Bad Dogma - How Harsh Training Methods Can Cause Aggression

The dictionary defines the word dogma as: The established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization, thought to be authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from.

There is an old saying among dog trainers that goes: "The only thing two dog trainers can agree on is what the third one is doing wrong."

There are basically two schools of dog trainers. On one side you have the old school dog trainers that believe training is done by using a choke chain or prong collar to train, that you should never use food to train the dog.

On the other hand you have the food reward trainers that believe you should never use any kind of force or harsh methods to train.

Both sides will strongly argue for their way of training. I have been on both sides of the issue. I got my start training dogs with an old time trainer that had been training dogs since the 1950's. If you used a treat in front of this guy, you had to be prepared for a verbal eruption that would make a sailor blush.

I have also been with trainers that think anything short of filet mignon not being used for treats is cruel. All kidding aside it can get confusing for someone trying to train their dog. Who do you listen to? Should you just use treats to train? Do you ever give your dog a correction?

The truth of the matter is that positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement can be extremely effective. There is no denying that there are thousands of dogs that are safely confined to their yards with the help of underground electronic fences.

There is also no denying that dogs learn much better when you use a reward based system of training. The important point is this: You want to make sure that you spend more time rewarding your dog's behavior than punishing or getting physical with your dog.

The fact is that all good relationships are based on positive interaction. I once watched a group obedience class where all the dogs were on choke chains. Food was not allowed. In the course of one hour, I watched one guy give his dog over 150 corrections with the leash. They weren't all hard corrections but he did yank on the leash that many times.

Over time, that dog will become tolerant to the choke chain and the owner will have to yank harder and harder and will probably damage his dog's neck and trachea which will lead to one very grouchy dog. There's no denying the fact that a dog being trained that way can easily develop an aggression problem, and here's the rub. The dog is always blamed, never the training method Doesn't it make sense to use a reward based training system?

Unfortunately this way of training has become the established belief or doctrine held by many dog trainers, and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from.

Too bad for the dogs.

Best,

Eric

P.S. Have you checked out the new Dog Training Inner Circle yet? Drop what you're doing and go there now. You'll be glad you did: Dog Training Inner Circle

Avoid Dog Training Disasters

I could hear my Mom's voice: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Easy for her, she was on her way to becoming a Catholic nun before she met my Pop on a beach in Connecticut. She is hard wired to always be nice.

Anyhow...

I was sitting at a round table discussion with some other pet professionals discussing dog behavior and care. There was a vet, a couple of groomers, a shelter manager, another dog trainer, and me.

The round table was an informational event open to the public. Dog owners were encouraged to attend and ask questions. There were a lot of training and behavior questions that the vet and the other trainer answered.

I was keeping my mouth shut and I could feel my face becoming red and knew that my blood pressure was rising. As I was sitting there, I was listening to advice that I completely, 100% disagreed with. The other round table attendees all agreed with each other and I was keeping my mouth shut.

I guess everyone noticed because I was asked if I had anything to share.

I sat there and thought about my choices. I could:

1. Get up and leave.
2. Agree with the bad advice and keep things friendly.
3. Voice my thoughts.

I work hard at not being confrontational, but this was too much. With my Mom's voice echoing in my head I opted for choice number three and spoke up:

"I disagree with a most of what's been said here today."

"Would you like to tell us what you disagree with."

"Sure," I said and then went on to contradict just about everyone at the table.

The other "experts" were advising that training a dog should not be done until the dog is six months old. The other dog trainer and the vet completely agreed on this point. They were also telling the attendees that they should use a choke chain for training and that treats should avoided at all costs.

They also said that a puppy should be kept in the house and have limited exposure to the outside world until after the vaccinations are complete.

I almost literally had to put my hand over my mouth when I heard that one. I went on to explain that puppies should start training as young as eight weeks old. That a puppy can start to learn basic commands such as sit, down, stay, come, and walking on leash.

I also added that keeping a puppy in the house and not socializing him can turn into a nightmare situation for the puppy's owners. A puppy has a socialization period that has to be taken advantage of. The more the puppy is exposed to, up to between eight weeks and four months, the more stable she will be as an adult dog.

The veterinarian was none to pleased with my comments and made it clear.

"You are putting the puppy at risk by exposing him without proper inoculations."

I knew that was coming and was ready with my reply:

"Do you know what the number one reason for dogs dying in the United States is
?" Before he could answer I followed up with, "Do you know the number reason for euthanasia?"

I was hot now and still did not let him answer.

"Behavior problems."

More dogs are put to sleep for behavior problems than for any other reason. We don't properly socialize our puppies, we wait until the pup is six months old before we start training, then to top it off, we use negative, outdated, harsh and sometimes cruel training methods.

When the dog becomes aggressive, fearful, or unruly to the point where we can't control the dog, the dog ends up in a shelter, abandoned, or put to sleep.

I added that the chances of a puppy dying from rabies, parvo, distemper etc. couldn't compare to the numbers of dogs that were being put to sleep for behavior problems.

The round table ended shortly after and I was never invited back. When I think back on the whole situation I guess I may have been a little out of line.

BUT...

I don't apologize for what I said or did. I stand by what I said then and still do today. I not going to sit there and listen to advice that can potentially be harmful to a dog.

Anyway, as I was thinking about all of this I wrote down what I think are the four biggest dog training disasters:

1. Waiting
2. Harsh methods
3. Giving up
4. Follow through

With the advice given at the round table a lot of dog owners wait to start training. By that time their dog has developed some behavior problems. The dog training "experts" recommend harsh methods which often backfire. Because using harsh methods is not fun most people don't follow through with the training. In the end they give up. They give up on the training and sometimes on the dog.

Conclusion: Start training early, use lots of positive reinforcement, don't give up and keep on learning about dog training so you can follow through and have a dog that is well behaved and fun to be around.

Your friend,

Eric

Learn more about effective, positive training methods at www.AmazingDogTrainingMan.com

Revenge is like serving cold cuts

"Revenge is like serving cold cuts"
- Tony Soprano

That saying was the first thought to pop into my head as I hung up the phone.

I mentioned before that I am a big Soprano's fan. I thought the show was very funny and had me rolling on the ground laughing sometimes. Especially when they would mess up common quotes like, "Revenge is a dish best served cold."

Anyway, let me explain why I was thinking about the classic Tony Soprano misquote.

I had just spent about 20 minutes trying to explain dog behavior to a very angry person. This person was upset with his dog because every time he leaves his house his dog destroys something.

Today he was especially angry because his dog ate the TV remote. Add to this that his dog already destroyed his shoes, the corners of his coffee table and his couch cushions.

And guess what?

The behavior was getting worse.

He was convinced that his dog was mad at him and doing it out of spite. I asked him how he handled the situation when he came home and found that his dog had chewed up something.

He was honest with me and told me that he would yell and sometimes smack his dog.

It was at this point that I tried explaining that dogs do have emotions. I don't care what anyone tells you, dogs are capable of experiencing fear, happiness, anger, etc. I strongly believe that dogs do have emotions BUT I also believe that dogs operate on a much more basic level than we do.

When you look up the definition for spite it states:

1. a malicious, usually petty, desire to harm, annoy, frustrate, or humiliate another person; bitter ill will; malice.

2. a particular instance of such an attitude or action; grudge.

3. to annoy or thwart, out of spite.

Spite, revenge, gratitude, etc. are much more complex emotions. Dogs truly live in the moment.

Are dogs capable of revenge, spite, etc? None of us really know. But from my observations we often project our feelings and emotions on our dogs. It reminds me of another favorite quote from J. Allen Boone:

"There's opinions about dogs and there's facts about dogs. We have all the opinions and the dogs have all the facts."

When you leave your house your dog does not sit there and think about how mad they are that you left. What happens is that your dog is an extremely social animal that is hard wired to be with other dogs or humans.

Because they are wired that way they become stressed when left alone. To relieve the stress they chew, usually on something with your scent on it.

The dog owner comes home and finds some item has been chewed. It's not much fun to come home after a tough day and find your favorite pair of shoes destroyed. Out of anger and frustration the dog gets punished.

But here's the rub – and it’s really ironic.

Your dog does not associate the punishment with chewing your shoes your dog associates the punishment with your homecoming. If this happens enough times your dog will learn that homecomings are associated with punishment.

Much the same way your dog can learn when it's time to eat if you feed the same time every day. Much the same way as your dog can learn when your spouse is coming home, if they come home at the same time every day.

Your dog can learn that when you come home they are going to get punished. Now destructive behavior can become a real problem because...

Dogs relieve stress by...

You guessed it.

Chewing.

See how the whole problem can spiral out of control.

But...

I couldn't get the guy I was talking to, to believe me. He wanted to think that his dog was getting revenge. Too bad, I really feel bad for the dog. Unfortunately it's hard for some people to think like a dog which is the real secret to dealing with behavior problems.

Don't think like a human, learn to think like a dog.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe our dogs do walk around thinking:

"How can I get back at him for leaving me here. What can I do? I got it, I'll chew his shoes and then to get him really, really mad I'll chew the TV remote, ha ha, that will make him mad. I'll show him for leaving me here."

The great trainer Jean Donaldson states it perfectly when she said:

"Expect your dog to act like a dog. Don't take it personally when he exhibits typical canine behavior. He's not being "bad," he's just being a dog."

Peace,

Eric

I was shaking like a maple leaf on a tree in Toronto

I was shaking like a maple leaf on a tree in Toronto.

Well...maybe not that bad but I was nervous. I had just sat down behind the big microphone and the guy sitting across for me did not look to happy. In fact he seemed a little annoyed.

His name was Geoff and he was the producer for my new radio show "Dog Talk".

It was my first day on the radio. The station said they were going to give me some training before I went on the air, but it never happened.

As I sat there I started to get some negative thoughts.

"What if I sound like a complete bonehead?"

"What if nobody calls the show?"

"What if I have nothing to talk about?"

I looked across the room and asked Geoff a question. "What if nobody calls" I asked.

"Do you have some topics to talk about?" Geoff asked.

"Yeah, I have a list of things to talk about," and showed him my paper.

"Good" Geoff said, "just talk about that stuff."

"What if I go through the list and have nothing else to talk about?"

With a really annoyed look on his face Geoff said, "Go back to the top of your page of topics and start all over."

YIKES!

That was the extent of my training for the radio show. As it turns out me and Geoff became very good friends and always have a good laugh when we talk about our time at WSAR.

I had decided to do a radio show on dog training to promote my new book, "The Amazing Dog Training Man" and business at the time.

I relaxed and the show went fine.

Sitting here today in snowy Massachusetts I spent some time going through some old books and tapes that I have and I found some interviews that I did while on the radio and I'm going to share them with you. The first interview was with a best selling author. It was a very interesting interview and should have it ready for you in a day or two so stay tuned...

All the best,

Eric

Who Else Wants To Learn A Little Known Dog Training Secret Inspired By A Former Russian Special Forces Instructor?

On a beautiful spring morning a few years back I found myself sitting in a small classroom listening to “The Evil Russian,” Pavel Tsatsouline discuss flexibility training.

There were about 25 people in the room and they were all there to learn techniques that Pavel used to train the elite Russian Special Forces Unit, Spetznaz. Everyone listened intently as Pavel shared his secrets with us, but one person, me, was really amazed at how some of what he said applied to dog training.

What Makes The Difference?

Have you ever wondered, as I have, what makes such a dramatic difference in the way a dog behaves? It isn’t always the person training the dog. It isn’t that one person wants a well behaved dog and the other doesn’t.

The difference lies in how well the person understands a few basic techniques about training dogs.

It’s important for us to understand that we do NOT want to reinforce the behaviors that we don’t like. One of the biggest problems for about 90% of dog owners is jumping and unruly behavior.

We need to make sure that we are not un-intentionally reinforcing the unruly behavior. When a friend comes over and your dog starts to jump, the typical scenario goes something like this: your friend pushing your dog or petting your dog, while you are trying to pull your dog back and yelling, “down,” “get down.”

This all reinforces the unruly behavior. Unintentionally, but still reinforcing.

What The Evil Russian Taught Me

During the seminar that I attended, Pavel made a comment that applies to all of this. As he was discussing stretching he used the term:

Forced relaxation

He added that only the Russians can come up with a term like “Forced relaxation.”

It struck me because that is exactly what we need to do when we are dealing with a young dog that likes to jump and become unruly. We need to force them to relax.

The easiest way to do this is with a leash on your dog. Here’s how it works: when your friend comes over the house, before you let your friend in put a leash on your dog. You then step on the leash to prevent your dog from jumping.

With all your weight on the leash you force your dog to relax before your friend approaches and gives your dog any attention. Your dog only gets your friend’s attention when she or he relaxes.

If your dog is too strong for you, find a place in your house where you can secure the leash to something sturdy. This way your dog is out of the area where he can jump and get unintentional reinforcement.

I'll be adding a video showing how to do this to my website: Amazing Dog Training Man

Forced relaxation is a great way to teach calm behavior. The calmer the dog, the easier and more enjoyable it is to be around your dog. Your friends will like you and your dog much better when they come over to your house and your dog does not jump all over them.

It’s hard to believe, but not everyone is a dog lover like you and me.

Peace,

Eric

Dog Training Video Demonstration - The Premack Principle

A couple of days ago I wrote about the Premack Principle. I decided that a video would be a great way to show you exactly how it is done. Here is the video:



Hope this helps you train your dog. Feel free to pass it on to all your friends and family.

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. What to learn more amazing dog training principles and techniques. Check out:
The Amazing Dog Training Man's Home Study Dog Training Course.

Canine ADHD

I would be on drugs.

There would be no doubt about it. If I was in high school today some guidance counselor would have suggested and strongly recommended that I be put me on some type of drug therapy to get through high school.

You see, I barely, and I mean barely, squeaked out with a diploma. I was really just pushed through my junior and senior year of high school. When I look back on my school days, I was really just pushed through most of my schooling.

I was "diagnosed" as having a learning disability in the third grade. Today I would would be classified as ADHD.

Some of my teachers would literally fall out of their chairs if they knew that I had written a book called The Amazing Dog Training Man.

It's not that I couldn't learn, I just had a very active brain and I was BORED out of my mind. I could not concentrate on what was being taught but, when I had a subject and a teacher that was interesting, I was at the top of my class.

You see, I love to learn but for some weird reason, it has to be on my terms. I have traveled all over the United States and sat for days at a time to learn from some of the best dog trainers in the world.

So why do I share all of this with you?

Simple...

I am asked by a lot of people if it is possible for their dogs to have canine ADHD. My honest opinion is that I have NEVER come across a dog that I felt had any kind of learning disability.

What I have found is that the dog that is having a difficult time learning obedience is usually a dog that cannot pay attention. I worked with a dog, not too long ago, that had so much pent up energy that he truly could not focus. The dog was kept in a crate every day, sometimes up to ten hours.

I tried and tried to explain to the person that owned the dog that no amount of training can overcome an exercise problem. I won't go into it today but the story had a very tragic ending.

One of the big influences on my training career was a British dog trainer, John Rogerson. I had the great opportunity to attend his seminars in New Hampshire and Memphis, TN.

Mr. Rogerson made a very simple but profound statement that I have never forgotten. He stated: "In order to have a good dog, you have to be a good dog owner."

Brilliant!

It changed the way I helped people train their dogs. I boiled down what I felt were the four important steps to becoming a good dog owner. Here they are:

Step #1: Effectively control and manage your dog's behavior. Or as I wrote in my book, The Amazing Dog Training Man, - M.O.B. Rules which stands for Management of Behavior.

Step #2: Give your dog enough exercise. There are two forms of exercise that every dog needs. Physical and Mental. Your dog needs to exercise his body and his brain.

Step #3: Become the leader. Dogs do respond to structure. Structure your relationship so your dog understands that you are in charge.

Step #4: Learn about behavior. Learn when to reinforce behavior and how to stop behaviors.

By following those four steps you'll develop a great relationship with your dog and your dog will become much more responsive to your training.

And remember that all training starts with attention. Your dog has to be paying attention to you before they will respond to any of your commands. It's your job to get and keep your dog's interest when you are training.

Happy training!

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. If you find this blog helpful and interesting please pass it along to your dog loving friends and family. They'll thank you for it!

Sometimes I Just Don't Understand People When It Comes To Dog Training

I have a lot of training videos on youtube.com and what amazes me are the people that post negative comments. I mean really, don't they have anything else to do?

I have worked in animal shelters for the past 15 years. I know that the main reason dogs end up in shelters is lack of training. Most of the dogs in shelters have behavior problems.

I try to help as many people as I can with training. Sure I sell some products but you can't deny that in the vast world of the internet there are few websites or trainers that offer as much useful information as I do.

So when I get comments like the one below it sometimes makes my blood boil. Here is a comment that I received on youtube.com:

"Would be good if you could learn what negative reinforcement really means. It is not correction chains or pinch collars. You are talking about positive punishment. You obviously don't understand the 4 quadrants of dog training theory."

I know exactly what the four quadrants are, in fact I can even tell you who taught them to me. By the way the four quadrants are:

PP/PR/NR/NP

PP - Positive punishment, which by the way is not a nice way to punish your dog.

PR - Positive reinforcement

NR - Negative reinforcement

NP - Negative punishment

Sure I could use big words like "successive approximation", "extinction bursts", "conditioned reflex", and a whole bunch more but I get the feeling that most people just want practical solutions to train their dog.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe you do want me to talk about that stuff. Please let me know. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts about this.

Thank you.

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. My website Amazing Dog Training Man has over 1000 pages of dog training tips, articles and videos with new content being added weekly.

P.P.S. By the way, if you want to read a fantastic article on the four quadrants check out my friend Adian Binoff's article. It is the best that I have ever read on this subject. Here it is: Secrets Of Dog Training Professionals

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

A confession...

I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.

Many of you know that I am a huge New England Patriots fan. Being a life long resident of New England, I love the Red Sox and the Patriots.

The past year has been great for fans in New England. The Red Sox won the World Series and then the Patriots went on to an ALMOST perfect season.

I woke up Sunday morning in a great mood. I was sure that the Patriots were going to win and wanted to celebrate it with all the great dog owners like you, who subscribe
to this newsletter.

I was going to call it "The Perfect Season Package."

The package was going to include:

The Good K9 Manners course - $29.99 value
The Amazing Dog Training Man digital book - $9.99 value
Ultimate Online Dog Training Course - $19.99 value

$60.00 worth of hard-hitting, real world dog training instructions. I was going to include everything for just $29.99 - a FULL Half Off!

That was before the Superbowl. But as you know by now, the Giants won.

But...

Just to show your that I am a good guy, I'm still going to let you take advantage of
this generous offer for the next 7 days only.

Instead of calling it the "Perfect Season" Package I am now calling it the "I'm Not A
Sore Loser" package. The "I'm Not A Sore Loser" package with be available for the next seven days.

So, to take advantage of my grief and this great package don't delay. Want to take advantage of this incredible offer? Go to:

http://goodk9manners.com

and purchase the Good K9 Manners program. As soon as you do,you'll receive an email
with links to both the Ultimate Online Dog Training Course and my digital book,"The
Amazing Dog Training Man." This offer is only good for the next 7 days.

Your friend,

Eric

Who else wants their dog to come when called: Part 2

In my last post I talked about giving your dog some freedom. That when your dog develops a sense of freedom it will be easier to teach your dog to come back to you when you give the command "COME".

My dogs are very good when they are off-leash because they get to spend a lot of time off-leash. I once worked with a German Short Haired Pointer that was next to impossible to teach the recall command to.

You see, this poor dog had been tied up in the owners backyard for seven years. The dog had never been off-leash his entire life. The last thing this dog was thinking about when he got off-leash was coming when called.

Can you blame him?

Anyway, what we need to do is let our dogs develop the sense of freedom. This can be done with a long line. A 20 to 30 foot long line. Bring your dog to a big open area and put the long line on your dog.

Let your dog hang out and just be a dog. Let your dog sniff and run and explore the area without any commands and as little interference from you as possible. When I do this with a dog that I am training I just stay near the long line. I step on it if the dog starts to get to far away.

Most dogs on leash are constantly getting commands from the owner. "Heel", "Leave it", "Sit", "Stay", etc. When you have your dog on a long line just let your dog hang out and do dog stuff.

After a few days of this you'll see a change in your dog. Your dog will start to come back to you when you call.

I have always believed that the recall command is one of the most important commands we can teach our dogs. This is a easy and useful step to follow and apply. You and your dog will be happy that you did.

As always I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

All the best,

Eric

Why Some Dogs DON'T Get Trained

So yesterday I helped my sister-in-law move into a new home.

I got up at 5:30AM, drove two hours, rented a U-haul and spent the rest of the day helping her move.

If you were to ask me what my top five least favorite things to do are, moving would be right next to getting a root canal and meeting with my accountant.

It's the kind of project that you would procrastinate doing if you could.

Procrastination is a HUGE problem for a lot of people - me included.

I have to fight it all the time.

But I have found the cure for procrastination and I'm going to share it with you.
Here it is:

When you are focused on a task that needs to be completed, focus on the reward NOT
the process.

Simple yes. Profound, absolutely.

See, a lot of dogs don't get trained because we focus on the process and NOT the reward. There are times when we're tired, stressed, or pressed for time and it's just easier to put off the training.

Some people just don't enjoy the process of training, but, if you can focus on the reward and not the process, you can get your dog to behave and become the obedient dog that you always dreamed of.

Right now I'm training one of my dogs to retrieve an adult beverage from the fridge
when I give the command. I'm hoping to have her trained by the Superbowl.

Some days even me, The Amazing Dog Training Man, thinks of better things to do than training. When I start thinking that way, I focus on the reward. I think about how awesome it will be to have my dog run over to the fridge, open the door and bring my back a cold beverage.

I can picture the looks on my friends' faces when they see her do the command. I can picture all of them asking me if they can ask her to get them a brewski.

When you start thinking that way the process goes away and the training becomes fun.

Do you want your dog to walk on leash without pulling, to come back when you call, to stay when you ask? If you're ready to focus on the reward and not the process and start training your dog to listen to all of your commands, let me help you.

My on-line course can help you. Check it out at:

http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com/homestudy1.htm

See for yourself how easy and fun training can be.

Your friend,

Eric

Housetraining Follow Up

I got a lot of email in regards to my "7 Ways To Cure Your Dogs Housetraining Problem" post. In the post, I wrote that a good step to take is to teach your dog to give you a cue. One very popular way is to hang a bell on the door and teach your dog to hit the bell to let you know that your dog needs to go out.

One reader, Jen, asked this question:

How would you use the bell technique?

I had ALOT of trouble housetraining my last min pin and I think that the bell idea would be great for my next little one. Miniature pinschers are THE hardest dogs to housetrain and I found that when you clean up the mess, if you rub the spot with a tad of vinegar, and the dog isn't attracted to that spot anymore.

With min pins (for other owners) It's easy to overlook little messes, as they are so small. You always have to check thoroughly to make sure you can clean it up and not let them think that its appropriate for them to go to the toilet inside.

Here is the answer for Jen.

The easiest way that I know is to put a little peanut butter on the bell while your dog is not watching. Then bring your dog to the door and close to the bell. As your dog starts to sniff the bell, say, "Good girl" and open the door and bring your dog out.

Repeat that a couple of dozen times then every time you go out the door, hit the bell and bring your dog out. Your dog will start to get the picture.

Good luck!

Best,

Eric

7 Ways To Cure Your Dogs Housetraining Problem

In my dog training business, if I had to list the top five behavior problems housetraining would be near the top. I get a lot of email and phone calls for housetraining.

Here are 7 ways to cure your dogs housetraining problem:

1. Management - One of the easiest steps to take is to use a crate. This will help you manage your dogs behavior when you are not there or can't watch your dog.

2. Teach a cue - Teach your dog to give you a cue that they need to go out. Hanging a bell on the door is popular. This way when your dog needs to go they hit the bell to let you know. Most dogs will give off some type of cue that they need to go. Some bark at the door, some scratch at the door and some dogs just pace around the room. Pay attention to see what type of cue your dog gives.

3. Proper cleaning - Don't clean with ammonia based products. The ammonia smells like urine and it will attract your dog back to the same spot. Clean with products that have enzymes that break down the smell.

4. Health check - Physical problems always need to be ruled out. If your dog has a physical problem no amount of behavior training can help.

5. Go on command - Teach your dog to go on command. It's easy and your dog can learn this in about a week.

6. Be there to influence behavior - If your dog goes in the house you need to be there to catch your dog "in the act". This way you can discourage your dog from going in the house and bring her out. The same holds true for when your dog is outside. A lot of people let there dog out into a fenced yard on their own. Now when the dog goes outside there is no one there to reward the dog for going in the right place. You need to be there to discourage AND reward.

7. Careful with punishment - A dog that is heavily punished for doing a natural, normal behavior in the wrong place becomes confused easily. If you harshly punish your dog for a mistake, your dog may hold it when in your presence - inside and outside. Now your dog will sneak off in the house and do his stuff when your not looking.

There you have it. The Amazing Dog Training Man's 7 Ways To Cue Your Dog's Housetraining Problems. Please feel free to leave a comment.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. My online dog training course includes my report "How To Housetrain Your Dog In 10 Days Or Less. You can get all the details here:

http://theamazingdogtrainingman.com/homestudy1.htm

The Art Of Dog Training

The funny thing about being a dog trainer is that you really aren't a dog trainer. When you become a dog trainer you spend your time training people to train their dogs. I spend way more time training people than I do training dogs.

So now when someone asks me what I do for a living I say that I am a professional people trainer. I get some strange looks but that's okay, I used to it.

So why am I sharing all of this with you.

Simple my dog loving friend...

This is the time of the year that people are looking for a good dog trainer to help train their dogs. A lot of people still get puppies for Christmas. A lot of dog owners also wait until after the holidays to start training their dogs.

So I wanted give you some tips on working with a good dog trainer. A good dog trainer is someone who is patient and fun to be with. It always amazes me when I go to a dog training class and the dog trainer is like a drill instructor.

I remember about ten years ago I went to a dog training class at a popular school. The instructor walked into the middle of the class and stated: "This is the worst class I have ever seen". She went on to belittle the whole class for about five minutes. Why the people didn't walk out I never figure out.

A good dog trainer will have different techniques to help you, a good understanding of the different training methods and breeds of dogs.

But I would have to say that one of the most important things is that the dog trainer should make it fun for you and your dog. Dog training should be all about having fun. I know there is a serious side to dog training - it stop your dog from injury, prevent your stuff from getting destroyed, not anger your Friends and neighbors etc. but...

If dog training is FUN your chance and your dogs chance for success is much greater. I'm not saying that every dog trainer has to be great at cracking jokes but the class environment can be light and enjoyable.

Well that's my take on finding a good dog trainer. Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment below.

Peace,

Eric

Whats Everyone Talking About?

"Thanks, Eric...our dog really needs this and has a few issues - I plan to try this out soon"!

"Wonderful tips to train puppies" :)

"Very, very helpful. Thank you"!

"Good idea. I used this on my dog and in no time he knows how to stay".

"Thanks for the good advice".

"Such a great video tutorial. Thanks a million. I have two puppies; 9 wks and 17 wks... definitely could use the help in this area". ;)

"Absolutely outstanding article that solved the problem we had. Thanks"!

"Thank you"!

"Nice video".

"I just tried this with our lab...it worked! Thanks" :)

"Superb article. We have seven dogs, we are the alphas, and it makes life very pleasant for all of us. With the exception of the sock/leash behavior, this is exactly how we achieved peace within our "pack," which includes a dobie, rat terrier, two labs, a shepard, a large short-legged guy we have no clue about, and a pit".

"This is going to help my family deal with this problem with our 5 dogs. Thanks"!

"Very accurate and helpful. Thanks"!

"Nice article, super stuff".

Those are just a few comments from the articles that I have posted at ehow.com. You can check them out by clicking on this link:

http://www.ehow.com/Search.aspx?s=eletendre&Options=0

All the best,

Eric

P.S. You can still get the Good K9 Manners Mini-Course. It's a video course that will help you understand problem behavior and what to do about it. Get the course here: Good K9 Manners

Happy New Year

Rachael and I decided to go to New Hampshire and spend the weekend with her sister and brother in law. We packed up the dogs and here we are in snowy New Hampshire (the dogs are having a blast).

We came up on Saturday to watch one of the biggest games in NFL history. The New England Patriots take on the New York Giants - WHAT A GAME!

We all went out to see the new Will Smith movie "I Am Legend". I won't spoil the movie for you but there is one scene that is very, very difficult to watch and made me choke up...but the movie was very good.

Anyway, we have some great stuff planned for the New Year. In 2008 we are planning on more videos, articles, and answering your questions.

We want to improve on The Amazing Dog Training Man website:

http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com

We are very excited to continue helping people better understand their dogs through positive, real world training solutions and by providing quality information to as many dog lovers as possible.

Happy New Year!

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

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.