A MESSAGE FROM JEFF…
Hello. I am Jeff Gellman, owner of Solid K-9 Training.
During the last 15 years, I’ve dedicated my life to training dogs with serious problem behaviors.
These dogs can’t help themselves. They can’t control their nervousness, aggression or reactivity. Their owners have exhausted all other means of training, including the exclusive use of positive reinforcement. They’ve spent countless hours and hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars looking for solutions to their dogs’ behavior to no avail. When they turn to me, they’re at their wit’s end and often just one step away from giving their dogs up, sending them back to the shelter or, in extreme cases, having them put down because they are a safety risk.
I’m writing this open letter because you may have seen recent social media activity related to one of the techniques I use to work with these dogs. It is called “bonking.”
Bonking entails taking a terrycloth towel, rolling it up and throwing it at a dog just as it presents aggressive behavior. The dog will recoil or whelp but the effect is psychological – like when a new mother dog snaps at her pup to bring it in line.
Bonking snaps the dog out of its regressive trance, allowing it to calm down. It is not physically harmful. It is done in a controlled setting, with the knowledge and permission of the owner, who is usually present. I only have to do it once or twice before the dog’s mind is open to all-positive reinforcement training.
I recently posted a 20-minute video of a training session in which I bonked a dog. Predictably, the dog reacted and then settled down. It took all of a few seconds. But someone took that snippet out of context and sent it out on social media, triggering a backlash from people who had no background about the dogs I work with or my reason for using the technique.
Although the Internet chatter has died down, I wanted to post this special message anyway so you can have all the facts and context. I also invite you to contact me if you have any questions about bonking or any of the other techniques I use.
As the scores of testimonials on my website show, my methods are highly effective and always come from a place of love and compassion for dogs and their owners.
Sincerely,
Jeff