My own experiences were leading me to this point - I was where you and your dog may be right now

The decision to start the 2-year training as a dog trainer did not come out of nowhere. When I got my first own dog in 2011, my Australian Shepherd male Dingo, I was lucky enough to find a very good dog school where we took part in puppy courses, juvenile dog courses, leash courses and later also in agility. In 2013 Dingo and I passed the VDH companion dog test together. Dingo was a very uncomplicated dog, he accompanied me everywhere, liked everyone and never really posed any major problems for me. Until that one day, already here in Mallorca, when we were attacked by another dog. Not only did this change something in Dingo, but also in me. While before, we dealt with dog encounters quite impartially, from this point on our walks became more and more difficult. We no longer trusted unknown dogs. I quickly became aware of the vicious circle we were in and looked for dog trainers in Mallorca who could work with us on this problem. Fair training with my dog had always been important to me, but I was not yet aware of exactly how positive reinforcement works and what risks aversive training methods entail. What I did notice, however, was how difficult it was to find a trainer with whose, sometimes quite aversive, methods we could identify. Although I was often very skeptical, I tried to implement the methods explained to me with the result that dingo's behavior towards other dogs became worse and worse. At some point we stopped going to a trainer, I tried to help myself with books and tips from the internet - without success. Dingo's behavior became so bad and my despair so great that I let myself be tempted more and more to want to correct it aversively. A pull on the leash here, an angry word there, restrictions by body language - you've probably heard it all. The relationship with my dog suffered significantly.

A few years later our second Australian Shepherd moved in - Hayley. Actually a total sunshine, I quickly realized what kind of dynamic two dogs can develop. If one of them only barked at other dogs and the other only barked at people, they soon both reacted to everything and everyone that came towards us. I was just ashamed to be outside with my dogs and it became more and more of a burden. But I knew that there had to be an alternative to the whole thing, because in Germany we had also attended such a good dog school. And I realized that when I have this need for fair training, there are surely other dog owners who are looking for the same thing as me. And if these people suffer as much as I was in this moment, then it was all the more important to me to do something about it. And so I looked for an education that would help me to support these people and their dogs.

On the one hand, the training helped me to recognize why my dogs behaved the way they did. So I was finally able to see that the underlying emotion in Dingo wasn't aggression, as expected, but fear. It also gave me tools on how to change these emotions. My relationship with my dogs has changed since then. We have fun again on our walks together. Our training is not over yet, but I already wish that all those years ago I had known what I know now. Then we would not have gotten to this point of great despair in the first place. I am now not only incredibly proud of my great dogs, but also of our relationship, which is based on predictability for my dogs, as well as on a very close bond and just as much trust. And what should I say? Now, we have dog number 3. :-)

So is it true? Do you always get the dog you need?

I will not be able to answer this question for you. But if you take the challenges with your dog as an opportunity to deal with the reasons for his behavior and to work on it, then I am quite sure that you as a team will get out of this learning process stronger. In my case, my dogs helped me achieve my dreams. Ever since I was a child, I always felt best when I was allowed to look after animals. When people asked me as a kid what I wanted to become, my answers over the years have always been somewhat similar: zookeeper, veterinarian or film animal trainer. But I didn't have the courage to do so until this moment, when I sat desperately in front of my dogs and didn't know what to do anymore. Until that moment. Therefore: Thank you Dingo and Hayley and now also Luna for everything you have taught me and are still teaching me.

My education