Reasons to Take Ben Kersen’s Pro Dog Trainers Program -PART 2 – by Breeann Roberts

Reasons to take Ben Kersen’s Professional Dog Trainers Program – PART 2
By Breeann Roberts

Techniques are straight forward and easy to apply once learned: This not only helps you, as it’s easier to retain and use, but it will help your future clients! The easier the techniques, the easier to teach, and the easier that the dogs will learn it!

Video feedback: You’d be surprised what you might be doing without realizing it! With video feedback you can see yourself and your body language from an external point of view. This includes feedback on your technique from instructors about what you need improvement on, and how to achieve it.

Techniques work with all dogs: Regardless of breed or age!

Multiple training techniques/methods are covered: This way you will have many different approaches that you can take towards one dog’s potential problems or obstacles in order to succeed.

Course covers many subjects: From business and marketing, to trick shows and special events, you’ll get info from some of the top dog trainers in the world about their live events and how they organize and run them.

Guest speakers: During the course, you will be meeting different guest speakers from various different fields (all dog related) with in-person demonstrations and lots of time for Q & A.

Speak with past graduates: In person and via speakerphone to listen to lectures on varying topics and to ask any questions you may have. You will hear about their personal success and any obstacles they faced and how they got over them.

Program focuses on FUN and PRAISE: The whole training method revolves around engaging and motivating the dog to perform, with incredible results.

Run club: This concept, developed by Ben Kersen, is quite unique and has dramatic long lasting effects that take hold very quickly. The concept involves movement, pack, and covering distance. The dogs natural instincts to move with their pack takes hold and you will have a dog that is always looking at you for where you might want to go next. Every Saturday morning you will be welcomed to go along with Ben and some of his clients for run club to increase the bond you have with your dog.

Interactive games: Sometimes you will play interactive games including all classmates and your dogs. These games can be used in your future careers and definitely involve some laughter. Although these games are fun, they also hone the dog’s skills and boost their confidence. Whose dog can sit back down the fastest in ‘Duck, Duck, Goose!?’

Grad Facebook group: Once you have graduated you will be invited to the past graduate’s Facebook page, where you will be able to network with hundreds of past grads, now working in a variety of fields. If you ever have a training question, you can ask in this group and get advice from many extraordinary trainers about what you might try next. Sometimes there are unique training situations that are not covered in any course and this would be your opportunity to learn from those that have been working in the field for years about their personal technique or method to overcome whatever obstacle may be blocking the dog you are working with. You will feel the support of many who have been and are in your shoes!

Lots of video footage and literature: There are hundreds and hundreds of videos available to view, but not enough time to cover them all during course hours. These are always available to take home with you. There are also hundreds of books that you are welcome to borrow.

Make new friends! You will meet people with the same interest and passion for working with animals that you have. Some of these people will likely become your friends and you could form a long lasting friendship. Knowing other trainers is a huge advantage. You would have the opportunity to work together or to create a partnership of some kind as well if you decided to do that.

Bring your own dog(s) or a family member or friend’s dog: Go home with an incredibly trained dog or dogs! You dog will be your ambassador, and you will go home with a highly trained dog that you can show off to family, friends, and clients! Your dog and you will have a better, stronger relationship, and your dog will gain a lot of confidence and patience. Your dog will have the skills to potentially save its life in the future. Just going for a simple off leash walk could promote your business! When people see the fun that you are having they will want to talk to you J

Free training: Work with other people’s dogs to get you hands-on experience working with new client’s dogs. From novice puppies to old dogs learning new tricks, you’ll get to play with them all! Afterwards, you’ll get to listen to the instructors answer any questions that the clients have about that day’s training (as they will be watching). Listening to the instructors and clients talking after the training gives you valuable insight on working with people.

Increase your self-confidence:  Speaking from self-experience, this course dramatically increased my self-confidence! I have heard the same thing from classmates and past graduates. During the course I witnessed other classmate’s self-confidence go up as well. Confidence makes a big difference when it comes to dog training! It also helps with marketing yourself and speaking with clients.

All of these points are the reasons that I would recommend thinking about taking Ben Kersen’s course. There are many other positive things to take away from the course, such as community service, and going out on the town with classmates!

I very much enjoyed my time in Victoria and on the field with students, the instructors, and all of the dogs, and look forward to visiting soon!

If you have any questions about being a student in the course feel free to contact me at Breeanner@gmail.com and I would be happy to chat with you and answer any questions you may have!

Happy training!

Breeanne Roberts

 

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Individual Training Options – Ben Kersen

Individual Training Options for Your Dog Training Clients
By Ben Kersen

We all know there a number of ways to get a dog trained, but less thought about is how to best get the owner trained too!  There are a few options to consider when starting an individual training client.

Until Next Time,

Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Pros and Cons of Boarding & Training Client’s Dogs – By Ben Kersen

Pros and Cons of Boarding & Training Client’s Dogs
By Ben Kersen

In this clip I discuss the advantages and disadvantages of dog boarding and training your client’s dog as opposed to doing individual or group lessons with them.  There is definitely some good arguments for both sides.  Which do you prefer as a trainer?

Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Two Sets of Rules for Dogs? – By Ben Kersen

Two Sets of Rules for Dogs?
By Ben Kersen

If you’re a trainer you have probably heard clients complain that their spouse or visitors or kids aren’t being consistent with rules for the dog.  Is it possible that the dog can learn there are 2 (or 3 or more) sets of rules he lives by depending on  who he is with?

Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Ben Kersen - 2 sets of rules

Can you have your stick and eat it too? Is it possible to have a dog that understands 2 sets of rules?

Common Client Complaints – Housebreaking Issues – By Ben Kersen

Common Client Complaints – By Ben Kersen (written by Nancy Noden)
Housebreaking Issues

A common complaint that we hear from future clients of Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs is difficulty in teaching a puppy or young dog to be housebroken.

Ben Kersen’s approach is one of prevention, make sure that your dog does not have the opportunity to do it’s business in the house.  Ben says “If you are holding your puppy in your arms, very few will have an accident in this situation”.  If you are using a crate with your dog, put them in the crate if you are unable to watch them.  Another safe situation is to put the dog outside in a secure fenced yard as ideally this is where you want them to go.

DSC_0034Clients will often forget to watch their puppy when they are inside and this is when the accidents happen, the pup will go off into a corner of the house and do it’s business.  Instead, Ben recommends watching your puppy like a hawk and taking it outside frequently.  Don’t forget the importance too of praising it immediately when it does it for going in the correct area.

Ben has had great success using this method with his own Wonderdogs to the point that one of his dogs, Shiloh, never had an accident in the house in her many years in the Kersen household.

Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Daily Safety Rules for Your Dog – By Ben Kersen

Daily Safety Rules for Your Dog

By Ben Kersen

In this clip I discuss some of the rules I use with my own and my doggy daycare that ensure good manners and more importantly, safety!

Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Complaints from Clients – By Ben Kersen

Complaints from Clients
By Ben Kersen

When meeting a new client (whether they are interested in our Group Dog Training Classes, Individual Dog Training Lessons or our Professional Dog Trainers program) they come with some common complaints and negative attitudes about their dogs.  They are often at their wits end and mentally have their dog partway to the local animal shelter.  Most have tried other dog trainers with little to no luck and have pretty much given up all hope of living the life they envisioned when they first brought their furry friend home.  Thankfully, for whatever reason, they decided to give their dog one last try and called Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs for help.  And I am always so glad they did as most of the problems I see can not only be resolved but can be resolved very quickly.

Over the next few blogs I will cover some of the most common dog complaints we get from our new customers and outline some steps in dealing with these issues.

Client Complaints - Ben Kersen & the WonderdogsUntil Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen & the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
www.wonderdogs.ca

 

Safety for Your Dog in Your Home – By Ben Kersen

Safety for Your Dog in Your Home
By Ben Kersen

Training gear (whether it’s a “choke”/check chain, harness or head harness)  should only be used for training. It is also important that the equipment is fitted properly so there is less chance of it snagging on something when you turn your back. Dogs can get a training collar that is too long caught on a shrub in the yard or on furniture in the house. If the dog is unsupervised, it may panic, and this can be fatal.

At Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs we tell all our clients to be careful with feeding and exercising their dogs.  Ensure you feed your dog 20 minutes or more after exercising, and NEVER right before. When a dog has a full stomach then starts to exercise, the stomach can ‘flip’ or bloat (also called a stomach torsion) and this can often be a fatal condition.

Chocolate, though yummy for people, is poisonous for dogs. Semi-sweet chocolate in very small quantities can be fatal; milk chocolate isn’t quite as toxic but can still kill a dog if eaten in large quantities.

Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs Poison Proofing

Dogs are natural-born scavengers, and they will head for the worst things: a spot of antifreeze in a driveway (which is HIGHLY toxic and often fatal), a discarded chicken bone, chocolate, etc. Because scavenging is such a natural instinct, poison proofing is a vital part of your dog’s training.

We offer Poison Proofing at Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs.  There are two different concepts when teaching this:

1. teach your dog to take food from your hand only and never to scavenge for food on the ground; or2. if you have to be away or kennel your dog at times, you can teach your dog never to scavenge for food on the ground, but allow it to take food from other people.

Poison proofing is a service that Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs provide with consistent results. This consultation can be done in our office or by telephone. Visit our website for more information: www.wonderdogs.ca.

There are also many houseplants and some outdoor plants that are poisonous. Most nurseries have lists of these. Before you bring a puppy home, you will want to make an inventory of plants around the house.

The following is a list of plants that can be toxic or fatal to dogs:

Aloe Vera
Amaryllis
Apple (seeds)
Apple Leaf Croton
Apricot (pit)
Asparagus Fern
Autumn Crocus
Avocado (fruit and pit)
Azalea
Baby’s Breath
Bittersweet
Bird of Paradise
Branching Ivy
Buckey
Buddhist Pine
Caladium
Calla Lily
Castor Bean
Ceriman
Charming Dieffenbachia
Cherry (seeds and wilting leaves)
Chinese Evergreen
Christmas Rose
Cineraria
Clematis
Cordatum
Corn Plant
Cornstalk Plant
Croton
Cuban Laurel
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycad
Cyclamen
Daffodil
Devil’s Ivy
Dieffenbachia
Dracaena Palm
Dragon Tree
Dumb Cane
Easter Lily (especially in cats!!!!)
Elaine
Elephant Ears
Emerald Feather
English Ivy
Fiddle-leaf fig
Florida Beauty
Foxglove
Fruit Salad Plant
Geranium
German Ivy
Giant Dumb Cane
Glacier Ivy
Gold Dieffenbachia
Gold Dust Dracaena
Golden Pothos
Hahn’s Self-Branching Ivy
Heartland Philodendron
Hurricane Plant
Indian Rubber Plant
Janet Craig Dracaena
Japanese Show Lily (especially cats !!!)
Jerusalem Cherry
Kalanchoe
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lily of the Valley
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Marble Queen
Marijuana
Mexican Breadfruit
Miniature Croton
Mistletoe
Morning Glory
Mother-in Law’s Tongue
Narcissus
Needlepoint Ivy
Nephytis
Nightshade
Oleander
Onion
Oriental Lily (especially in cats!!!)
Peace Lily
Peach (wilting leaves and pits)
Pencil Cactus
Plumosa Fern
Poinsettia (low toxicity)
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Pothos
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Red Emerald
Red Princess
Red-Margined Dracaena
Rhododendron
Ribbon Plant
Saddle Leaf Philodendron
Sago Palm
Satin Pothos
Schefflera
Silver Pothos
Spotted Dumb Cane
String of Pearls
Striped Dracaena
Sweetheart Ivy
Swiss Cheese Plant
Taro Vine
Tiger Lily (especially cats!!!)
Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
Tree Philodendron
Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia
Weeping Fig
Yew

Until Next Time,
Ben Kersen
Ben Kersen and the Wonderdogs
Victoria, BC
http://www.wonderdogs.ca

Creating a Safe and Effective Outdoor Environment for your Business

A few things you might want to think about when creating a secure outdoor environment for your dog boarding business.

Until Next Time,

Ben