he sees the cat?” If your dog is aggressively chasing, fixating, growling, snapping or snarling at your cat – it’s safety first – you must manage the environment to keep your pets safe. Odds are that they probably will not be best friends any time soon.

But if your dog is simply trying to play with your cat, and if your cat grew up with dogs - then there’s hope.

Let’s take a moment to examine why dogs and cats "getting along" can sometimes be problematic. It's all about communication. Most dogs and cats who have grown up with each other will learn to get along fine. But dogs and cats who meet later in life will need lots of time to learn to communicate with each other. This is no easy task, because dogs and cats communicate through body language and the body language of  a cat is not the same as the body language of a dog.

For example, a “play bow” (chest down, butt up) means “let’s play” when displayed by a dog. But the exact same behavior  means “go away” when done by a cat.  Another example - a high tail displayed by a cat often means “I’m interested” while a high tail displayed by a dog usually means “I’m on guard.” 

Think of it this way: if you meet a person from France who speaks no English, and you speak no French, it’s going to take quite a while before the two of you can communicate. It’s the same with dogs and cats who were not introduced to one another at an early age. They will have trouble communicating.  This becomes even more difficult if the cat runs every time she sees the dog, especially if the dog is high drive and/or bred to be highly attuned to movement (e.g. terriers, sight hounds etc.)

The bottom line is this: some dogs will get along with some cats. Only time will tell. In the meantime, it’s up to you to keep them safely separated.  Cats and dogs can be seriously injured when they fight. This is NOT something that a responsible owner will  “just let them work out on their own.”

Bottom line: this is more of a management issue than a training issue - manage the environment to keep your pets safe. 

Tips for Fostering or Adopting a Shy or Fearful Dog

If you’re thinking about fostering or adopting a shy, fearful dog you are about to embark upon one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Shy and fearful dogs need lots of help to build confidence and learn to live a happy life. There are no quick fixes - progress will be made slowly, over time.

Lots of thought should be given to the special needs very shy dogs have before you make the decision to take one home with you.  Shy and fearful dogs tend to react out of context to common household occurrences. For example if a door slams, a confident dog will be startled for a moment but will quickly recover from the experience. In contrast, a fearful dog may submissively urinate then run and hide under the bed for the next hour. Or he may turn and snap at the person standing closest to him.


A visit the vet to rule out medical factors which might be contributing to the behavior is a good place to start.

Next, build confidence by establishing a close relationship and by providing a calm, orderly and predictable environment.  A few ideas that may help:
  • Provide a kennel crate for your dog. Have the dog use the kennel crate for naps while you are home, for sleeping overnight, and whenever you are not home. This will help build confidence because the crate is a place of safety and security for the dog. It will also help prevent destructive behavior and housebreaking accidents.
  • For the first few days with any dog who is new to your home, it’s a good idea to keep the dog on a leash inside the home. Keep the dog tethered to you and have him follow you from room to room as you go about your daily routine. This is especially helpful with a shy or fearful dog. It has a comforting effect, helps build trust and shows the dog that you are his leader and his protector.
  • Do not let the dog run loose in the back yard during the first few days. Fearful dogs may be hesitant to return back inside the home before they have settled in. Instead, walk the dog on a leash, even if your back yard is fenced, until the dog feels “at home” in his new surroundings.
  • Take the dog for at least 2 daily walks for exercise. Daily walks help strengthen the bond between dog and owner.
  • Play with your dog every day! Play is a natural behavior – dogs need to play in order to build confidence.
  • Sudden or fast movements, shouting, children racing through rooms etc. should be avoided.
  • Instruct guests to completely ignore the dog until he approaches them. If the dog approaches them, they can reach out and scratch the dog under the chin or on the chest.  Avoid eye contact and frontal alignment at first. DO NOT PAT the dog on the head. DO NOT hug the dog around the neck or head.
  • If the dog is afraid of something or someone, do not force the dog to approach. Instead, provide distance and redirect the dog’s attention.
  • Provide a daily routine including daily obedience training.  
  • NO physical punishment. Tactics such as rolling a dog on its back, hitting a dog or pinning a dog down only serve to frighten them. These tactics can quickly break down the bond between a dog and its owner.
  • Never take a dog back to a housebreaking accident and put his nose in the mess. The dog will have no idea why you are doing this and it will hurt, not help, your housetraining efforts.  Instead, prevent accidents from happening in the first place, by using a dog crate, providing constant supervision and taking the dog outside for frequent potty breaks.
Dogs with serious fear issues will benefit greatly from professional assistance and training. Canine Dimensions can design a program to help your dog gain confidence and live a happier life. Call us at 1-888-281-3647 for more information.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Dangers of "Purely Positive" Dog Training

One of Canada's top dog trainers is Roger Hild. He is a founding member of the CAPPDT (Canada's largest dog trainers' association) . Hild has trained thousands of dogs over the past 20+ years. The following post, which appeared on his blog a few years ago, is reposted here with his permission:   

 

Plan B - Kill the Dog

 The needle slid easily into the vein and its lethal contents were injected slowly. The final good-byes had been said and now, as tears streamed down his face, the owner reflected on what went wrong as he watched his dog die. He thought about how hard he’d tried - he had sought out the best trainer he could find and when the behaviour didn’t improve, he had sought out another. No one, it seemed, either could or would offer him a solution to solve the behaviour problem which ultimately had proven terminal.

If the above paragraph seems overly dramatic, I can assure you it is exactly how many dog and owner relationships end. What’s really sad, in my opinion, is that many such endings are needless and can be rightfully attributed to a philosophy that ironically calls itself "dog-friendly." The philosophy I’m speaking of is also known as "PP" (purely positive) and is based entirely on facilitating behavioral change by awarding or withholding positive reinforcement. Sometimes also referred to as PROC (Positive Reinforcement Operant Conditioning), in some areas of the country its trainers have become so numerous they are all the public can access.

The problem I have with the pure positive philosophy is that it lacks balance. Pure positive trainers don’t use corrections, claiming any aversive punishment is unnecessary. Many among their ranks refer to anyone who uses corrections or punishment as cruel and their equipment and methods as abusive. Having a real problem with the word "no," or any other word with a similar meaning, their pursuit of getting such words out of the trainers vocabulary has an almost fetish like quality. Both in their dealings with the public and their dealings with other trainers, who subscribe to more balance in their approach, I find many of its practitioners to be arrogant, zealous and dishonest.

I want to make it clear that my remarks are directed primarily at the evangelical promoters and the zealous fanatics within this movement; I do not, however, want to paint all trainers that follow such a philosophy with the same brush. Narrow-minded people occupy every ideology as do zealots. Within the dog training community there are some trainers who have developed very good skills with a positive approach and they freely admit they use this approach because it is their own preference. They concede there are other methods that at times might need to be used and if they aren’t in a position to use these alternatives, they will refer the client to someone who can. They do not use inflammatory and derogatory terms to label colleagues who have chosen different techniques. I have no problem with these trainers rather I hold them in high regard - they state their choice and are not attempting to limit others right to choose. While they may remain unconvinced another approach might work better, they will not try to eliminate it from the realm of possibilities and choices. The honest among them will acknowledge that just as they were free to operate from choice, so should others be free to choose.

There is nothing offered by PROC methods which is not also available in a more balanced approach. In addition to the tools and approaches used by the purely positive trainers, balanced trainers add the use of whatever corrections are necessary to make the point completely clear to the dog. Corrections are simply information to offer clarity about what is wrong, what the consequence is and what needs to be done to get it right. The PROC trainer, therefore, offers far less than the balanced trainer - less information to the dog and fewer options to the owner. Other than time-outs, "ignore him when he’s bad," controlling all ‘resources’ and withholding all rewards, there is a real poverty of effective consequences. If those don’t work, they will often label the dog as not trainable and, rather than try using effective corrections, the lethal injection is often all they are prepared to offer. There should be far more information (in terms of behaviour changing consequences) provided to the dog before that final and drastic step is taken.

Much about the PP movement is dishonest. Some of the more common claims, made by pure positive practitioners, are that their method is "the most effective, reliable and humane method for training the dog." Such claims are frequently attached to statements that, "punishment-based methods don’t work." Many among them consider a punishment-based trainer as anyone who uses any kind of physical correction and they classify any method, that includes corrections, as dangerous and "far too risky."

Contrary to their claims, a PROC training approach is not as effective and takes considerably longer to reach any level of reliability even close to what a balanced approach can produce. In some instances, reliability cannot be realized using a positive only approach and some dogs will not be trainable at all until appropriate corrections are included. When this lack of reliability, and the increased time PP training takes is raised with PROC trainers, a common response is that they are willing to take longer because their approach is humane. Several things about this attitude bother me: IT’S YOUR MONEY AND TIME THEY ARE WORKING WITH - THE LONGER THEY TAKE THE MORE IT COSTS YOU, their suggestion that PP is more humane is false and this assertion is paramount to emotional blackmail. Balanced training is about 15% more effective, is considerably more efficient with faster results and has a far better track record for producing the changes necessary to allow the dog to remain in his home.

The statistics I cited above are from a lecture given to a Toronto audience in the early 1990's by Dr. Ian Dunbar. (I refer to Dr. Dunbar because these days he is so highly regarded by many in the PP movement who view him as the vanguard of the "dog-friendly" training concept.) He stated that the most effective training occurs when positive rewards are combined with positive punishment (i.e., praise/reward combined with correction/punishment). He said that under controlled testing for reliability, when positive only methods were used the reliability factor could be brought no higher than the low to mid 80% range (ranged between 83 – 85%). He went on to say when appropriately timed punishments were added, the reliability increased by 12-14% to a maximum of 97%. He said that no one was able to observe a 100% reliable response, i.e., perfect on all aspects of the tests under a wide range of varying circumstances.

That 12-14% differential means a balanced approach can clearly help more dogs and is more effective. It means some dogs destined to die could be saved. However, in discussions looking at the relative effectiveness of a balanced approach vs. a PROC approach, a far more disturbing attitude sometimes emerges. When confronted with the suggestion that using a correction would successfully modify the potentially lethal behavior (which had not responded favorably to a PP approach), their rallying cry became, "The dog would rather be dead than corrected."

The crux of the problem is their presumption that they know something that escapes the rest of us.

Because they are adamant that aversive corrections are not necessary and since they are committed to that ideology, they would rather kill the dog than correct it. They would rather kill a few dogs than review and possibly change some of their beliefs. Since they hold the arrogant belief that they are kinder, more humane, enlightened and "dog friendly" than those who would correct, they are confident in believing they can speak for dogs. Whatever they want is what the dog wants! Keep in mind, THIS IS YOUR DOG THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT - their philosophy fails and your dog dies.

In my mind’s eye I can picture the dog (from the opening paragraph) on the table frantically struggling to live. As the death juice spreads through his body, as the dog’s vision goes to black, I can imagine his last thoughts as being, "Why this? What did I do wrong? Why didn’t somebody stop me?"

(If you're interested in learning more, check out this clip from a recent radio program which featured a debate between a balanced trainer and two purely positive trainers.)