I need a bit of advice guys.
Two couples that I'm close friends with have dogs, which Sierra gets along great with. I love getting together with the dogs to play, as they have a LOT of fun together. I do have a problem though. My friends are very... old fashioned I guess... in their view of raising dogs. I work in a natural pet care shop, so I am constantly learning and expanding my knowledge of dogs, and dog care.
I feel like my knowledge isn't respected in the least.
One couple started out on good food, and recently, despite a conversation with me where I talked to them about what they could feed that's good quality AND less expensive, they've switched her to Pedigree, then complain to me when she pukes it up.
Whenever training comes up in conversation, my "positive" methods are viewed as silly and ineffective (eventhough Sierra is mostly very well behaved, if she acts out in the least, it's at fault of my training methods). Their dogs are far from perfect, but they don't hesitate to use forceful corrections. One dog is showing potential of becoming a fear biter, and they still use forceful corrections on her. Trying to tell them differently is useless.
Worst of all, even when I tell them NOT to, they are MUCH harder than I'd like with Sierra. They've never hit her, knowing I'd FREAK out. But they don't respect what I'm doing with her, and I've had to tell them not to knee her when she jumps up, but to instead turn away and ignore her (which they just laugh at, thinking it's pointless).
As I said, these are some of my closest friends, so any advice on how I can deal with this in a tactful manner, without alienating my friends?
Two couples that I'm close friends with have dogs, which Sierra gets along great with. I love getting together with the dogs to play, as they have a LOT of fun together. I do have a problem though. My friends are very... old fashioned I guess... in their view of raising dogs. I work in a natural pet care shop, so I am constantly learning and expanding my knowledge of dogs, and dog care.
I feel like my knowledge isn't respected in the least.
One couple started out on good food, and recently, despite a conversation with me where I talked to them about what they could feed that's good quality AND less expensive, they've switched her to Pedigree, then complain to me when she pukes it up.
Whenever training comes up in conversation, my "positive" methods are viewed as silly and ineffective (eventhough Sierra is mostly very well behaved, if she acts out in the least, it's at fault of my training methods). Their dogs are far from perfect, but they don't hesitate to use forceful corrections. One dog is showing potential of becoming a fear biter, and they still use forceful corrections on her. Trying to tell them differently is useless.
Worst of all, even when I tell them NOT to, they are MUCH harder than I'd like with Sierra. They've never hit her, knowing I'd FREAK out. But they don't respect what I'm doing with her, and I've had to tell them not to knee her when she jumps up, but to instead turn away and ignore her (which they just laugh at, thinking it's pointless).
As I said, these are some of my closest friends, so any advice on how I can deal with this in a tactful manner, without alienating my friends?