The Power Of The Premack Principle, How To Use Grandmas Law To Boost Your Dog Training Efforts

Do you remember as a kid when your Grandmother would tell you that you had to finish your vegetables before you could have any ice cream?

If your Grandmother or anyone else has ever said that to you, then they were using the Premack Principle, also known as Grandma's Law.

Basically, the Premack Principle is this: "If high probability behaviors (more desirable behaviors) are made contingent upon lower probability behaviors (less desirable behaviors), then the lower probability behaviors are more likely to occur."

Or to put it simply: "You can't watch TV until you finish your homework."

So how does this apply to dog training?

The Premack Principle works great when you are trying to teach your dog to come when called. You see, when your dog is outside there are more desirable things to do than to come back to you.

If your dog is outside and sees a squirrel, the chances of coming back to you decrease dramatically. Chasing the squirrel is much more desirable than responding to your command "Come."

But...

Since we now understand the Premack Principle, we can set up training situations where your dog learns to respond to the command "Come" before taking chase.

Here is an exercise that I teach:

With your dog on a 10 to 15 foot leash, throw a treat about 20 feet away. Let your dog see you throw the treat.

Now let your dog go to the treat but stop her about two feet from the treat. Your dog will be interested in the treat and probably ignore your command "Come." Give your dog just a slight tug on the leash and back up a few feet.

Once your dog comes to you, hold your dog's collar, praise your dog, and then let your dog run back and get the treat. You have just used the Premack Principle with your dog.

Your dog wants the treat (very desirable to your dog) but can't get the treat until she responds to the command "Come" (less desirable behavior), you are now teaching your dog to respond to your commands in distracting situations.

At first you need to use the leash to get the less desirable behavior to occur, but over time you'll find that your dog will start to respond to your voice command and you'll need to use the leash less and less.

Start using the Premack Principle and you'll be amazed at how much better your dog responds to your commands.

As always I look forward to your comments.

Your friend,

Eric

P.S. If you like this article you'll love reading "The Amazing Dog Training Man,"

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

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

The Longest Relationship I Ever Had With A Female

"Relationships, we all want them, we all need
them. What do we do with them?"

- Jimmy Buffett


The longest relationship that I have ever had with a female is with my dog Samantha. She has been with me for the past 17 years. Hard to believe.

I don't think writing about this is going to make my girlfriend too happy on Valentine's Days but I'll buy her some flowers and smooth everything over.

Anyway, Sammi was not even my dog. I was in a relationship with this lady who thought that I liked the dog more than her. Well, when she dumped me she asked me to leave her house, as I was backing my truck out the driveway I saw the door open.

Was she taking me back? Did she change her mind and figure out that she was throwing away a great opportunity with a great guy? In my mind's eye I could see her welcoming me back with open arms.

I was wrong.

As the door opened I saw Sammi come out and the door slammed behind her. I couldn't believe it. She didn't want Sam. What kind of cold hearted person could kick out her dog?

I opened my truck door, Sammi jumped in, and a few months later we opened our dog training business. I say we because she worked just as hard as I did getting it going.

She's been a great dog and I always feel a little sad now when I look at her. Her eyes are a little dimmer, her hearing is a almost gone, but she's still in good spirits and moves around well.

Right now she is lying next me sleeping. I think I'll sneak out and get my girl some flowers now.

Happy Valentines Day!

Your friend,

Eric

Dog Training Video - The AKC Canine Good Citizen Test

The Canine Good Citizen has become very popular over the past ten years. It is a program open to mix and pure breed dogs. It is a great program and I highly recommend it. Here is a quick video explaining what your dog needs to do to pass the test:



The Canine Good Citizen is offered in most communities. Many animal shelters have information when a Canine Good Citizen test is being held.

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

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.

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

Why Dogs Pull On Leash

How can you pick out a lab owner standing in a group of dog owners?

Answer: The lab owner is the one with a sling on her arm, a black eye, and using crutches.

That's a bad joke that I used to tell when ever I was doing one of my leash walking seminars. I used to do weekend seminars just on leash walking and I always told that bad joke because of an incident that happened shortly after I opened my dog training business.

You see, one Saturday afternoon I was finishing up a day of teaching classes when a very nice lady walked into my office. She looked like she was in a Rocky movie. She had two huge black eyes, a piece of tape over her nose and her face was red and puffy.

I found out that her face was puffy from crying, she started to cry almost as soon as she walked in the door. She then told the story of her big 90lb. black lab that was the cause of her injuries and her crying.

She went on to explain that she was about to take her dog for walk, something she absolutely dreaded because he was such an awful puller. He would drag her around for about thirty minutes and taking him for a walk was terrible.

She added that the other day she was getting ready to take him for a walk. Just as she was about to exit the house her husband called to her. She stopped just as she was walking out the door. Her lab was outside the house and she was still inside the house.

As she was standing in the house holding her dog's leash as he was outside, her dog saw a cat. Her lab seeing the cat took off after it full speed. She had the loop of the leash around her wrist.

With the speed of a boat pulling a skier out of the water she went face first into the door, breaking her nose and injuring her wrist.

It was then that she started to cry - she said that she loved her dog. He was sweet, never chewed, never had any housetraining issues but she could not control him on the leash. He pulled her everywhere and it was becoming impossible to walk him anywhere.

I assured her that she was in the right place and that we would get her dog walking on leash in no time. A few days later she showed up with her happy, excitable, strong lab and we started our leash training. I explained to her that the best place to start training is to understand why dogs do certain behaviors.

When it comes to pulling there are three reasons why dogs pull. Once you understand what the reasons are you can take steps to fix the problem. Here they are:

Reason #1: Your dog has no clue that they are supposed to walk next to you.

Reason #2: Opposition reflex.

Reason #3: Your dog is constantly being rewarded for pulling.

So let's look at the first reason why dogs pull - Your dog has no clue that he is supposed to walk at your side. When you put your dog on leash your dog does not know that he is supposed to walk politely at your side. Your dog sees a big world in front of him and starts to pull.

The first step is to teach your dog to walk at your side. I start by using a food lure and having the dog follow the food lure.

IMPORTANT POINT: The is a exercise that you practice in a non-distracting area. The purpose of this exercise is to teach your dog where you want him to be. Taking your dog for a walk with a food lure won't work for long. There are too many distractions.



You want to spend about 10 minutes a day just having your dog follow the food lure at your side. This is laying the foundation for the future. Once your dog starts to understand that you want your dog to walk on your side you can add a slight correction that will teach your dog to stay at your side.

In my next post I'll explain opposition reflex and why that makes walking your dog difficult.

Good luck and I look forward to your comments.

Best,

Eric

P.S. You can teach your dog to walk on your left or right side. If you plan to do competitive obedience your dog has to be on your left side.

P.P.S. If you don't need to teach your dog to walk on leash but are interested in more about dog training visit: Amazing Dog Training Man Home Study

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

Appreciation Of Dogs

It's amazing what dogs bring into your life. Today I was looking at my sheltie Sammi who is well beyond the decade mark and thought about all the good things that have happened to me since she came into my life.

Sam was one of the reasons I became a dog trainer. Becoming a dog trainer has been such an unbelievable experience for me. I have learned so much and met so many people and as a direct result of my relationship with dogs.

If I was to list all of the people and experiences I have been through (good and bad) because of dogs it would take weeks to list it.

My life has been so much fuller because a little dog named Sam came into my life. I have met some of my best friends and future wife because of dogs. I have learned how to run a business, deal with people and write because of dogs.

In short, dogs have added so much to my life. I can only hope that I have helped out dogs as much as they have helped out me.

Peace,

Eric

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

Godfather Style Dog Training - How To Make Your Dog An Offer They Can't Refuse

I love AMC Channel.

Why?

Because they show all my favorite movies. This month they have been showing one of my all time favorites “The Godfather”. As I was sitting there chomping on some popcorn, I was struck with a thought as Marlon Brando uttered the now famous line “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

You see, dog training is the same. In order to get training results, you need to make your dog an offer they can’t refuse. NOT the kind of motivation that Don Corleone and Luca Brasi use. They use negative motivation to get results.

Instead of using violence and anger, we want to find ways to positively motivate your dog.

A point that I always stress when I am teaching someone how to train his or her dog is this: Training does not happen without motivation. You need to motivate your dog if you want her to perform.

I also stress the fact that there are two forms of motivation: Positive and Negative. Both forms of motivation can produce results.

For a long time dog trainers would not use food or other forms of positive motivation because they had the silly notion that a dog is supposed to work for its master, PERIOD.

So dog trainers of the past would put a choke chain on the dog and use negative motivation to get the dog to comply with the command. The pain motivated the dog. In order to escape the pain the dog would comply.

A very bad way to train.

Whenever a trainer uses negative motivation he will get side effects. A killer whale trainer once said: If you put a shock collar on a killer whale you will have a very short training session because there is a good chance that the whale will eat you when you get in the pool.

He went on to say that aggression is caused by negative training methods. I completely agree with him. You can’t constantly expose your dog to negative training sessions and not expect it to produce negative side effects.

At this point many dog owners think that if you use food to train, the dog will only work for food.

Using food is only one part of the training process. Once your dog starts to learn a command, you can start to use life rewards.

A life reward is anything that the dog likes or wants. Does your dog like to go for car rides? Before you open the door and let your dog in, give your dog a command – sit, down, stay, etc.

Compliance is what we want from our dogs when we are doing obedience. You get compliance by motivating your dog.

Here is the secret of compliance:
1. Ask
2. Motivate
3. Reward

Through repetition your dog will start to learn the command.

Conclusion – In the movie “The Godfather,” negative motivation was used to get compliance, something we don’t want to do when we are training our dogs. Instead, we want to use positive motivation. By using positive motivation, we don’t have to resort to aggressive training techniques that promote aggression in dogs.

All the best,

Eric

P.S. If you would like to see an example of how to use life rewards you can watch this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-Iv2Hikxo_A

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.

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.