About Doug Parker
The The DOuGTrainer has trained dogs since 2009, having trained four-legged clients in Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Henderson, NV, the Philippines, the UK, and The Canary Islands, Spain. He’s a former Orlando Police Department volunteer in good standing. He’s vetted by the state of Nevada and Clark county to work with at-risk foster children. In college, he was a volunteer crisis hotline worker for three and a half years. His degree is in Computer Science, with minors in psychology and business. He did computer consulting and support in Orlando. He’s a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society where he’s sung baritone and bass since 1992, and has directed both men’s and women’s choruses.
He’s volunteered dog training time and effort, working with different adoption agencies in Las Vegas to foster tough, hard, challenging dog clients, rehabilitating them, and finally adopting them to loving families. His love and his passion is helping others with their dogs. Training is most successful when clients become as good or better than his abilities in being an owner, a leader, and a teacher.
About the Training
Regardless of the issue, age, history, or whatever, dog training problems almost always come down to leadership and patience. It’s always about the human. Training is usually done at your home for your convenience. Typically, you’ll see the results in one training session. Once a year, on average, a client will call less than 24 hours after starting training, asking, “Doug, did you switch my dog?”
The The DOuGTrainer shows you how patience drives everything, that is, he shows you how to trigger your dog’s triggers to become your dog’s leader–“dogs choose leaders,” not “humans choose to be dog’s leaders.” It’s not what we’ve been told.
Many owners have dogs that don’t listen, that bark, that do what they want, they may even be eliminating in the home. It’s hard to understand, but it all comes down to patience and leadership. It’s what your dog wants, and it’s what many owners are missing in the delivery. The DOuGTrainer shows you how to be that relaxed, patient leader.
There’s nothing new in the world of training tools. The DOuGTrainer is able to quickly establish trust and communication, and involves you in the training process so that he trains the dog and he trains you at the same time.
If you’re not consciously leading your pack, then your dog is being your leader–you don’t want that. The DOuGTrainer works with you and your dog to show you how to be the pack leader–how to be relaxed and patient.
Questions and Answers
Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?
DOuGTrainer’s testimonials say it best. “It’s not because of what he does, it’s because of how he does it.” — Pam H.
What do you like most about your job?
I like being able to quickly enter a dog owner’s home, develop the trust, and start communicating on a very personal level to accomplish the goals they want, which is to get rid of the dog’s high energy, barking, obsessiveness, or other anxious or aggressive behaviors.
What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What’s your answer?
Why does my dog ___? (Fill in the blank.)
It doesn’t matter what the issue is. It doesn’t matter how old the dog is. It doesn’t matter how old the owner is. It all comes down to leadership. When I show you in three minutes or less how your dog can act differently, you immediately start to see how effective my approach is.
If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?
Dogs are programmed by nature to take over if their owners don’t. Therefore, owners must act calm and assertive, like leaders, or they’re going to get into trouble. The thing is, our human culture doesn’t do a good job of telling our human friends how to be good, effective, calm, assertive dog leaders. That’s where the system fails.
There are no new tricks, only different teachers and trainers. Find one who has something you want, who has something you like. Make sure they can communicate clearly and patiently. If there are any uncomfortable feelings, don’t buy in–find yourself a different trainer, but do get one who’s effective.
What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?
My client Pam H. said it best. “Doug not only trained me and my dog–but he gracefully penetrated our emotional armor and left a permanent and exquisitely lovely mark on our lives. For that, I am forever grateful. In summary: Hire The DOuGTrainer. You will be pleased and amazed!”
Do you have a favorite story from your work?
Pam H. has a chihuahua named Gertrude–Gertie. Gertie barked and barked and barked. The first day I showed up at Pam’s home, I ignored Gertie–which was probably the first time anyone had ever treated Gertie that way.
Within minutes, Gertie came over to me–while I was still ignoring her–and sat down at my feet and shut up.
It’s said that a dog responds to a person’s energy. This was proof.
Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.
Most of what I do deals with getting control back into the hands of the owner. I bring conceptual information that many owners are missing. I present it in ways that are easy to remember, and then engage them in the training process with that information and their dog so they can see how it works, so they can see how it all fits together.
What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
The way you address getting training for your dog is a microcosm of the larger picture. How you treat yourself is mirrored in the way you treat your dog. How your dog behaves is how you are, and vice versa, how you are is how your dog will act. You mirror your dog, and your dog mirrors you. The two are interwoven and a trainer who’s savvy enough will be able to discern this and use it to his or her advantage in the training process. It’s uncanny, and it’s accurate. Much of the task of dog ownership and pack leadership comes down to being a better person yourself. It’s about being a strong, calm, assertive leader who’s got humility in the mix.
How did you decide to get in your line of work?
I have a minor in psychology, I spent almost four years on a crisis hotline in college, and I found I had a natural knack with dogs.
Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.
If you go to www.DOuGTrainer.com, on the front page there’s a video of Candy and Teddy. Candy and Teddy are Bichon Frisés who quickly understood The DOuGTrainer‘s approach. In less than two hours, they were sitting quiet and pretty.
Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?
I’m always reading, watching videos, and talking to other trainers about our dog training.
If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.
I have a simple hourly rate.
For those who can’t afford my rates, I leave it up to them to propose a Pay it Forward plan that is reasonable for them and reasonable for me, and I honor that agreed upon alternative.
In about one case per month, I volunteer my training time, because I think it’s more important to get the training for a dog than to be making a profit on them. In the end it all works out, because word of mouth creates more advertising from the training than I could ever imagine.
Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.
All of my training is in the greater Las Vegas area. Most of my training can be accomplished in a two hour session. That doesn’t mean I’m not ever going to come back–I certainly will if it’s necessary–but my goal is to not come back.
I’m always available by email, phone, or via an at-home visit.
What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?
There’s nothing new in the dog training business. There are only effective trainers and ineffective trainers.
In your mind, while working with your trainer, you should always see a green light and no red flags. The instant you get a red light or a red flag–regardless of its cause–stop everything and talk about what it was that triggered it. The way you address the red flag is indicative of your attitude toward the training, toward yourself, and your dog. Identify it, talk about it, shine the light on it, and address it. If the red doesn’t go away, get a different trainer.
If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?
Be honest, be open, be vulnerable, be transparent, be humble. Dogs know your energy, and they’ll see right through you otherwise.
Humans can be just as preceptive and judgmental! 🙂
What question do you always ask your clients?
The question I ask is, “Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to get your dog trained?” The answer to the question as well as the way the question is answered all point to the owner’s willingness and commitment level for the dog.
A half-hearted answer is a half-hearted owner. A quick, eager “yes” is an eager owner. The dog mirrors the owner; the owner mirrors the dog’s behaviors.
It’s uncanny.
Do you advocate group training in public places?
Generally, no, I don’t support public, group training.
For most owners to see the immediate response in their dog’s behavior, the initial training needs to be focused, intense, and one-on-one, and it’s not possible to get that in a public, group setting.
Trainings that clients usually pay for ahead of time which happens inside a brick and mortar store are only effective for getting the owner and their dog comfortable with walking around inside that store. The training has to be more focused initially, and has to be slowly broadened to larger and larger areas, and its scope also has to widen to include more situations. The owner has to be trained to be confident in all areas all the time, because when the owner’s confidence is always at its highest, she’s being the best pack leader she can be. That all starts at home, and it radiates from there.
What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?
Buyers–dog owners–have to be ready to change; not the dog–the owner!
Owners who think the dog is the one that needs to change, and who keep thinking it’s the dog that needs to change have it all wrong. These are almost always the clients that I find impossible to work with their dogs, I find it extremely difficult to schedule, who are difficult to communicate with by phone, email, or text, and usually those who never ask me back. The lack of commitment in the contact and the lack of connection throughout the process is mirrored in the dog’s behavior, and the owner (not surprisingly) is never able to see it. It’s uncanny–it all fits together so seamlessly.
All adults need to be present, and all adults need to agree that whatever treatment plan is devised needs to be followed through by everyone, otherwise the dog gets different messages and the training breaks down. Children usually pick the training up more quickly than the adults, so they don’t need to be around for the training. Therefore, the adults need to be consistent in modeling the new training methods so it’s consistent for the dog and consistent for the children to see and model their behaviors after.
What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?
Do you come to my house? The answer should be yes.
Do you train me or do you train my dog? The answer should be yes to both.
When you leave, will my dog’s behavior change? This is one of those grey areas.
If I’ve done my job well, then that means I’ve trained you well enough that when I leave, you take over as pack leader and the dog doesn’t change after I leave.
On the other hand, all dogs are always changing. They’re always challenging you to see if you’re still being calm and assertive. Provide you are still calm and assertive, they’ll continue to be the calm submissive follower. However, if you stop being the leader, you’re going to see them change as they reclaim pack leadership. It’s common sense, and it’s nature. They’re programmed to be that way, so provided you understand that, and you do your job to keep it from happening, it won’t happen.
Describe three recent jobs you’ve completed.
Bacchus the Beagle in north Las Vegas, Forte the rescue Maltese, and Norma A.’s two Bichon Frisés Candy and Teddy.
What is your greatest strength?
I have patience, patience, and more patience. It shows, and it really pays off quickly.
What are you currently working on improving?
I’m always learning about new and different dog breeds and their characteristics.