The Human Half of Dog Training: Collaborating with Clients to Get Results

Dogs? No Problem! People? Yikes!!
Most dog trainers have a strong desire to help dogs learn appropriate behaviors and solve the kinds of problems that most dogs experience or create. It is why they get into the business in the first place and it is what they are trained to do. What is challenging for so many trainers is that their success in working with dogs ultimately depends on the cooperation, understanding and follow-through of the people who bring their dogs to them to be trained. Failure to work with people often leads to failure with the dogs.

In The Human Half of Dog Training, author Risë VanFleet draws upon her years of experience of working with people as a child and family psychologist to teach dog trainers how take a collaborative approach with clients to help insure the best possible outcomes for their dogs.

You will learn:
-The vital skill of empathic listening so that the trainer truly understands the needs and goals of the client.
-How cognitive distortions and resistance can disrupt the trainer/client relationship.
-How to work with a family in cases where spouses or children may complicate the trainer/client relationship.
-Ways to handle common objections and to get clients to commit to training programs.

What experts are saying about The Human Half of Dog TrainingThe most gaping hole in the pet dog training literature has finally been filled, and filled with radiant savoire-faire. Risë Van Fleet has hit it out of the park.
Jean Donaldson, Founder, The Academy for Dog Trainers, author of Oh Behave!

The Human Half of Dog Training is a practical and theoretical book that fills a much-needed hole in the dog training literature. Risë’s background in working with humans, combined with her skills as a dog trainer, give her a unique perspective on how to get our clients on board. If you’ve ever been frustrated by your clients’ resistance or lack of follow-through, this book is for you!
Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA, KPACTP, author of Behavior Adjustment Training

Risë VanFleet, Ph.D., RPT-S, CDBC, is a licensed psychologist, registered play therapist-supervisor, and certified dog behavior consultant with nearly 40 years of clinical and leadership experience working with children and families. She is the president of the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center and founder of its Playful Pooch Program located in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania where she lives with husband, five dogs and three cats.