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Ken Schilling's philosophy of dog handling is to develop
compliance. Training both the dog and the owner is a large part
of his curriculum, as a dog's training is only as good as the
environment in which it lives. While Ken does train dogs without the
owners, he enjoys working with the owners as much as possible.
Ken uses what he calls Schilling’s Balanced Method, in which
there is a balance of reward and discipline; a deliberate
balance in training will gain compliance quickly and
effectively, eliminating confusion and promoting comprehension.
This “balance” defines GOOD (appropriate, acceptable)
behavior as rewarding and BAD (inappropriate, unacceptable)
behavior as having consequences which are not rewarding.
Balanced does not mean equal – done properly there
is far more reward than discipline, the balance is
achieved through the elimination of the opportunities
to display BAD behavior.
Clear communication develops the understanding necessary
for both the dog and owner to enjoy a rewarding relationship.
Ken is "As gentle as possible, as firm as necessary;
designing each exercise for success." Ken ensures that the dog
receives praise and reward - which leads to a happy, compliant
dog.
Ken Schilling on the "Alpha Roll" (I'll
take mine with coffee, black)
 The
"alpha roll" -- I have often wondered about the origins --
not to mention the sanity -- of its proponents. I hear
reference of it frequently and shudder at the thought of the
inexperienced, average "Joe" -- with a truly dominant dog --
attempting to gain compliance through forced submission and
the execution of this "alpha roll." (How many sutures does
it take to put "Joe" back together again?)
The "alpha roll" is touted as an act of domination in the
canine world. I submit this interpretation is incorrect; it
does not occur. The act of rolling over on one's back is an
act of voluntary submission performed by a weak-minded dog
-- not an act of dominance -- and is the least likely option
to be chosen. Generally, a dog's reaction is either fight or
flight. If "fight" is chosen, and the battle goes against
them, the dog will then opt to flee, but not roll over and
pee.
In training a truly dominant dog, a person should seek
compliance rather than submissive behavior in the
dog/handler relationship.
In training, I assume a dominant attitude; as gentle as
possible, as firm as necessary. When first establishing
rapport with a dog, the attitude -- my attitude -- is that
of a MAN dealing with a dog (after all, I buy the groceries
and pay the rent), not the dog to dog, "alpha" mind-set,
which is confrontational and subject to challenge, fight or
flight. As a trainer, I predetermine the outcome of training
sessions and this is not subject to challenge, fight or
flight. Compliance is mandatory and is rewarded;
noncompliance simply is not an option which I offer. By
eliminating options other than the correct one -- through
the design and structure of each exercise -- the dog is
successful, receives reward and learns compliance. Any other
form of submissive behavior detracts from successful
communication, comprehension and completion
(roll-over-and-pee is really tough to deal with). Both fight
and flight are powerful emotional, as well as physical,
drives which severely inhibit the learning process.
Help yourself; help your dog; get some training; but get
your "roll" at the bakery.
Untrainable?
When asked if a dog is ever "untrainable", or if certain
breeds are better than others, Ken likes to use the following
analogy: Take a pigs ear, give it to a master leatherworker, and
you can end up with a nice useful leather product like a wallet.
But you cannot make a silk blouse out of a pigs ear. For that
you need silk. Dogs are like that; while most dogs -- no matter
what the history -- can be trained to be obedient, certain
breeds are better than others at performing complicated tasks.
Schilling will train any dog, but his breed of choice is the
German Shepherd Dog. He has trained German Shepherd Dogs for over 30
years to do things from locating snipers on the front lines of
war, to helping disabled people live their lives easier.
According to Ken, the German Shepherd Dog not only excels in
training, but also has the ability to adapt to a variety of
climates, from the Alaskan tundra to the hot summers of South
Texas.
The search for the perfect line of German Shepherd Dog has taken
Ken to all over the world. Now, however, his breeding stock is
found primarily by looking around the living room of the
Schilling home.
Recall
A training foundation based on the recall is a foundation
that will endure. A dog that comes when called can be trained in
an atmosphere which is relaxing and pleasurable for both dog and
handler. Training dogs is an art more than a science. There are too many variables to be able to predict how far a
dog can go with its training. A dog can be trained if it has a
good recall, however, there is no guarantee that every dog will
be able to do or achieve as high a training level as other dogs
of the same breed.
To learn more about Ken Shilling, see the
Biography page. |
