Dog trainer: understand a dog's motivation before teaching it
Ginta Lešinska, founder of the Good Behaviour School for Dogs in Saldus and Liepāja, says behaviour problems can be solved by understanding a dog's nature and teaching emotional control. She also advises choosing a breed carefully.
The Good Behaviour School for Dogs operates in Saldus and Liepāja, in Latvia. Its founder and trainer, Ginta Lešinska, took up dog training professionally seven years ago, and the school has existed for as long. In an interview she explained how to build a better bond between a dog and its owner, and why choosing a dog needs careful thought.
How training begins
Lešinska stresses that a dog must first be understood, not merely taught. The key is to find out what motivates it: food, petting, words, a toy or games. In her view, most behaviour problems, such as jumping up, biting, barking or suddenly running off, arise because the animal cannot control its emotions, impulses and instincts. Learning calm is therefore the main goal. Temperament cannot be changed, she says, but behaviour can be improved considerably.
The trainer believes it is never too late to learn. Senior dogs have come to her, and a 14-year-old female dog's barking problem was resolved in a single session. When teaching heel walking, she avoids harsh methods: at first the dog is allowed to carry out a command on its own, and if it ignores it, she calmly helps it physically.
Choosing a breed and taking responsibility
Lešinska has noticed that people often pick dogs for their looks rather than breed characteristics. Beagles, for instance, are hard to train because they are hunting dogs with a keen sense of smell and high activity levels. She advises considering the owner's lifestyle and finances, since veterinary care, food and training all cost money. For older people she suggests considering an adult shelter dog, whose temperament is already clear.
She declined to speculate about the incident in Carnikava, where two dogs attacked kindergarten children. She noted that when a family has both a dog and a child, both must be raised with equal care, and she believes owners should be penalised when dogs escape.
New owners also attend the school, such as Normunds from Pāvilosta with a three-month-old American Staffordshire terrier puppy, who wants to learn basic obedience.
