IACP Conference in Orlando

I am one of the speakers at the 2012 International Association of Canine Professionals conference in Orlando, Florida this Friday and Saturday.  My own talk is about "When Good People Think Strange Things About Dogs," but the talk I want to hear most is that by Martin Deeley:

Martin will evaluate the narrow approaches and the radical movements that expound them, whether it be all positive or predominantly pressure. He will put into plain words how one must develop resourcefulness, instead of the one-equipment approach. Martin will use his own experiences, both with dogs and with the public, to explain the benefits of being versatile, as well as some of the pitfalls. He will look at the current trends in the canine world and ask the question, “Should there be any pendulum between total positive and total pressure? Should we pigeonhole canine professionals and criticize them by saying they only use one magic wand?”

In short, big tent or small tent?

One size fits all, or different breeds and different needs?

Or, to put it another way:  How come your boss at work does not scream or make the staff run laps for small infractions, but a Marine Corps Drill Instructor never cracks a smile, and yet no one trains their own children using either method?
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