Trusted Dog Certification
A photo of our black German Shepherd, Sky, demanding food. I didn’t teach him this. I don’t know where he learned it.
I recently posted about how someone we know is a veteran, and their support dog was attacked and badly injured by another dog. I was reminded how Switzerland used to have a requirement that if you owned a dog, you had to have it trained. I was thinking we should have something similar, and here I propose a way to do that.
Self Certification
Let us agree to train our dogs, and if they pass the tests outlined below, you will put a badge tag on your dog. I’m not a big fan of government regulations, and waiting on the government to set the rules, and even then, those rules will only pass when society as a whole generally agrees. That could take time, and it can get very political.
Instead, I suggest that if you agree with me, you take the action of training your dog and putting the “badge” on your dog, and being a symbol and role model to others. Let people know that your dog is well-trained. If you want to share your dog’s training on social media or encourage others, then do so.
An image of dog tags in the shape of a badge or shield as proof of your dog’s certification.
My Dog’s Story
Years ago, we got one of our dogs, Sky, a black German Shepherd, at just two months old. I have owned many dogs and studied zoology in college. I knew that a German Shepherd would require training and work, but I felt confident that I could handle it.
It’s one thing if a small dog is unruly, but if a German Shepherd is not trained and jumps or bites, people suffer lifelong injuries. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
We Tried
We set out right away to train our dog, and initially, he was doing fine, but after a month, he was causing problems in his class. He was going after the other dogs aggressively. Once, during training, when he was four months old, I attached his leash to the hook on the wall so that we could talk more calmly to the trainer. However, to my surprise, he ripped the hook out of the wall and immediately went after the other dogs.
He was kicked out of the class. He was labeled as having “behavioral issues.”
My Dog Was Reactive
My dog was reactive, and I was one of those people with a misbehaved dog, and it became a nightmare for me. I was committed to training him, and I sought the advice of many different trainers. I watched countless YouTube videos. I read many books. But nothing seemed to work, and his reactivity just got worse. While I did have some temporary success with some trainers or training methods, ultimately, the problem was not resolved.
We Tried Hard
I spent hours a day trying to train him. While I may sound like I was not committed because I switched trainers, with each trainer, I gave it my all for months and would train for 2-3 hours every single day. I insisted that I would train him. I loved my dog, and I was going to be a responsible dog owner. I even took my dog to Switzerland, the number one animal-friendly country, hoping for more experienced trainers, but I did not have success there either.
The situation was so bad that I couldn’t even go for a simple walk without being in terror. I would look carefully around every corner and listen for the slightest sound of a dog, because I knew that if Sky saw a dog within a football field, he would go crazy. He was big and strong and difficult to control. He would literally pull so hard that he broke his collar.
I Was Bitten
I reached a breaking point one day when I was almost killed by him. I was in Switzerland, in the winter, and snow was everywhere, and there was ice on the sidewalks. I took my two dogs for a walk when Sky saw another dog.
Sky went crazy, I tried to restrain him, and the other dog owner seemed completely insensitive and continued to approach us. That’s when it happened. I slipped on the ice and fell backwards into the snow.
My dogs’ leashes quickly got tangled, and instead of them trying to get to the other dog, they started attacking each other. The only problem was that I was tangled in the lease and in between them. On top of it was so slippery that I could not get up or get traction.
They ended up biting me because I was in between them. Fortunately, I had my winter gear on; otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened. My body was very badly bruised and swollen afterwards. That was when I drew the line.
I Understand Difficult Dogs Because I Had One
I mention all of this to say that I understand how difficult dog training can be and how difficult owning a difficult dog can be. I joined online dog forums where other dog owners privately discussed the horrors of having a dog like this. It was a much bigger problem than I realized. Most people just kept their problems private, avoiding walks, going out, and socializing. As a result, we don’t know about them, but they are there.
A Clue From Working Dogs
I was committed to my dog, and I refused to abandon him. I would do whatever it takes. It was clear to me that professional working dogs, like those you see in the police or military, do not have these behaviors.
I was committed to finding a professional working dog trainer. If I had to send my dog away for a few months and pay outrageous sums, I would do it. If I didn’t do something, this dog was in trouble.
I Found a Solution
Fortunately, I found a few trainers who were able to help. One trainer agreed to do a board and train program, but before my dog could begin, he had to be evaluated.
I was shocked when I brought Sky in for the interview, because as expected, he immediately tried to attack my other dog out of jealousy. However, this time was different. The trainer firmly said “No!” and gave him a firm tap on the nose, and Sky listened and stopped.
Within ten minutes of working with this trainer, and for the first time since he was a puppy, Sky was controlling himself. I couldn’t believe it! I had tears in my eyes, I was so happy.
I continued the training, and it wasn’t long before Sky was released and he could handle being around other dogs.
Any Dog Can Be Trained
I say all of this to say that training is possible for any dog. I also know that many dog trainers are not qualified to train dogs, and simply label their inability to train dogs as “behavioral problems.” I have now worked with some highly qualified professional working dog trainers, and I confidently believe that training is possible for any dog because I have seen the dogs they have worked with and trained. I have seen the most difficult dogs get trained.
The Trusted Dog Certification
Now that I have worked with these trainers, their methods on the most basic level are similar. And based upon their instruction, I think a properly trained dog will be able to do the following things, and it’s the basis for what I am calling the “Trusted Dog Certification”. Of course, you can never guarantee any dog will be safe; weird things happen, but this goes a long way to eliminating problems and dangers.
All dogs should be able to do the following 3 simple things:
The dog should not pull on the leash. You should be able to walk the dog comfortably with just “two fingers,” as I heard one trainer tell me. The reason is that respecting the leash is respect for the owners, and it forces the dog to pay attention to the owners and demonstrate basic self-control.
The dog should not jump on people. On command or if people are okay with it, that’s fine, but only if people ask for it. I say this because I have a golden who likes to give hugs, but is gentle and welcomed by most people, but he also doesn’t do it unless asked. He’s respectful.
The dog should be able to walk by other dogs without reacting. I would say you should test this with at least five stranger dogs.
The Badge
If your dog passes the certification, I encourage you to let others know and put a “badge” or “shield” dog tag on your dog as a symbol of their skill.
