Methods - Ours vs. Theirs

One must have a way to communicate with a dog to get it to do whatever you want it to do.  For example; obedience, utility protection etc… and there are only so many ways to achieve such communication.  Love alone will not do it.  A dog may listen to you to a certain extent because it loves you, but you will never completely connect with guidance, the leadership of love.  Some try intimidation (yelling at the dog, rolled up newspapers, shock collars or pinch chains).  These methods are very bad because if you’ve intimidated a dog to mind you are:  

The majority of dogs do not completely trust their owners, but you have to realize that gaining an animal’s trust does not come from you feeding it, loving it or taking it for walks.  Trust is gained from the guidance the dog gets from you.  Love is usually never the problem for an owner, it’s a must, it’s always the guidance and leadership that owners do not understand.  One thing that gives a dog a sense of security and makes them the happiest is order.  But the order has to be established in a balanced, positive manner.  Most all dogs want to please, but the lack of understanding by owners because what the owner knows about a dog usually comes from past dogs they’ve owned, books they have read or what their friends have told them. There may be some similarities but it’s not the dog in front of them. 

Other methods “dog trainers” use can include outside reinforcements, such as food treats (which we’ve already mentioned), ropes, toys and clickers as items to motivate the animal.  We believe that you, the owner, should be the dog’s motivation.  We do not use any kind of outside reinforcement or any kind of intimidation whatsoever. Ralph uses only the science of reading and motivating your particular dog and then becoming the "mediator" between you and your dog.  Ralph has worked with over 12000 dogs and owners.  There are no two dogs that are alike.  Each one is different, requiring a different approach.  Ralph never goes by breed, size, sex or age when “reading” an animal.  Just like no two people are the same, no two dogs are the same, or no two Italians or no two Japanese are the same.  No two cocker spaniels are alike, etc.. Each one has its own personality, its own temperament and its own way of behaving.  Never at any time should the main reason for motivation be an outside reinforcement such as food, treat or intimidation.

History of Ralph’s Methods

Ralph Gibson is one of legendary Jack Healy’s only remaining students left in the world, practicing the “Healy Method” and has been refining this “art” for over 27 years.

The United States K-9 Academy where Ralph received his formal training, was founded by Jack Healy over half a century ago.  Mr. Healy set out to find a scientific method of dog training.  He also strove to discover a breeding formula which would yield an animal with superior intellect and valor to be not only a loving pet, but also a fierce protector.  Thus he developed the distinctive Healy Method of “dog training” and the highly acclaimed natural protector canine.  The Healy Method is a non-intrusive technique for training canines for reliable companionship and protection.

Mr. Healy began his initial training while in the United States Armed Forces.  He was instrumental in the development of the K-9 field patrol units in World War II.  The knowledge he obtained from working with the military inspired him to further investigate the demeanor and manners of the wild dogs in their natural habitat.  Mr. Healy ventured to Alaska to study the behavior of the wolf in its natural surroundings.  His journey then took him across the seas to Australia to analyze the dingo mannerisms and finally to Africa to observe the conduct of that continent's wild dogs. 

Mr. Healy also took a revolutionary’s approach to breeding and made a breakthrough discovery known as the “first scent” which is implanting a familiar odor with a newborn puppy.  The reason for this is a newborn puppy cannot see or hear so the emphasis is put on the sense of smell.  Thus, Healy derived hands on whelping techniques so that the primary scent is human not canine.  This allowed Mr. Healy to breed puppies who would associate man as their true companion instead of other dogs.  Mr. Healy’s research on pheromones was another tremendous finding in canine evolution.  Pheromones are the chemical communicator between different species.  Healy applied this body chemistry communication to refine the distinction between different types of intentions.  With this new revelation Mr. Healy was able to make his dogs differentiate between a true physical threat and a non-violent advance. 

Ralph Gibson has implemented these techniques and today helps dog owners to have a “personal pet protector” ... dogs who know the difference between a true threat and someone who is horse-playing or afraid.

Behavioral Modification vs. Obedience

All obedience training is "sit, heel, down and come". We do not “train” dogs.  We “educate” them.  We can teach any dog to sit, heel, stay, down and come usually within about 20-30 minutes. But, take the leash off the dog and you’ll see what your dealing with ... it’s not obedience commands, it’s the behavior of the animal.  What you need is a way to communicate with your dog so you can let them know right from wrong ...  what you want them to do and what you don’t want them to do. But this communication must be balanced.

A trained dog is a dog that knows a series of commands. There are usually about 12 different ones.  An educated dog has an overall obedient attitude consisting of a good 100 to 200 different things. You’re striving to build an obedient attitude in the animal, not to make a robot.  You cannot put a dog in a sit/stay the rest of its life.  To deal with a dog properly “child psychology” has to be used.  “Dog training” does not use child psychology, but usually many different types of outside reinforcements such as food or toys, treats or pinch chains, shock collars, electric fences, intimidation, etc… Take these things away from the “dog-trainer” and they usually can’t do much with a dog.

Dogs start to require and demand leadership and guidance as early as 4-5 weeks old and it’s not on sit, heel, stay, down or come.  It’s what sparks their way of thinking. It’s the same as a child in that they know what you teach them or they teach themselves. You have to become the role model and it’s not on sit, heel, stay, down or come.  It is the behavior, temperament and personality of the dog that you are having to deal with.  It’s the science of how to read and motivate the dog.  Dogs do things for Ralph Gibson out of respect and willingness. It is mainly about teaching a dog that when you ask him or her to do something that they want to do it for you the first time, not the 2nd or 3rd time.  He “reads” the animal and stays a step ahead of them as he teaches the owner how to do the same thing.

Ralph Gibson is the best and can help you with any situation including: 

Housebreaking, barking, chewing, digging, car chasing, fighting, turning over garbage cans, jumping on people and/or furniture, pulling or wandering from home, excessive licking, are just a few.  A lot of Ralph’s work is therapeutic work. He can rehabilitate and/or re-educate or correct problem behavior such as shyness, submissiveness, fear, biting, protest biting and overly aggressive behaviors ... even in older dogs.

Call us today or use our contact form, for more information or to schedule a free consultation.