I think we all see it all the time, the people that refer to themselves as "Dog Trainers" but really have no idea what they are doing. Some just watch a myriad of YouTube videos, other just watch the dog training shows on T.V. But what they typically have not done is completed any type of program to teach training theory or earn a certification. Even for those that have, sometimes the education, adaptation and learning stops there. In my opinion those are the dangerous trainers that have no business training your dog and this story just furthers my thinking.
The K-9 Magazine blog had a story in it about a Dog Training team that both admitted responsibility for breaking the leg of a German Shepherd puppy called Kim during one of their training classes in Farnborough. Apparently Grant Chanin "pushed Kim to the floor and spread his entire body weight across her whole body during the class in June 2009." Chanin also admitted six additional animal cruelty charges, including choking one dog ‘to the last breath’.
Chanin and her partner Laura Kahane have agreed to take down their Evolution Dog Services Ltd website within a week. Chanin was sentenced to 8 weeks in prison and was prohibited for looking after animals for 10 years. Kahane was given a 12-month community order for her role in the abuse and must also complete 80 hours of community service, as well as having a 12-month ban on looking after animals.
The story makes me sick both as a trainer and dog lover! I work hard to help people have a better relationship with their dog, that is the training I focus on. Yes, it is done through obedience, but every single one of my clients comes out with a great relationship with their pooch. I could never imagine doing anything to hurt an animal during a course of training. What in the world kind of training are they doing? I really feel for the people that invested in their service only to be taken by their fraudulent nature. What a shame!
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