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"Please stop humanising your pet," says Yangtila Walling[/caption]
Dimapur, Jan 13 (EMN): Being a dog trainer by profession in today’s world just might not be that easy. Anyone can advertise their selves as a trainer without necessarily having gone through proper skill education and licensing accreditation from authoritative entities.
People love to spend huge amounts of money on their pets and it’s at an all time high currently, or at least that's what pet-love trends seem to be showing. In it all are the dog trainers whose numbers are growing thanks to an increased demand for their services in the recent years.
Meet Yangti Walling, a Dimapur-based dog trainer and behaviour consultant. She is believed to be the first-ever certified dog trainer in the Northeast region. She holds a degree in Bachelors of Science (Botany) also.
“Dog training is an important part of any dog’s life for many reasons. It not only provides mental stimulation but also keeps your dog happy and healthy,” Walling said.
Armed with five years of experience, her work covers basic and advanced companion dog training and handling; behaviour counselling and behaviour modification. Behaviour problems she tackles include house training, separation anxiety; fears and phobia; dog-dog aggression, dog-human aggression. Besides, her expertise include tracking, detection; training guide dogs and hearing dogs; canine nutrition and behaviour.
Walling's experience shows a remarkable run of ground since she began work: she has trained the Nagaland Police Dog Squad; trained therapy dogs besides dogs in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mumbai. She is a member of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Dimapur.
Here is what “the dog whisperer” had to say to Eastern Mirror about her profession, and the trials and achievements from it.
EM: What made you decide to be a dog trainer and how did you pursue your interest?
Yangtila Walling: After my graduation from a science background, I immediately started working for corporate offices like Hewlett Packard and Accenture, Bangalore for over seven years. In spite of a good salary package, I was not happy with my corporate life. It took me several years but one fine day I decided enough is enough.
I resigned and came back to Nagaland packing. But I didn’t stop there. In a matter of months I got accepted in a college in Canada, got my Visa done, enrolled myself to veterinary office, animal care and technologist program, and went back to school. After completing this program, I wanted to specialize in dog training so I pursued my international dog training and behaviour modification certification. And that's how my journey began. When I look back, instead of letting nature run its course with no job satisfaction, which was killing my spirit on the inside, changing the course of my life was the bravest and the best decision I ever made.
What is the philosophy behind your training?
My way of training is reward based positive reenforcements. So, the idea behind it is, only when the dog performs a desired behaviour (it) gets rewarded.
How do you assess the needs of a dog when you first meet it?
Initially, I spend some time bonding with the dog without a word or any eye contact. I observe their body language such as their ears, tails, facial expressions, etc. When we just spend some time with the dog, the dog will tell us a lot about themselves.
What are a couple of the toughest, bad habits to restrain? Can you tell us why?
Hyperactivity which is so prevalent in Nagaland and fear of fireworks, thunder, etc. These two behaviours are very stressful on the dogs and it doesn't magical disappear. It's a very slow and gradual process of rehabilitation because if we try to flood (the dog) with too much of training then they regress.
There are so many gadgets and devices in the market. What effect do these have on dogs in the long run?
If we do not know how to properly use these gadgets we do more harm than helping our pets. So, I would recommend dog owners to take advice from professionals.
If there were a thing you would want people to understand about training, what would it be?
Dogs are creatures of routine. Therefore, dog training is all about structure, consistency and repetition.
Is there one thing you wish all dog owners knew? What are the mistakes they make with their dogs?
Please stop humanizing your pet.
How is the business of dog training professionally in Nagaland? What do you think needs to change?
It is like any other business—ups and downs exist. But so far, I'm blessed; I have had a good run.
What are your future plans? Any plans of opening a school not just to train dogs but for becoming certified dog trainers as you are?
My plan for the future is to open a shelter, where dogs can board and train as well. I am certified to train dog trainers so that's in the pipeline as well.
What are the best ways to bond with your dog? Tell us two things which dog owners must never do to their dogs.
Best way to bond is to spend time with your dog whenever you find time. All dogs know who their master is, so for that dog you giving 5-10 minutes of your time mean the whole world to him/her. Coupled with that if you can play "fetch or hide & seek" with your dog he/she will be the happiest - because in the dog's mind he/she is working for you. Two things no dog owner should do. Please do not kennel your dog 24/7. They need 5-10 minutes of break every 2-3 hours. Else frustrations start building up and more behaviour problems will show up. Start training your dog/pup day1 you bring your dog home and it begins with potty training.
The trainer has a school called Dawg Days in Dimapur where she teaches family pets various tricks and offers classes in basic dog obedience training. She helps organize feeding nutrition and diet schedules for dogs under training. She has also introduced new training services such as tracking and detection, etc. She helps clients in assessing health and intelligence of puppies during purchase.
Apart from offering breed-specific knowledge, Walling educates clients to become responsible dog owners. She helps them assess and identify problem dogs and educates dog owners about effectively communicating with their pets. This is achieved through home sessions and outdoor sessions. Walling provides personalized training based on observation as well. The trainer can be contacted at 9862169962 or at yangtiwalling@gmail.com.