Dog Training Houston

So which dog trainer is right for you in Houston TX?

My name is Martin Bell and I own Shelmar Kennels.

I just wanted to give you a little background on me and my kennel to help your decision for a dog trainer in Houston TX

I want to teach you how to make the dog walk to heel, sit and stay on command and be a good citizen in the house, at dog parks or on the walk around the neighborhood. The process with which we get there I have never seen written before in any dog training book or manual. I have learned and sculpted my own dog training program, through experience in training over 10,000 dogs in both private one-on-one sessions, boarding in our kennel and dogs of all breeds living in our home while in training.

I have read many books, talked to many so-called ‘experts’ and gurus in the dog training industry and they all talk about how to make a dog sit, heel or the techniques of how to make a dog come back when its called. What I have found is a lack of information and the lack of understanding on how to generate a complete system of dog training and daily structure regimen that is effective in training dogs that have already developed problems and issues for their owners. Lets face it, most every dog will have some kind of issue - such as hyperactivity, aggression, stubbornness or a perceived inability to learn at some point in their life!

Dog obedience training is the process of systematically educating a dog to follow voice commands and hand signals given by the dog handler or owner, creating a structured environment and day-to-day routine that is easy and convenient for the dogs owner, to follow and implement. If this system is not in place and cannot be replicated by you, our clients, then no amount of training commands will make the process successful or complete. 

We must strive to produce for our clients a dog that not only listens to them and does what hes told but we must also provide a solid systematical approach to day-to-day life with your pet. A routine. A structured environment. A plan for ongoing training on a daily basis as well as follow up lessons and advanced training with you as the dog trainer.  Thats what dog training Houston does!

Having a routine, a structured schedule and a complete plan puts you in the driving seat with your pup. 

My basic dog obedience commands are as follows - in order of importance. 

Heel

Sit

NO

Here (or Come)

Kennel

Wait

Down

The Schedule

The above list is an overview of specific training commands. I want you to understand right now that the specific schedule and day-to-day routine with any dog is as important, if not more important, than any command you can ever train.

Let me repeat that again. The dogs schedule, how you interact with them, the periods of time the dog is not being trained and how you setup the dogs down time (not training time) determines the amount of success that your training has. 

If the dog is allowed to roam the backyard or roam the household all day and night - no amount of 10 to 15 min. training sessions is going to change the dogs overall behavior or fix the issues you are having.

All we can do as dog trainers is provide a foundation of obedience training for dogs and ongoing support to our clients by providing accurate information about their dog, the dogs individual behavior and any tendencies the animal may have.

We cannot train a dog to be a perfect angel throughout the rest of its life. Its impossible! What we can do is educate our clients, the dog’s owners, their family and friends to interact with the dog in such a way that their behavior has a positive impact on the dog - not a negative impact!

Most of our clients have no idea how to interact with their dog. They want to treat them like children, never really explaining to the dog what he is doing wrong as well as spoil them - even though the dog is NOT behaving as they would like.

My first job with any new client is explaining my method and explaining to them the changes that have to be made to change the dog’s behavior, will come from changes in the owners behavior and that of their children and family. Its an ongoing process not a simple 1 or 2 lesson fix. Its a lifestyle change, a change in perception between human owners and their dogs.

We have a huge advantage over all of our dog training competitors because we will not only train your dog - but also give you a successful system that can be implemented on a daily basis that will guarantee you success with your dog.

Damn Martin - I thought you were going to teach me how to train dogs!

I am - I promise!  :-) 

But first I want to teach you how to train yourself to think like a dog trainer.  

The only way to be successful and the only way to stay in the dog training business successfully for years is by being good at what you do and by being bluntly honest with your customers. 

I can help no one by sugarcoating their dog’s issues. I dont want you to be a jerk -

I simply want you to be honest with you. 

This makes me wildly successful with 98% of all the people I ever deal with. The remaining 2% are probably going to hate me! 

You see - the 2% are the ones that are unable to change and refuse to see a dog as an animal, truly believing that the dog is an equal. 

I dont concern myself with the 2%. Yes they leave bad reviews, dislike me and promise never to refer you to anybody. 

But the 98% that you help by changing their dogs behavior adore us, listen to every word that I say and believe in me. They refer me to their friends and family, they will show off their dogs and their training ability at any opportunity and actively market my dog training business for me. 

SO - I  never hide any dog’s issues.

I always tell my clients the truth.

I treat everyone fairly because the mistakes you are making that I see so easily - you dont see them as mistakes, or you dont understand the behaviors you display will cause those issues in your dogs training. 

Most people are misguided into believing that the more attention, affection and caring they give to the dog - will lead to the dog will eventually rewarding them with good behavior. Im not going to jump on my soapbox and start ranting and raving anytime soon about the correlation between bad behavior in children and bad behavior in dogs or the lack of work ethic of society in general but rather the proliferation of bad advice dispensed freely over the Internet and TV. People believe what they read and believe what they say even in this day and age! They have been led to believe that animals have human emotions - from comic books to cartoons and even nature shows.

This has led to dogs, in some dog owner’s minds, as having equality with humans. This cannot be further from the truth and I truly believe this is the root cause of most dog issues you will see. I am always quick to tell my clients when meeting them in evaluating their dogs - point blank - that the human dog relationship should be one of leader / follower - leader, you, and follower, the dog. Explaining to my clients that your dog can never be human, he can only ever be a dog. If we attempt to treat them as human problems inevitably arise because the dog simply cannot live up to being a human - he can only ever be a dog...and thats a good thing :-)

Thats not to say that being treated like a dog is a bad thing. Is what your dog expects! Its what you should provide. A good solid education, a caring loving relationship between the two of you, a comfortable place to sleep, fresh water and a complete healthy diet, shots and immunizations and a regular veterinary checkup to keep your pup free of heart-worms, parasites, infections and ensuring his continued health and longevity.

Nobody provides this for me I have to go out and work to pay for those things! I always joke with my clients that a dog is at the bottom of the food chain because they do not have a job, don’t contribute financially in any way to the household and cant even feed themselves!

I always use this little joke to put them in the right frame of mind to accept that the dog is dependent upon them for everything. That way they must be in charge, decide on schedule and make all the rules. This is the 1st step to changing dog behavior – owner acceptance as being the authority figure in the dogs life.

I always endeavor to educate both humans and canines to the best of my ability.

Im not going to tell you this is easy. The only thing I will promise you is the more you believe in your ability as a leader, the easier it becomes to change your dogs bad behavior.  When you truly believe in yourself, you will look your dog right in the eyes, deliver your assessment of their behavior and provide solutions on how to change any behavioral issues they are having.

Obedience training is the foundation that will start your puppy on the correct treadmill of life.

The whole family will enjoy your pup much more - if obedient, than unruly, thus leading pup to full involvement in all aspects of your family’s various activities. This is the greatest gift you can bestow upon your dog, inclusion in every aspect of your life. As dog trainers we provide dog owners with training and information to ensure a fun, loving and fulfilling relationship with their dog.

An obedience program will also make your pup a happy and confident member of the household, as he will learn right from wrong, be able to take daily life in his stride, and understand the difference between training and playtime.

On a personal note, we as dog trainers save dogs lives by changing behavior. Not just one or two, but in my case probably thousands have been saved from dog pounds, rescue facilities and being put to sleep.  This is all because you and I and people just like us, are dedicated enough to change bad behavior in both humans and dogs as well as tell the hard truths to dog owners when necessary but most importantly provide an actionable plan that is easy to follow and implement combined with effective training techniques that stick.

I love training dogs; I want YOU to love training dogs. I dont know about you but I dont need accolades for what I do on a daily basis, saving dogs lives.  But I can tell you it sure does feel good, gives you peace of mind, a great sense of accomplishment and I sleep like a baby at night!

Martin Bell

Shelmar Kennels

PS.  Want to find out more about me? - click here 

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