Master Your Dog

as published in the Community Journal, Kerrville TX by Phil Houseal, Aug 26, 2008


Yvonne Gerhardt set me straight right away: Dog obedience is not about teaching the dog; it is teaching the master.

Through the Club Ed dog obedience course, Gerhardt has helped hundreds of dog owners become better masters. She goes beyond heel, sit, stay, using "natural dogmanship" to help your dog learn its proper role in your "pack."

"We take the point of view of the dog," she explained. "Dogs are pack animals by nature. They have a hierarchy. Any dog will be happier when they have a pack leader."

The pack leader has to be the owner, a role some owners are reluctant to adopt. Lots of Gerhardt's training is focused on training the trainer.

"We won't let the owner drive the bus until they are comfortable with being in charge," she said.

Gerhardt has bred, trained, and showed dogs since 1976. She is also a veterinary technician, and works for the animal control department in Fredericksburg. The certified dog trainer has seen the gamut of issues when it comes to dog behavior.

She gets many calls from people seeking help with dogs that bite, jump on people, or won't come when called.

"We have had dogs that were nonsocial," she said. "When they left the training, the owners were finally able to take the dog to the vet without being bitten. Results all depend on the person and how hard they want to work with their dog."

Gerhardt recommends spending 15 minutes every day on training. Less than that, you get no results. More than 15 minutes, the dog loses interest.

Another point is that you cannot treat your pets as if they are people. They are not children. A dog doesn't know the difference between a $1000 collar and a piece of twine.

While Gerhardt believes in positive reinforcement, training is not all treats and petting. Again, her training methods parallel life in the dog pack.

"There are consequences in life, and consequences in training - if a dog does something wrong, you have to show them the right way," she said. Gerhardt used the example of a mother dog dealing with a puppy trying to get into her food dish. "First she stares, then shows her teeth. If the puppy still doesn't get the message, then she bites. But you always end on a positive."

Training dogs brings reward, sometimes in unexpected ways.

"People have called after taking this class and said you helped me in real life, you made me a leader. I was shy, and now I'm not. Or you've changed the way our family behaves."

One owner just wanted to have her dog walk on a leash without throwing a tantrum. Within 10 minutes, Gerhardt and the student had that dog walking.

"At the end of the class, that owner got a standing ovation and had tears in her eyes," Gerhardt said. "I get rewarded every time I see a dog walk out and become a good citizen. That owner got something good out of my class."

Gerhardt is so passionate about what she does, that she makes a surprising offer.

"Once you take my class, you can come back for free for the life of your dog," she said. "We want you and your dog to be happy."

XXX

Yvonne Gerhardt teaches a Dog Obedience class that begins Sept 8.

To learn more about this and hundreds of other lifelong learning classes, call 830-895-4386, or visit www.clubed.net.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District.