Trainer’s Spotlight: Mike Loeshe of Homeland K-9
1. Can you provide a brief overview of yourself and your business and services?
My name is Mike Loesche. I am a graduate of National K-9 and have attended training at Robin MacFarlane’s “That’s My Dog” as well. I am the owner and head trainer of Homeland K-9 in Springboro, OH. I specialize in remote collar training and “board and trains”. Once a client’s dog completes a board and train with me they attend group classes in order to solidify the obedience around real world distractions. This builds confidence in the owner’s ability to be able to control their dogs in public. I also offer Puppy Preschool, Kinder Puppy, and Specialty Training such as Tracking 101, Fun Nose work, and Sport Protection.
2. What advice can you give a potential dog owner who is looking to adopt from a dog/puppy from a shelter?
When most people decide to adopt a dog, the first thing they think about is how cute the dog is. They also often want to know if the dog has any obedience training or is housebroken.
I believe the two most important things to consider are is the dog confident, and is the dog sociable with humans and other animals. The answer to these questions are not always evident just by seeing a dog at the shelter. My recommendation is to take the dog outside and away from the kennel area to see how they interact with you and your family. I would also bring a ball or tug toy to see if the dog has any drive. This is going to be important for positive obedience training. Remember, a dog can always learn obedience commands and be housetrained with consistency after they are adopted. However, if a dog is super fearful or unsociable a new owner may find it difficult to turn this dog into a desirable member of the family. It would take a very patient owner to adopt a dog with these characteristics.
3. From your experience and in your opinion, what are some of the most common mistakes dog owners make?
I think the biggest mistake I see is owners believe bonding with their dog means spoiling their dog. In fact, it is just the opposite. Dogs need someone in charge. This comes through obedience training and rules. Your dog will love and respect you more if they have boundaries and leadership. Do not make your dog an equal by allowing him/her to sleep in your bed, eat people food, and get on the furniture. I am not referring to owners who buy small dogs for the purpose of having a “lap dog” as this is OK. However, Even lap dogs should not be in bed with you or treated as if they were a human child.
Another major mistake that I see is that for most dogs, when they are purchased or adopted it is like hitting the mega millions overnight. Everything is free for the dog. They have to do nothing to survive. I try to teach my students that the dog needs to work for everything he/she wants. For example, food, toys, going outside, getting praise, etc. This can be accomplished by doing something as simple as making your dog sit before going out the door or laying down before feeding. This will not only make your dog’s obedience more reliable but also teaches the dog that you are in control.
4. What is the most remarkable thing you have seen a dog do?
I personally did not witness this, but found this story amazing, click here for the story.
5. In your opinion, what is the single most important command you can teach a dog and why?
I believe all basic obedience commands are important, however the command “look” or “watch me” command is probably the most important. Whether the dog is hyper, aggressive, fearful, or whatever, if the dog learns to focus on his/her owner when told he/she is not paying attention to his surroundings. This reduces the possibility of the dog acting in a manner that the owner does not want. Saying this, I will say that without a lot of consistency most owners have a hard time solidifying this command around distractions.
A lot of owners are concerned about having flashy obedience. This “flash” is usually not used. In actuality they probably use the first command they ever taught their dog 99% of the time. For example, when you go into your vet’s office and there is a dog in the lobby that is barking and pulling on their leash at your dog. What is the first thing you are going to ask your dog to do? Sit…. This is more than likely the very first command you taught your dog. A solid, basic foundation around distractions is extremely important and is more useful than tricks and the flashy obedience.
6. Can you provide any useful information, advice, or tips for dog owners who frequent off leash dog parks?
Some of you are probably not going to like the answer to this, but in my opinion, a big reason why people frequent a dog park is to have their dog play with other dogs. However, I think that the biggest reason people frequent these parks is so that they can allow their dog off leash in a fenced in area.
I personally am not a big fan of dog parks. I want my dogs to be socialized with other dogs, however I have seen dogs develop bad habits at dog parks such as dog aggression and fear. These behaviors develop because, let’s be honest, not all owners who take their dogs to dog parks are responsible. If every dog at the dog park was current on their vaccinations, obedience trained and well socialized, the risk of these behaviors developing would be minimal. Unfortunately, you cannot guarantee the owner next to you is as responsible as you are. If you are going to be at a dog park, my advise is use lots of supervision, and if anything becomes questionable with your dog’s behavior or another dog’s behavior, you need to leave for the day. You want to be sure that you do not allow something to develop that will make the park a negative experience for your dog.
I think that most owners have a goal of having off leash control in any environment. Why take your dog to a dog park when you can use this same energy to take them to an open field, camping, hiking, etc. As a dog owner and professional trainer I want my dog to have more fun with me than with anything else in life. This might seem crazy but lets think about it….with training, if your dog is used to being leashed up to go to the dog park and run with other dogs, how eager are they going to be to leash up and work with you? In comparison, where do you fall? Socialization with other dogs is important but I believe it should be controlled by me as the owner.
7. What skills/concepts do you find dog owners have the most trouble with, and what advice do you give them?
I do not use a remote collar as a correction tool, but rather use it to prompt and motivate the dog to perform a command. In remote collar training, the biggest problem I see is owners who stop using the collars too soon. Two weeks into an obedience class I see the owner not pushing the button to get their dog to perform a command. When I ask them why they say “I don’t have to push the button anymore to get my dog to sit”. I tell them that it is very important to keep your dogs conditioned to the collar and the training. If the owner is not consistent with the training I find that they then begin to use the collar incorrectly (as a correction). This results in the dog associating the collar with a punishment rather than a prompting tool.
8. Do you have a product, event, video, organization, or something else to promote that you feel our readers can benefit from?
I am currently sharing Remote Collar Training Secrets with dog owners through my newsletter. I want to take the secrecy out of using a remote collar properly. Readers can register for the newsletter here.
I am also currently taping a documentary on How to Raise a Puppy…the First 120 Days. This documentary won’t be released for about 6 months but will instruct owners on how to have a confident and friendly, obedient, off leash dog in the first 120 days. It will be available on my website.
I am also in the process of developing a trainer’s school. My hope is to have our first class available before the end of the year. I am very excited about this opportunity.
9. Is there anything else you would like to add or share with our readers?
I appreciate Paul Sulinski of Unleashed Unlimited for the opportunity to be featured on the Trainer’s Spotlight.
I would like to extend a big thank you to Mike and the rest of the Homeland K9 family. Be sure to check out Mike Loesche’s website and sign up for his free newsletter. Thanks, Mike!
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I use an e-collar and I think it is a great tool providing it is not used as only a correction device. I am not a professional but I am trying to acquire some experience and I would love to become a trainer. It is not currently being used around here much and I often get big eyes but then they see how my dog behaves. I am currently looking to work somewhere but 98% of the schools use only food and this is not the way I want to work with dogs. The other 2% are old school only, no food. Consistency and a balanced approach is a must to me. We want to communicate with a happy dog, keep it interested in us, have fun and always end on a positive note. That was a great interview by the way.
Richard