Amazing Dog Training Man Interviews Best Selling Author

Here is the interview that I promised with best selling author Linda Tellington-Jones. I found the interview that I did with her and have included it in today's post for you to listen to.

The first part of the interview was with a local TTouch practitioner. Linda called into the show from Hawaii about half way through the show.

Here's what you'll discover when you listen to the interview:

* How to improve your relationship with your dog

* How little circular touches can reduce aggression and other behavior problems

* Biofeedback proof that this technique works - The circular TTouch elicits changes in brain wave patterns...different from those elicited by petting, stroking, and massage

* TTouch has helped with increased self-confidence, enhanced communications, and mutual respect. (In other words, both dog and owner benefit from the experience.)

* TTouch does not use force, fear, or pain for handling, treating, or managing animals.

Click on the arrow and you can listen to the whole interview:

boomp3.com

If you enjoy this interview and blog please pass it along to all your dog loving friends and family. Believe me, they will thank you for it.

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. My wonderful girlfriend Rachael has been working very hard to make some changes to the Amazing Dog Training Man website. I let you know as soon as it's ready.

Judge Judy

She was so drunk that she had passed out in the hallway. I could see her feet and legs but I couldn't see anything else. I couldn't go any further into the hallway because there was a 120lb. rotti mix showing me all of his teeth.

What had I gotten myself into?

It was my first night as an animal control officer for the city of Fall River, Mass. It was 1:30AM and the Fall River P.D. had called because two of the residents of an apartment house could not get in or out.

The lady I described above came home drunk and was about to let her dog out. As she made it into the hallway she decided to sit down for a moment to rest. She passed out and her dog never made it outside but was now guarding her and the hallway.

Two of the residents that lived there could not get into their apartment because of the large, angry dog patrolling the hallway. My job was to catch the the big rotti mix so the police and EMT's could check on the drunk lady.

I knew she was okay because as I entered the hallway I could hear talking in her sleep. "Do you want some french fries?" she kept saying over and over in a drunken, slurred tone of voice.

Her dog was none too happy with me in the hallway and charged me. With catlike reflexes I jumped to my left and positioned myself on the small landing that was there but I wasn't quick enough and the dog managed to get part of my jacket.

I used the control pole to push the dog away from me and cornered him. I was lucky and got the pole around his neck. I brought him to the van and put him inside.

The EMTs revived the lady and brought her inside her apartment.

I was thinking about this little episode this morning because last night I got to do something that I don't usually get to do.

I was able to sit down and watch a full half hour of one of my favorite TV shows, Judge Judy.

As it turns out, the case being tried was about a guy that owned an Akita that had attacked a Jack Russell Terrier.

I couldn't believe the Akita owner. He said things like: "I never meant for my dog to break loose and hurt his dog," and "I never meant for my dog to attack his dog."

Of course he never meant for his dog to do any of those things but the dog did and he is responsible for his dog's actions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Having a dog is a big responsibility and this guy didn't think that he had to pay the vet bills of the injured Jack Russell.

His dog didn't do this once, his dog attacked the Jack Russell twice!

It all made me think of my animal control officer days. I was always going to the same houses. In a city of 90,000 people I was going to the same seven or eight houses week after week.

The drunk lady that I described above told me that she was not paying for my jacket. She told me that she can't be responsible for what her dog does while she was passed out in the hallway, that her dog was protecting her.

No amount of arguing on my part was going to convince her that she is responsible for everything her dog does.

Anyway, as I stated earlier, dog ownership is a huge responsibility. We have to always know where our dogs are and what they are doing. We also have to make sure that they are not aggressive. One of the best ways to give your dog a good life is to train him and to start from an early age.

If more people took training their dogs and the responsibility or ownership more seriously than they do, we would not have all the dog problems that we see today.

Well thanks for reading my rant. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about dog training also see: http://amazingdogtrainingman.com/homestudy1.htm

How to significantly increase your dogs chances of coming back when you call

Have you ever heard the term "Catch 22?"

The phrase became popular after the novel by that name was written by Joesph Heller in 1961.

Wikipedia defines the phrase as: "Catch-22" is common idiomatic usage meaning "a no-win situation" or "a double bind."

Here are some example from the book:

"The Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous and likable. In three days no one could stand him," and "The case against Clevinger was open and shut. The only thing missing was something to charge him with."

What does all of this have to do with significantly increasing your dog's chances of coming back when you call. Because one of the secrets to getting your dog to come back to you is like a Catch 22 situation, or if Joseph Heller were to write it, it would probably sound like this:

"The secret to getting your dog to come back to you when he is off-leash is to let him spend some time off-leash."

You see, the big problem with dogs not coming back to their owners is not that they don't understand the command, not that they don't like you, not even that there is something else distracting your dog.

The big problem with with your dog not coming back to you is...

YOUR DOG'S LACK OF FREEDOM.

If you look at the way many dogs live you'll see that most of them live under some type of confinement. The spend long periods of time in a house, in a fenced in yard, in a crate, in a car, on a leash etc.

The last thing your dog is thinking about when he gets a little taste of freedom is coming back to you or me.

I once worked with a German Short Haired Pointer that had been confined to the house and tied up for seven long years. For whatever reason, the owner after seven years decided he wanted to train his dog.

He showed up for a training session and thought that the area we were in was fenced and let his dog off-leash. Within seconds his dog was out of sight. He became very angry with his dog as we chased after him.

After we caught his dog (which was not easy) I tried explaining to him that what his dog did was natural. That after seven years of confinement I expected his dog to take off.

I added that in order for his dog to ever get good at coming back to him, his dog would have to develop a sense of freedom. He gave me a very puzzled look and asked, "How the heck do I let my dog develop a sense of freedom?"

There are a couple of ways to do this. One of the best ways is to get a 30 to 40 foot long line. Attach it to your dog's collar and go to a big open field. With the long leash attached to your dog, let your dog just be a dog.

Let your dog sniff, play, run around and do dog stuff. Stay close to the long line, this way you can step on the line if your dog starts to get too far away. Then when you call your dog, you can use the long line to get your dog to come to you.

I also recommend tying some knots in the long line. This way if your dog starts to run and you step on the long line the knot will help slow down your dog.

You can also go to a fenced in ball park or tennis court. The more you allow your dog to just be a dog and run around, the easier it will be for your dog to come back to you.

If you follow this simple step you will significantly increase your dog's chances of coming back when you call.

Go ahead and try it out and please let me know how you do.

Your friend,

Eric

Video Newsletter - 7 Ways To Cure Your Housetraining Problem

Okay, so I'm still a little depressed over the Superbowl.

But...

I know the cure for feeling down. Want to know what it is? Here it is in two words:

GET BUSY!

So yesterday I got busy and put together a new video newsletter for you.

The video is a cure for your housetraining problems. I get a ton of email asking about housetraining.

I wrote an article about this about a month ago and decided to make a video explaining the steps.

I'll show you the video in just a second but I wanted to say that unfortunately I can't personally answer every email anymore.

I try to but I get so many that I would have to spend the entire day answering them.

The subscribers to this newsletter is approaching 15,000. Which is not surprising because you won't find any dog trainer on the internet that shares as much valuable dog training advice, behavior tips, and videos as I do.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I love getting emails from all of you. What I am in the process of doing is putting together a Frequently Asked Questions page.

A lot of the questions that I get are the same:

Jumping, housetraining, puppy biting, mouthy behavior, barking etc.

I will let you know when the FAQ page is ready and please keep sending me your questions it will help me develop this page.

Anyway, this week's newsletter is a great one to pass on to any friends or family members that are having a difficult time housetraining their dogs.

Check it out:




Your friend,

Eric

P.S. You still have five days left to take advantage of my "I'm Not A Sore Loser" package. The package includes: The Ultimate On-line training course, Good K9 Manners course and my ebook "The Amazing Dog Training Man". Click here: Good K9 Manners

Who else wants their dog to come when called?

I was a terrible student in school.

Really, I barely and I mean barely squeaked out a diploma in high school. The reason I was such a bad student was because I just could not keep focused on what was being taught - except history.

Math, English, Science class, in one ear out the other.

Because I did so bad in school I couldn't stand it. My day would start by looking at the clock and counting down the hours I had left in school. I did this every single day. All I wanted was out, I wanted FREEDOM!

Since I hated school so much I never signed up for any after school activities. I never played on the baseball or football team (two sports that I love!). I never went to a dance, pep rally, game, event or anything else that took place within a half a mile from school. In fact, my high school year book doesn't even have my picture in it!

I think you get my point.

So why am I sharing all of this with you.

Simple.

I have just shared with you one of the biggest secrets to teaching your dog to come when called. What was the secret?

FREEDOM - or lack of it.

You see, one of the big points that I make when I'm working with a client on the recall command is that most dogs don't come back to their owners due to their lack of freedom.

Think about the way a lot of dogs live. They live a big portion of their lives under some type of containment. Most dogs spend a lot of time on a leash, in a house, in a fenced in area, in a crate, in a car, etc.

Because the dog is always confined the last thing the dog is thinking about coming back to the owner when they get a little freedom.

So the secret to getting your dog to come back to you when you call is to give your dog some freedom...

BUT...

How do you give your dog freedom when they don't come back to you when you call?

Excellent question. In my next post I am going to share with you exactly how to do it. So stay tuned...

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. Ready to teach your dog to come every time you call? Check out The Amazing Dog Training Home Study Course.

When Good Pets Go Bad

Last night my beautiful girlfriend and I went to our good friends' house for dinner. Before we sat down for some chow, my friend Bob asked me to go to the Congamong lake with him to check the ice.

Bob loves to ice fish and wanted to see how thick the ice was. We loaded up his pups and off we went. When we got back, his wife Sue had cooked up an awesome dinner and we all had a very enjoyable evening until...

The show "When Good Pets Go Bad" came on.

Shows like "When Good Pets Go Bad" are like a car accident that you pass as you drive down the highway, you try to look away but you need to see what happened.

"When Good Pets Go Bad" comes on you start to watch it and before you know it an hour has gone by, you're sitting there in disbelief, with a bad taste in your mouth because you have just observed some truly horrific stuff.

It does not surprise me when I see the national statistics for dog bites. Shows like When Good Pets Go Bad do not shock me the way they used to. As someone who makes his living working with pets I have seen first hand how dogs are treated and I am NOT talking about the pet owners.

I talking about the trainers. I have seen first hand how some dogs are trained. I have seen dogs choked, hung, beaten, shocked, slammed, and I could share some horror stories with you that you would make you ill.

In a lot of ways, dog trainers cause more problems than help. Look at some of the books on dog training, I won't mention any names here but one of the most popular dog training books was written by a guy that says you should carry a wooden stick in your back pocket. If the dog "acts up" use the stick to whack the dog across the nose.

This guy was the trainer for Walt Disney studios back in the 1960's - scary.

On the show "When Good Pet Go Bad," they show actual footage of elephants being beaten with slicks and whipped with chains, not to mention the awful conditions that they live in.

Why is it so hard to convince some people that dog training does not have to be harsh? What is the big deal about rewarding behavior, especially with a treat?

Behavior is reward driven. Relationships that are strong and lasting are developed though love and patience not anger, pain and dominance.

I know, I'm starting to sound like an animal activist. I'm not. I also believe that punishment, used correctly, can be an effective form of behavior modification - notice I said used correctly.

Punishment is often doled out when we are angry or upset with our dogs. Punishment is often associated with the owner and not the behavior and the timing is almost always wrong.

In my book "The Amazing Dog Training Man," I discuss the chalk board theory which basically goes like this:

On the top left side you write the word negative. On the right side you write the word positive.

Now every time you do something negative to your dog ie., scruff shake, leash correction, yell, smack, etc, you write a - in that column. Every time you do something positive to your dog ie., give your dog a treat, play ball, play tug, etc you put a + in the positive column. It would look something like this:

Negative Positive
- - + +
- - - - + + +
- - + +

As you look at the board you should have way more + signs that - signs on the board. If you have more - signs than + signs you have a problem.

Add up enough - signs and guess what...there is a good chance you will start to see aggressive behavior.

It's not rocket science. Raise a kid by beating him and yeling and screaming, there's a very good chance that he'll grow up to be an aggressive person.

Take a kid and rasie him with love and patience and there's a good chance that he'll grow up to be the same way.

Dogs that have been trained with hitting, "Alpha roll overs," choke chains, and electronic collars run a very good chance that they will become aggressive.

Most of the pets in "When Good Pets Go Bad" have had a lot of negative experiences and look what happens. Every person and every animal has a breaking point. Your tolerance level for certain activities may be higher than mine.

My girlfriend never, ever gets mad at other drivers. She can get cut off, stuck behind slow drivers, traffic, whatever, she never gets upset or angry.

Me on the other hand, I don't have her tolerance for driving. Some days are better than others but I can be frustrated much more easily than she is.

Training has to be done by spending the majority of time rewarding behavior. The only way we are going to see the number of dog bites go down in the United States is by changing the way we train dogs.

We can change the way we train or we can continue to hear about and watch shows where dogs are attacking and in some cases killing people.

Wouldn't it be great if we could turn on the TV and see a show "When Bad Pets Go Good"?

As always I look forward to your comments.

Peace,

Eric

Balto, Barking Dogs, And More...

In my last post I wrote the about the incredible story of Balto. Balto saved the small town of Nome, Alaska from a diphtheria outbreak.

After facing blizzards, freezing temperatures and near death, Balto became an overnight hero. Balto and his sled dog team went on a tour of the United States. A statue of Balto was erected in New York's Central Park.

A 30 minute movie was made about Balto's race to Nome. Balto was a movie star, but like a lot of Hollywood stars, his fame was short lived.

Two years later Balto and his companions were on display at a "dime" museum where they were ill and mistreated.

Thankfully, a Cleveland businessman by the name of George Kimble discovered the dogs. He knew the famous story of Balto and was outraged at seeing this degradation. A deal was struck to buy the dogs for $2,000 and bring them to Cleveland - but Kimble had only two weeks to raise the sum. The race to save Balto was on!

A Balto fund was established and radio and newspapers started reporting on what had happened to Balto and how money was being raised to help Balto.

The response was explosive.

School children collected coins, factory workers passed hats, businesses pitched in and helped raise money. The Western Reserve Kennel Club donated a healthy sum, and within 10 days $2000 was raised and Balto was brought to Cleveland.

On March 19, 1927, Balto and six companions were brought to Cleveland and an estimated 15,000 people showed up to see the heroic dogs.

The dogs were taken to the Cleveland zoo were they lived out their lives.

Balto died on March 14, 1933, at the age of 11. The husky's body was mounted at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it has been kept as a reminder of the gallant race against death.

Stories like Balto's have helped shape how I train dogs. Another strong influence has been James Herriot. I think that all dog trainers should be required to read his books.

Training should enhance the relationship between dogs and humans. Many times the training methods used have adverse effects. I train using a lot of positive methods, but I also understand that if you want to stop a behavior, punishment can be very effective.

Here was an email that I just received about barking.

"Dear Eric, my dog barks when someone knocks on my door. I don't mind a little barking but I would like him to stop when I say quiet. How can I teach him this? Any help would be great. Thanks, Miguel."

Here is my answer.

When ever you are trying to teach your dog something you have to make sure there are consequences for the behavior. So, if you want your dog to sit, down, stay, etc you should use a positive consequence.

When you want your dog to stop doing a behavior - barking, begging, jumping, etc you get the best results by using some type of negative consequence.

Most people think that the only type of negative consequence is something painful like a shock collar, prong collar or choke collar, or they think that we have to grab and shake our dogs, alpha rollovers, and all that stuff.

A negative consequence does not have to be any of that. I have effectively used breath spray for years to teach dogs the word "Quiet."

You see, when your dog starts barking we get upset and start saying "Quiet." The dog barks some more we say "Quiet" again and the dog keeps barking. In order for your dog to learn the word it has to be paired with a negative consequence.

So, with a little bottle of breath spray I stand next to the dog as he starts barking. But now when the dog starts barking I say "Quiet" and then reach down and I spray the dog in the mouth.

I have now paired the word "Quiet" with the breath spray. This is how you can use a negative consequence without inflicting pain on your dog.

Dealing with problem behavior can also be managed. If your dog does behaviors that you don't like you can always take some simple steps to deal with the behavior. A lot of dogs like to get into the garbage. A simple way to deal with that behavior problem is to simply put a lid on the garbage.

My Good K9 Manners program deals with how to stop annoying behaviors without the use of heavy force and painful methods. You can check it out here:

Good K9 Manners

Looking forward to 2008!

All the best,

Eric

The Amazing Story Of Balto

When it comes to dog training, there
is a non-stop controversy over what
is the best way to train a dog?

Should a dog work for treats or should
we train a dog using force.

Should punishment be inflicted on the
dog or should we simply try to ignore
bad behavior and then reward good
behavior.

Spending almost the past two decades
working with and training dogs, I have
obviously developed my own theories and
methods.

I strongly believe in a reward-based
training system, and that we should
spend more time rewarding behavior
than punishing behavior.

I have formed my opinions and methods
through a lot of experimentation and
observation.

AND...

Also by becoming a student of dogs.

Dogs really are incredible animals and
truly are man's best friend. One perfect
example is the story of a dog named
Balto.

In 1925 at a time when the world was
turning to machines for all of it's
answers, a team of huskies were the
solution to saving a small town in
Nome, Alaska from a diphtheria out-
break.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease
that would quickly spread to all of the
people in Nome.

Without the anti-toxin to combat it, there
was no telling how many people would die in
Nome.

Nome is about 1000 miles away from Anchorage,
and trains at the time could get to a town
Nenana that was about 700 miles from Nome,
still a considerable distance away.

The one plane in Nome was taken out of
storage and the citizens tried to start
it.

The engine was frozen.

The other plane in the area had been taken
apart and stored for the winter.

Shipping channels were frozen solid.

The only way to cover the 700 miles was
to use a relay of dog teams.

Twenty sled dog teams came together to
cover the distance and bring the anti-
toxin to Nome.

It was estimated that it would take the
sled dog teams about 13 days to traverse
the terrain from Nenana to Nome.

The sled dog teams fought fierce winds, strong
enough to knock over both the dogs and the
sleds. They battled freezing temperatures,
sometimes as cold as 40 below.

On February 1, 1925, the anti-toxin was handed
off for the last time to a team led by Gunnar
Kassen in the village of Bluff, Alaska.

Kassen's sled dog team set off to cover the
final leg to Nome.

The lead dog...

Balto.

Balto was a two year old Siberian husky born in
Nome. Balto spent the early part of his life as
part of a dog team that transported supplies to
miners in the surrounding area.

The funny thing about Balto is that he was considered
a "scrub dog," meaning an inferior or slow-working
dog.

Balto was far from being a "scrub dog" as you'll
soon discover.

You see, on the last leg of the trip to Nome,
a blinding blizzard began, temperatures dropped
to -50 degrees and generating wind gusts in
excess of 50 mph.

Kassen found himself unable to navigate, and
almost gave up all hope of making it to Nome
in time.

But Balto knew the trail well, and, following
his instincts, led the team through the cold
and snow.

Over the next 20 hours, Balto slowly led his
sled dog team over the final 53 miles.

On February 2 at 5.30 AM, the team finally
arrived in Nome.

The dogs were too tired to even bark, Kassen
went to the front of the sled team and fell to
his knees petting Balto saying: "Damn fine dog,
damn fine dog."

The serum had successfully been delivered -- only
seven days after leaving Anchorage, and just
127 1/2 hours after leaving Nenana.

Balto went on to become a big celebrity and
even has a life-size statue in New York City's
Central Park.

The bronze sculpture is New York's City's only
statue commemorating a dog. The statue includes a
plaque with an inscription that reads:

"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the
sled dogs that relayed anti-toxin 600 miles
over treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards,
from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the
winter of 1925 - Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence."

I share that story because it really helps put
things into perspective when we think about
training dogs.

How can you read a story like Balto's and not
realize what incredible animals dogs are and
how closely linked we are to dogs.

When you think about it, there are thousands of
Baltos walking around right now.

Dogs leading blind people, dogs assisting deaf
people, dogs helping people with disabilities, dogs
finding lost people, dog sniffing out bombs, illegal
drugs, protecting their owners, guarding, herding,
hunting, and police dogs are just a few examples.

Dogs are now being trained to sniff out cancer,
to detect when a epelectic person is about to
have a seizure, the list goes on and on.

It's one of the reasons why I am always preaching
the benefits of positive reinforcement. How and
WHY would we want to inflict pain on an animal
that gives us so much?

BUT...

It does not mean that I never use any forms of
punishment. I do...but I do it without inflicting
pain.

In my new Good K9 Manners program:

http://www.goodk9manners.com/

I show dog owners creative ways to stop bad
behavior without the heavy use of force.

In my next installment I'm going to share
with you an email that I received about
barking.

You'll going to learn when to apply positive
methods, when to use a negative consequence,
and when you should ignore the behavior.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. If you'd really like to learn how to teach
your dog good manners you can still get my
mini-manners video course at:

Good K9 Manners

Guess what? It's FREE!

The Clever Hans Effect

In the late 1800s, a German high school
mathematics instructor named Wilhelm Von
Osten began parading around his horse,
"Clever Hans".

You see, Clever Hans was no ordinary horse.
Clever Hans could add, subtract, multiply,
divide, work with fractions, tell time, keep
track of the calendar, differentiate musical
tones, read, spell, and understand German.

Clever Hans would be asked a question and
he would tap his hoof on the ground until
he came to the right anwser.

People came from all over to see Clever Hans
give the answers to some very difficult math
questions.

But some folks were not impressed with Clever
Hans. They thought that it was all some kind
of trick.

The German board of education agreed and
appointed a commission to investigate Hans.

Did Hans really add, subtract, multiply, divide,
work with fractions, tell time, keep track of
the calendar, differentiate musical tones, and
read, spell, and understand German?

The quick answer...NO.

Hans did not know how to do any of the things that
his owner claimed. Hans was not a mathematical
genius but...

What they learned was that Hans was an expert
at reading body language.

The investigators discovered that when
a question was asked of Hans, he would start to
tap his hoof until he came to the correct anwser.

He knew the correct anwser by watching for cues
given by the person asking the questions.

The questioner's posture and facial expressions
changed in ways that were consistent with an
increase in tension, which was released when
the horse made the final, "correct" tap.

This provided a cue that Hans could use
to know when to stop tapping.

In other words, Clever Hans was an expert at
reading body language and knew when to stop
tapping by the subtle cues given by the person
asking Hans a question.

Pretty interesting. Clever Hans really was clever,
but not in the way that we thought.

Anyone that lives with a dog should know about this
because...

this has lead to what is now called "The Clever Hans
Effect."

Social animals, like horses and dogs, become
experts at reading our body language. This
is important to understand when you live with
a dog.

Not too long ago I was working with a very
nice couple that was having problems with
their dog.

They said that their dog knew the sound of
their car, became agitated before they left
the house, and would become very withdrawn
when either one of them became angry.

I explained the Clever Hans Effect and that
it has been found that many animals are sensitive
to such cues from the humans that they live with.

Their dog was so "tuned in" to them that he knew
when they were getting ready to leave, were happy,
upset and a host of other things which in turn affected
his behavior.

Today, the term "Clever Hans Effect" is used
to describe the influence of a questioner's
subtle and unintentional cues upon their subjects,
in both humans and in animals.

For instance, when drug-sniffing dogs undergo
training, none of the people present know
which containers have drugs in them; otherwise
their body language might betray the location
and render the exercise useless.

So why am I writing about Clever Hans?

Because your dog is an expert at reading your
body language, many times some of the behavior
problems you are experiencing are being
reinforced though unintentional cues given
by you.

JUMPING - How many of you reading this have a
jumping problem with your dog? I would wager that
a good number of your dogs are jumpers.

How do I know that?

Am I psyhic?

Nope, I just know that after 18+ years of
working with dogs, jumping is at the top of
the list when it comes to behavior problems
and that the main reason it is such a problem
is because The Clever Hans Effect is working
in full force when it comes to jumping.

In my new Good K9 Manners course, the TTL
Method that I outline has to do with this.

http://www.goodk9manners.com/

It's important to remember that training is
more than a clicker, choke collar, or a pat
on the head.

Your dog is constantly watching you for some
type of cue that may indicate that it's time
to go for a walk, dinner or to jump on you.

If your dog is doing a behavior that you don't
like, pay attention to your cues and see if you
are doing anything to reinforce the behavior.

When it comes to dog training the dog is often
blamed for bad behavior but sometimes we have
to be careful of what we are unintentionally
teaching our dogs.

I look forward to your comments.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. You can still get the FREE Good K9 Manners Video Course.
It clearly explains how to teach your dog good manners.

Christmas And Dogs

Do you ever stop to look around and realize that time is flying by. Just yesterday I found out that Thanksgiving is only a week away. A WEEK AWAY!

How did that happen?

The weather is getting colder here in New England, football season is half over (depressing), and Christmas and New Years are right around the corner.

Before you think that I am some kind of Scrooge I want to let you know that this is one of my favorite times of the year. I LOVE the holiday season. There is nothing better to me than the Christmas songs, the movies, all of the traditions that we take part in every year, and the whole magical feeling of Christmas.

One of the reasons I'm writing about this is because I have been working on a project for you. You see, this is the time that you want to make sure your best friend's manners are up to snuff.

You don't want your dog knocking over your guests and stealing the Christmas turkey. So now is the time to give your dog a quick behavioral tune up or the time to teach your pup some good canine manners.

I have have been working on a mini-course on good canine manners. The big problems faced by most owners are:

1. Jumping
2. Stealing
3. Begging
4. Not calming down
5. Barking
6. Not understanding "go to place" command

Here is the link for the FREE Good K9 Manners Mini-Course:

Good K9 Manners

All the best,

Eric

Puppy Proofing

Not too long ago I was at a house where the owners were very angry and on the verge of getting rid of their puppy.

You see, they were sick and tired of their puppy eating the kids' toys, knocking over the trash can, chewing on the tables and chairs, etc. A big part of the problem was that they gave their puppy way too many opportunities to get into trouble.

I informed them that having a puppy is a lot like having a toddler. It is constant management. It's the reason I don't watch my newphew. This kid is a handful. You can't take your eyes off of him for a second.

He is into everything. That is what a puppy is like. A big part of raising a puppy is management and puppy proofing. I just wrote an article on this subject for ehow.com. You can check it out by clicking here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2117315_puppy-proof-house.html

Enjoy!

Eric

Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Instead of boring you with writing down all the Halloween pet safety tips I decided to put together a video for you to watch.

But I have to warn you...this video is NOT pretty. In fact, I recommend that if you decide to watch this video make sure that you are not alone, make sure your doors are locked and your lights are on. If you still have the guts you can view the video by clicking on the link.

You've been warned...

Halloween Scary Video

Dog Training - Hawaiian Style

I love getting emails like this one:

Aloha Eric!!

I am so excited I just had to write you and tell you about it!

You see, my dog Oliver has never really been leash trained, nor
do I ever let him run free, because he does NOT come when called...

Lately I have been trying to rectify that problem through training..I
have read about several methods on the internet, and even tried some
of "the dog whisperers" tips - all of which have failed miserably...

Oliver not only didnt get it, it was causing tension between us, he
was starting to listen to me even less than before! Today I came
accross your website, I skimmed through some of your articles,
and watched your video advice.

After watching them, I got inspired...the dogs looked so natural
with you that I decided I had to try some of your methods.

It really clicked. I couldnt believe it, you had mentioned in
one of your video's that in order for a dog to feel receptive
to you outside, every once in a while you have to just "let
him be a dog" and get some freedom...so I took him to the local
soccer park- first thing I did was let him just hang out, sniff
what he wanted to sniff and go where he wanted to go (all of which
I have been told is baaaaad).

Once he got himself aquainted with the trees and bushes and whatnot,
I decided Id try that "walk with the treat" thing to get him used to
the idea that walking next to me was a good thing...and didnt have
to be all tugs and jerks. I swear to God, it wasnt just the
food....his mood changed!

He was even smiling, as if to tell me "this is much nicer mom" we
walked all over that park doing the "food in hand" walk...we even
did some jogging!!!

I didnt try to force any "rules and boundaries" on him...today was
just about a great experience with being on the leash...and it was
wonderful!!

All the pulling, all the fighting and tension just melted away,
finally after weeks of getting nothing but a headache, me and
Oliver laid in the middle of that field smiling, and panting - and
watched one of the prettiest Hawaiian sunsets I have ever
seen! ~ and I owe it all to you

I know we have a long way to go, but, I am confident that with
your help, we'll get there!

Thanks so much for offering the great advice - I'm finally a believer
that training isnt about hard work - its about fun!!!

What else can I say, your the man!

Cara

Cara's email is such a great email because she explains perfectly
what happens when you use positive reinforcement to train your
dog.

Dog training does not have to be a chore. You can have a fun and get
great results using positive reinforcement.

What else can I say - I AM THE MAN!

All the best,

Eric

P.S. Don't forget to check out the same videos that Cara watched to
help train her dog at my website; AmazingDogTrainingMan.com

The Truth About Dog Training

The Truth About Dog Training

A while ago I put up a series of videos on how to choose a dog trainer. What a lot of people don't know is that there is no regulations for dog trainers. Anyone can say that they are a dog trainer.

That's why i put up the video series - to help dog owners find the right dog trainer for them. One of the most important points that I make in the videos is that using negative reinforcement can backfire on you.

One of the big problems with prong and choke collars is that cross asscoitations can happen. Here is an email I just recieved about this problem:


Hi Eric,
Love your web site!

Your video clip #3 in the Truth About Training explains my situation perfectly.

I listened to bad advice about training at the time my 5
month old male border collie who was pulling like crazy on
the leash.

I used the pinch collar for about 2 weeks. What
started happening was redirected aggression, he was
biting me when he saw a dog because I was essentially
biting him with the collar.

I stopped using that collar and started to go to a
private trainer that used positive reinforcement.

I have seeing the trainer for about 2 months now and
we are working on obedience and dog behavior.

He has aggression toward other dogs, as explained in your
video, and he is very interested in cars and has
chased 2 of them but not in a few months.

He is doing great with obedience. He can do all the basics,
sit, stay, down, come, back, etc.

My question to you is what is your technique for
correcting a dumb training mistake that you refer to
in clip #3, cross associations that come about because
of negative reinforcement?

Thank you so much,
Laura

Whenever a dog makes a negative association we need
to spend time training your dog to make a positive
association.

This is done by rewarding your dog in the presence of other dogs.
At first it may be a little difficult and you may want to use a gentle
leader to get some control over your dog around other dogs.

Given enough time you can start to change your dog's behavior. If
there is a good positive obedience training class in your area you
may want to attend the class with your dog.

All the best,

Eric

Who’s Fault When A Dog Bites

Maybe you’ve noticed that I do not write or talk that much about aggression. I’m sure some of you out there think that I don’t deal with aggressive dogs. I do, in fact it is a big part of my business. The reason I don’t write about it or talk about it in my video newsletters is because aggressive behavior is serious business.

Aggressive behavior can be dangerous. When your dog pees on the carpet or destroys the TV remote, it can be aggravating, but nobody will be left with a scar. I have dealt with aggressive dogs for well over a decade now and I have seen firsthand the physical and emotional scars inflicted on people. I also know from firsthand experience that the emotional scars left from an aggressive dog last much longer than the physical scar.

So I don’t treat this subject lightly – I’ll also share a little known secret with you. There are many things that can contribute to aggressive behavior – genetics, environment, physical problems etc. But the biggest reason for aggressive behavior (drum roll please) DOG TRAINERS!

I hate to say it but dog trainers and dog training methods are one of the biggest contributors to aggressive behavior in our dogs. Not all trainers, but a large portion of them use and teach methods that promote aggressive behavior in dogs. Let me share a quick story with you to make my point:

A few years back I went to the home of a single father who was trying to train a dog that he had just adopted a few weeks before. They had hired a trainer before me but asked him to leave because of his harsh methods. I was informed that the other trainer had used a choke chain and every time the dog growled the trainer would hang the dog off the ground.

I asked to see the dog. The father went over to the kennels and put the dog on leash. As he approached me I could tell that the dog was stressed. He handed the leash to me and the dog attacked me.

The father and daughter watched in horror as I fought the dog off me. Luckily I was holding onto the leash and was able to quickly bring the dog under control, but not before sustaining a few serious bites to my right arm.

The father was shocked and could not understand why his dog attacked me for NO REASON!

That’s when I informed him that dogs always attack for a reason. It was very clear to me why his dog attacked. Let me explain.

The day before the other trainer used a choke chain, every time the dog growled the trainer would lift the dog off the ground and cut off the dog’s air supply. What the trainer was doing was punishing the dog for growling. When a dog growls he is giving you a warning.

This dog was being punished for growling, what did the punishment accomplish?

HE STOPPED GROWLING!

A growl is a warning, and now this dog would no longer give a warning because he was choked every time he did.

So when the owner handed the leash over to me and there was no growling I thought I would be able to work with the dog – but the dog went straight to defending himself. In the dog’s mind he was probably thinking, “Here’s another guy that is going to choke me,” and immediately went to defend himself. You really can’t blame the dog; recent history had proved that strange men over the house holding the leash meant serious business.

My point to all of this is that aggression is not something to be dealt with lightly. An important point to remember is that aggression is always triggered by something – when dealing with aggressive behavior the trainer needs to figure out what the trigger is and then how to condition the dog to behave differently.

Negative training methods will take a toll on your dog and can eventually lead to aggressive behavior. An important point that I always try to teach in my classes is that the relationship between you and your dog is like a checking account.

Every positive thing that you do with your dog is a deposit. Giving your dog a treat, playing ball, praising your dog, taking your dog for a hike, etc. are all positive activities that put deposits in your relationship checking account.

Every negative thing that you do to your dog is a withdrawal. Scruff shaking, smacking, hitting, yelling, leash correction, etc. are all negative activities that take a withdrawal from your relationship checking account.

Here’s the important point to all of this: You need to make sure that you are making more deposits than withdrawals.


Conclusion – I used to teach group dog obedience classes with choke and prong collars. At the beginning of the six week course I would see happy, friendly dogs walk in. At the end of the six week course I would see angry, aggressive, fearful dogs walk out. If they attended another session they would get worse.

I didn’t realize the full seriousness of the situation until I went to watch a friend teach a class. During the class I saw how many leash corrections the dogs would get. I counted one dog receive over 150 corrections in a sixty minute class. It all adds up and has an effect on the dog.

It’s time to start using a positive approach to train dogs. Aggression is a huge problem here in the United States. My final word of advice is to educate yourself. Learn about positive methods to train your dog. As dog owners, we need to all take steps to make sure that our dogs are friendly, happy, and well-behaved.

Happy Training!

A True Dog Training Secret

Just last week I was working with a very nice lady that had a jumping problem with her dog. She badly wanted her dog to stop jumping and pretty much didn’t care about anything else.

I explained why jumping happens, what she needed to do to stop it, and to make sure everyone in the house is complying. I demonstrated a simple and easy technique that stops jumping within a few minutes (it’s not jamming your knee into the dog’s chest).

The following week I received a call from her and she said that her dog was still jumping. I thought that was funny because when I left her house, her dog was not jumping on her or me anymore.

The problem with a lot of people experiencing a dog training or dog behavior problem is that they completely focus on the problem NOT the solution. If you truly want your dog to learn a behavior or to stop a behavior you need to focus on the solution to what you want your dog to do or to stop doing in order to be successful.

I know this sounds simple, but ask yourself this question the next time your dog is not behaving the way you want him to. Ask yourself, “Am I focusing on the problem or the solution?”

If you are focused on the problem, it will continue to happen. Learn to focus on what you want your dog to do. I know that when your dog is pulling, peeing on the carpet, jumping, barking, and doing any host of behavior problems that you don’t like it can be difficult to focus on what you want… BUT you need to stay focused on the desired outcome.

If you don’t, you’ll end up either living with the behavior, continuing to get angry, or getting rid of your dog.

Learn to focus on the solution and you’ll get much better results.

All the best,

Eric

Exercise For Your Dogs After A Busy Weekend

I was on the run all weekend. Saturday started off with teaching two obedience classes, one of which was filmed by a local TV station (once I get the footage I’ll put it up on the website for you to watch). I then taught a private lesson with a cute little boxer mix.

As soon as I was finished with the boxer mix, I went to a wedding. I was there to help serve food. A good friend of mine was having a wedding in her backyard for her cousin. She needed some help and being the helpful guy that I am, I offered my services, which included serving meatballs and chicken in a buffet line.


Eric serving up meatballs and chicken.

As soon as I was done with the wedding, I had to jump in my car, drive two hours to Hartford, CT, and go to a bachelor party.

On Sunday, my girlfriend and her Mother decided that they wanted to explore some places in Western MA. We went to the Bridge of Flowers, the Potholes, and the High Ledges in Shelburne, MA, right off the Mohawk Trail. Here are some of the pictures.


Eric & Rachael on the Bridge of Flowers.


The Bridge of Flowers, Shelburne Falls, MA


Rachael and her Mom on the Bridge of Flowers.


The Potholes, Shelburne Falls, MA


Rachael inside one of the potholes.


View from the High Ledges, Shelburne, MA

Needless to say, my dogs needed a good romp by Monday. Which brings me to today’s point. I have been saying this for a long time, but it is worth repeating:

“The only good dog is a tired dog.”

Most of the dogs that I see with behavior problems have way too much pent up energy. They have all of this energy that needs an outlet. The dogs that live with us today have a much different life than the dogs that lived with us just fifty years ago.

You see, the dogs of yesterday often had jobs within the household. Dogs were originally bred to hunt, guard, and herd. In today’s society most dogs will never do the tasks that they were originally bred for.

I have dogs from the herding group. Not one has ever herded a flock of sheep. Because of this, I have to provide outlets for their energy. I play retrieving games, tug games; I bring them hiking and swimming.

This burns off the pent energy that builds up in every dog. I also make sure that I exercise their brains. I always do obedience and tricks with them to stimulate them mentally.

So the next time your dog is driving you nuts, there is a good chance that your dog needs a good dose of exercise.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. If you would like to discover more about behavior problems and how to deal with them check out here how to solve them.

Anthropomorphism

It's Sunday morning, pouring rain as I read e-mails from dog owners. I'm thinking about the word anthropomorphism. It took me about two weeks to pronounce the word the first time I learned about it. I couldn't seem to wrap my tounge around the an-thro-po-mo-phism, it seemed like the word went in too many directions.

Anyway...

I'm thinking about anthropomorphism because of the e-mails that I have read this morning. One very nice person that wrote to me is very confused by the way her dog is behaving. She is confused because she is thinking like a human and not thinking like a dog.

It’s one of the first words a dog trainer learns. I can remember when I was going through dog training school; the instructor Donna Crawley kept pounding the word and definition anthropomorphism into our brains:

“Anthropomorphism – attributing human characteristics to animals, plants or objects.”

Making comments like, “Stupid TV”, “Dumb computer”, or my all time favorite: “My dog is trying to spite me” are all anthropomorphic statements.

A TV can’t be stupid, it’s a TV, a computer can’t be dumb or smart, it’s a computer, and spite is a human emotion rooted in revenge, a very complex behavior that humans who are considered much more intelligent can use and apply(?).

Dogs operate on a much more basic level.

But I am guilty; I am sometimes anthropomorphic with dogs. Dogs have such a wide range of body postures and expressions and exhibit so many different personalities that it’s easy to think of them as little people in fur coats,

But being anthropomorphic with our dogs can get us into trouble. Thinking that our dogs are trying to get back at us, trying to spite us and knowing right from wrong can lead to big problems.

When it comes to caring for your dog you have to learn to think like a dog, you can’t expect your dog to think like a human.

The better you get at thinking on your dogs level the better you’ll be able to understand why your dog does the behaviors that they do and how to deal with them.

All the best,

Eric

Toilet Training – Your Seven Step, Ten Day Housetraining Plan

Seems like I spent most of the week helping new puppy owners housetrain their pups. Housetraining can be accomplished in as little as ten days if you follow a plan, a plan that has worked for many dog owners. The closer you follow the plan, the better the results.

Step 1: Understand dog behavior – dogs do not know right from wrong. What they understand is safe and dangerous. When your puppy comes into your house he doesn’t understand that it is “bad” behavior to urinate on your carpet.

We want to teach your dog that going in the house is unacceptable. We do this by catching your dog in the act - not after the behavior has occurred but while the behavior is happening. Punishing your dog after the behavior has occurred can confuse your dog, making the housetraining process much more difficult.

Step 2: Understand your dog’s digestive system – A dog’s digestive system is much shorter than a humans. We have about 26 feet of intestines, a dog has about 8 feet, so the whole process is going to happen much faster. It is also important to remember that what goes in must come out.

Some dog food companies recommend feeding a puppy four times a day. That can make the housetraining process very, very difficult on the puppy and the owner. I have always fed my puppies twice a day. You can meet all of their nutritional requirements and make it much easier to housetrain on this feeding schedule, which leads us to step 3…

Step 3: Develop a schedule – Putting your dog on a feeding schedule during the housetraining process can make your efforts much more successful. A dog or puppy that is allowed to eat whenever she wants will make housetraining very difficult. Also, developing a schedule to take your dog outside will make it easier on you. I always bring a dog outside within 15 to 20 minutes after meals.

Step 4: Manage your dog’s behavior – One of the most important steps in the housetraining process is the proper management of your dog’s behavior. In step 1 we discussed catching your dog in the act, not after the fact. Using a crate can help you when you are too busy to watch your pup.

Most pups and dogs will not eliminate in their crate. When you need to go to work or have to leave the house for a while, you can put your pup in her crate. When you come home, you can immediately take her outside and not give her the opportunity to make a mistake in the house.

Using a crate is excellent for young dogs. At some point in your dog’s life he will probably have to go into a crate. The vet, travel, and grooming visits all require your dog to go into a crate. It is better to get him used to one while he is young. I also recommend crates because as a former animal control officer, I have seen plenty of young dogs that became injured – some seriously - because they were allowed too much freedom while unattended.

Step 5: Influence your dog’s behavior – Just as you need to catch your dog in the act, you also need to let your dog know that she is doing the right behavior. During the housetraining process it is a good idea to take your dog out on leash. If you let your dog out into a fenced in area and you are not there, you will not be able to communicate to your dog that she is doing the right behavior.

When your pup needs to go out, put your pup on leash and as she is sniffing the ground say a command like, “get busy” or “do your business,” and keep saying that until your pup starts to go. Once she starts, don’t say anything else. Once your pup is finished, praise and reward her immediately.

Step 6: Proper clean up – When I am helping someone housetrain their pup, one of the first questions I ask is “What are you cleaning up the mess with?” A lot of people get commercial cleaners at the supermarket. A lot of these products contain ammonia. Ammonia smells like urine to your dog. So if your dog urinates on the carpet and you clean with an ammonia product, your dog will come back to that spot and think that a strange dog has gone on the carpet. Your dog will eliminate again on that same spot to cover it.

Nature’s Miracle is an excellent product that has enzymes to break down the scent of urine naturally.

Step 7: Get everyone involved – if you live by yourself with your dog this step will be easy. If your dog lives in a house with more than one person, make sure that everyone is taking the steps to make the housetraining process quick and easy. The closer everyone sticks to the plan, the faster the training will progress.

Conclusion – Dog training really boils down to timing, consistency, and motivation. When we are housetraining a dog, we need to make sure that our timing is good – catching your dog in the act. We need to make sure that we are consistent with the training – same feeding schedule, outside schedule, and everyone in the house is on the same page. Motivation is rewarding your dog for going outside and startling your dog when they start to eliminate in the house.

Click here for my complete housetraining report.

Real Dog Training Success

Real Dog Training Success

Last night I was teaching a dog training class at a local shelter. The first night I always ask the dog owners to come without their dogs. A lot of them wonder why I would want them to come to a dog training class without their dogs.

I explain to them that I learned long ago from a great British dog trainer John Rogerson that the secret to dog training is simple. Let me share it with you:

“In order to have a good dog you have to become a good dog owner.”

So at the first class I teach dog owners how to become good dog owners, which takes me about an hour and is much easier to explain and answer questions when the owner is without their dog.

During the class one lady in the back raised her hand and wanted to make a comment. She explained that everything I had just talked about she would be happy to do, but she knows her husband will not do any of the steps I had just talked about. He just sat next to her nodding his head up and down agreeing with her that he will not do anything that I had just talked about.

She then asked me what to do about her husband. I informed her that I help train dogs not husbands. After everyone stopped laughing I informed her that she will not get very good results from the class and offered her a refund. She refused the refund and said that she wanted to train her dog.

I explained to her that I was offering the refund because in order for training to happen, the owners have to be consistent, and her husband made it clear that he was not going to comply. If there is no consistency, the dog becomes confused and will not respond the way we want them to.

Dog trainers are really people trainers. They show dog owners how to train their dogs. The better the dog owner is at following the instructions of the dog trainer the better the results will be.

So if you want really good dog training results learn how to become a good dog owner.

All the best,
Eric

P.S. Be on the lookout for my next video newsletter. You can subscribe for my video newsletters at www.AmazingDogTrainingMan.com