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

By: Rise VanFleet

Narrated by: Debra Shieber

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 Training":

The 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!

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2013 Dogwise Publishing (P)2025 Dogwise Publishing

Critic reviews

"The 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 BAT 2.0

Amazing Resource for Beginner Dog Trainers

I have recently received my dog trainer's certification. While I have much experience with dogs, I am always looking for ways to improve communication with clients. I love that this book has relevant anecdotes and methods for approaching tricky situations. For example, in my area, prong collars have really picked up in popularity. I have many clients use them, but they are not my preferred tool. I've always struggled with the best way to approach clients about stepping away from prong collars and this book gave me excellent suggestions for doing that. I know the way to change minds is not to be too aggressive about it or put people on the defensive, but I was not too quite sure about how I should approach things instead. This book has given me the tools to respond to this problem I've been having and more. I really appreciate the psychological approach the book takes. Having things laid out in this way, with the science behind people's thinking and personal anecdotes illustrating situations has helped me prepare myself for potential conversations with clients.

A must read

This is truly a must read for dog trainers! Besides for amazing thoughts, there are so many examples and practical applications.

Great Information,even for a 40+ year professional

The book is written in an easy-to-understand narrative and covers almost every scenario that you would encounter with a client. I have been in the Health Care field for 40+ years and the dog training business for 15+ years, so I thought I was well versed in this subject.
Some of the ideas I was already aware of - common sense. But always worth a reminder. She also had some talking points that I hadn't thought of, but they made a lot of sense. I took notes along the way and plan to review those every so often. Van Fleet provides real-life scenarios with great talking points for dealing with difficult-to-manage clients. This book is suitable for any professional who deals with the public.