Jake is a 4-year old Lab from field lines, meaning the urge to work and hunt has been bred into his ancestors for generations. He was trained using traditional methods, hence the choke chain around his neck.

I’ve made my stance on choke chains clear here on Petside.com, but it seems that I didn’t do the same when I was on the phone with Jake’s person during his inquiry call. I never hide the fact that I’m a positive trainer, but I might forget to mention it now and then during a rushed phone call.

I squirmed quietly when Jake got a few “corrections” (collar chokes) for being surly with me at the front door, knowing that I could sell my positive training message after I’d had a chance to step into their home and shake their hands.

It was rough going at first, but I blame myself not my message. I tend to get overly emotional and talkative when trying to explain why positive training is such a good thing … at times I feel like a Mormon on a recruiting mission. Positive training changed my life, friends, and it can change yours too!

Like any good Missionary, I evangelized. And made crappy analogies. And tried to point out that in traditional training, the punishment rarely fits the crime. (You choked your dog because he didn’t sit fast enough? Really?)

I saw their eyes glaze over a bit.

In the end, the proof is in the positive pudding. We got to work, and wouldn’t you know it, young Jake caught on quickly. We saw the tail wagging, smiley-faced attitude so common in positively trained dogs. And I saw some smiles on the human faces as well. Though they were used to traditional training, seeing Jake’s speedy, happy progress might have made believers out of them after all.