Mary Allen
Anyone who gets a dog cannot avoid good dog training. It is particularly important for a harmonious coexistence between humans and dogs. With exactly this motto, the dog trainer Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann supports dog owners in the training of their four-legged friends every day. Here she answers our questions about dog training.
You are One of Germany’s Best-Known Dog Experts and Founded Your Dog Academy in 1994. What Distinguishes Your Academy and What is the Focus of Your Work?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: We have been successfully “on the market” for more than 20 years. The dog academy now consists of a large team. Our focus is family dog training – from puppies to seniors. We prefer to offer private lessons. This in turn results in group courses of all kinds for everyone and every dog. My passion is seminars for “end users” and dog trainers – from body language and character assessment to keeping multiple dogs and retrieving as a meaningful activity. Aggression seminars and the Human-Dog Counselor (BMH) course are the annual highlights of the Perdita Lübbe Dog Academy.
How Did You Become a Dog Trainer and Where Did You Get This Broad Knowledge of Dog Education and Training From?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: I mean, it was in my blood. I grew up with dogs, had some excellent teachers (Dr. Dorit Feddersen-Petersen, Heinz Gail from the German Retriever Club, Günther Bloch) at a time when there were hardly any dogs schools and trainers. I love the practical work and am still learning every day.
What “Problems” Do Owners and Their Dogs Come to You at the Academy Most Often?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: The most important issues are: being on a leash – often associated with “rabble” when meeting, chasing, staying alone, not accepting “nos” and recently more and more aggression – even as a puppy.
Do You Think That in General, All Dogs are Trainable? Can Even “Old Hands” Be Trained out of Negative Behavior?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: I don’t think you can “pull it off”. I think more of a “change”. For me, it is true that “man makes the dog”. There is a character, there are basics – I only touch them a little. I can put it in a frame. I think so.
What Does a Typical Training/Education Session Look Like in Your Academy?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: It’s difficult to describe because the training is very individual. We start with an inventory (character assessment) to get an idea. Then we have a conversation with the customer about where the journey should go and what a person would like to be for their dog. Then we start with the first training steps. It is important to us that the dog believes in its people, trusts them, and orients itself towards them. (Correct) seat, place, here, etc. is rather neglected with us. Our customers want to learn to read their dogs’ expressive behavior and to praise them properly.
“For a Harmonious Coexistence of Man and Dog” is the Motto That is the Focus of Your Work. What Does a Harmonious Coexistence of Humans and Dogs Look Like to You?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: Listen, be benevolent, have fun, be respectful, play, offer orientation, forgiveness, don’t take the behavior personally, be open…
Can You Name Three Basic Rules That are Most Important in Dog Training?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: Respect, benevolence, clarity/fairness/saving face… three are not enough, nor are six.
In Your Opinion, What Do Many Dog Owners Do Wrong When Training Their Four-Legged Friends?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: They make princes out of their puppies or newly acquired four-legged friends until it gets annoying because the dog is now holding the scepter in its paw. Then the screaming is great. And I can understand it that way. I have a prince, However, when it comes down to it, he knows I mean it the same way.
Have You Ever Had to Deal With a “Problem Dog” That – to Put it Bluntly – Lost its Hops and Malt?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: Yes, in the past – with less knowledge. The problem is that you can’t cure these dogs and you need the right, considerate owner to do it. A very responsible job with a lot of baggage on our shoulders. But of course, there are still dogs today that make a lot of demands on me.
And Was There a Particularly Pleasant Example in Your Career Where a Problem Dog Became a True Model Dog?
Perdita Lübbe-Scheuermann: Yes, there are quite a few of them. Because man and dog simply fit. I’m talking about dogs from our Start-ins – neu – Leben project, but there are also plenty of examples of customers who came to us with their dogs. Now the question is: What is a model dog? None of the dogs became lambs. However, they are inconspicuous because they are in the best hands. For example, Rottweiler lady “Asta”, whom we placed with a gentleman over 70 years old. The two have now been happily together for 1.5 years. Cycling, hiking, etc. and the dog does not attract negative attention. Or Makulu, the vicious terrier mix who ended up in our “Start in – new – life” project. He bit like a snake. Now he lives with Silke, my assistant, and is in a good mood and happy.