August 27, 2008
Correct the 10 Biggest Mistakes That Even “Trainers” Make Separate the Myths From the Facts!
Just by correcting these ten mistakes and misconceptions, you’ll automatically improve your chances of success to a level matching the top 1% of the most effective dog trainers in the world. You may find this hard to believe, but even experienced trainers make some of these mistakes. Yes. I am referring to professionals who train dogs for a living.
If you really want to cut down on your training time and see a REAL difference in your dog’s training response, busting these myths will be your stepping stone in achieving jaw-dropping results!
Myth #1: Training Ruins a Dog’s Personality and Breaks His Spirit
Dog abuse does that–not proper training combined with dog psychology. When you catch your dog making a mistake, you need to correct it, not punish it. There is a big difference! Hint: A sign of an abusive method is when you or a trainer is yelling, hitting or hanging your poor dog by his feet in order to make him listen or submit. Certain training tools also can be “misused” in the wrong hands.
Myth #2: Train Your Dog with Treats and He Will Eventually Listen to You Just As Well, Even Without Any Tidbits Forever and Ever After
This without a doubt HAS to be the biggest scam in dog training history! Think about it. Would you still work for your company once they stop paying you? Then how could you possibly expect the same level of response from your poor dog, especially once you stop giving him those cookies? You should surprise your dog with treats once in a while, but at the very “end” of your training session and NOT before each command. That is being fair, smart AND practical. Besides, your dog should sit, stay or lie down because you said so and not because he's going to get a crispy bacon strip. Most of us were raised that way and turned out OK, didn’t we? Wouldn’t you rather rely on your Love, Leadership, Praise and Technique, instead of Hotdogs, Cheese, Biscuit and Dried Liver? Let’s face it, it doesn’t take much talent OR skill to bribe a dog to death and then confuse it with dog training. Everybody knows that’s simply–“bribery!”
Myth #3: Dog Parks Are the Best Place to Get Your Dog Socialized
This is where your dog actually picks up lots of bad habits that aren’t easy to break. These include: barking nonstop for NO reason, tackling and chasing each other, humping constantly, start marking inside your home, and even stealing or guarding toys from other dogs–and maybe even from you. Let's not forget jumping up on people, on dogs, growling, snapping, lunging and the chance of your dog being bullied by much bigger and stronger dogs. If you happen to own a tough dog, the day will come when your dog will meet his match that challenges yours, causing a very nasty dog fight. Don't forget that not all of these dogs are going to be healthy, vaccinated or even spayed/neutered. You’ve probably known of someone that didn’t like you for no apparent reason. It is not much different in dog parks. There will be that one dog that will pick on yours and even maul it for no reason just because he felt like it. This results in your dog losing total trust in—YOU–and becoming fearful or even aggressive toward certain breeds, or worse, toward ALL dogs for rest of its life. As you can see, taking your baby to dog parks is a gamble where the odds are strongly against you. So choose wisely!
Myth #4: Don’t Bother Giving Your Dog ANY Commands, Until You Get His Visual Attention by Saying, “Watch Me!” First
Answer this honestly! Would you rather have your dog look at you or actually “listen” to you? I prefer both. But we all know that LISTENING is far more important. Then please don’t slow down your training progress with the annoying, watch me… watch me… watch me… that’s called nagging!!! (Poor men. Now you know what we go through.) You only need your dog’s eyes glued to you if you choose to prepare him for obedience competitions. Speaking from experience, most of you only care for a well-mannered and obedient pet, rather than a super-trained dog that wins you all these titles, ribbons and trophies.
Myth #5: Since “NO” Doesn’t Get Your Dog’s Attention Anymore, Change it to “Eh”, “Eh-eh” or “Shht” Instead
You definitely want your dog to stop whatever it’s doing the second it hears,“NO!” Even if you have been somewhat successful in getting your dog’s attention with strange terms such as: “Eh,” “Eh-eh,” or my favorite of all–“baaaah.” Your friends, relatives, kids, and your neighbors will laugh at you and have a hard time remembering it. Let’s face it. When your dog misbehaves, people naturally tell it–“NO!” They won't really remember or even care much for any other terms. Sure, Cesar Millan can control dogs with “Shhht” and it works for him. Are you The Dog Whisperer? I didn’t think so! (Hey Cesar. You owe me one bud! )
Myth #6: You Can Solve Your Dog’s Bad Habits, Which Mostly Occur in Your Home, by Joining an Obedience Class
Here is the main problem with dog classes: they are structured to teach your dog the “obedience factor” only! Ask yourself AND the trainer conducting that group class, how are you able to solve my dog's bad habits that mostly occur in my HOME, by joining your group class that is full of ten more unruly dogs? Can you really help me solve my dog’s potty training, jumping up, play-biting, barking excessively, over-protectiveness, bolting out the door, chasing my cat, counter surfing, separation anxiety and not having manners around my guests, by dragging it every Wednesday night to a group class? So here’s the truth most of these dog schools hide from you: Group-class trainers, no matter how qualified they may be, and no matter how much they are trying to be helpful, when it really comes down to it, they CANNOT help you with these issues. You need that one-on-one attention to accomplish those tasks. Even teaching your dog to Walk on a Loose Leash, Stay, Lie Down and Come to You When Called, are best taught in private or in your home first.
Myth #7: You Can’t Really Teach a Young Pup Under Four Months Old. And If Your Dog Is a Few Years Old, You Are Totally Out of Luck!
No dog is ever too young or too old to learn what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable and what is not. It doesn’t really matter whether your dog is an eight week old pup or a stubborn eight year old dog. With a “Diverse Method,” all dogs can be trained and learn to follow your rules. For example, bad habits―such as peeing and pooping all over your house, jumping up on your guests, lunging, snapping, running around like a maniac, barking excessively, knocking down your kids, terrorizing the guests and chasing down the mailman, are all unacceptable behavior. I’m sure you agree that there is no excuse or age limit for ANY of these bad habits and with proper guidance and training technique, they can be solved.
Myth #8: All Dogs Can Be Trained with the Same Training Tool
There is no magical tool that works on EVERY dog. Some dogs are just too strong, too big, too fast, too stubborn, and too sneaky for their poor owners. So which training tools do top trainers swear by? The answer may surprise you. But they too rely on whatever tool that works best for them and their dogs. So why should it be any different with you? If the training tool in which you are using at the moment doesn’t seem to get your dog’s attention or match your physical strength, try a different one. Why use what doesn’t work? This is especially important when your dog is faced with hard-to-ignore distractions such as other dogs, your visitors, the mail carrier or around your neighborhood’s cats.
Myth #9: Dogs Were Born to Please
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the majority of our dogs would rather please themselves first. It’s obvious that your dog loves you dearly, but don’t confuse that with “respect” or “obedience.” Also, if all dogs were truly natural PLEASERS, don’t you think there would be NO dog training books, dog trainers, dog behaviorists or even doggie shrinks? Everybody would have a perfect dog with no bad habits and a dog that listens to you AND everyone else, no matter what the circumstances. Hey, he's a pleaser, isn't he? I rest my case!
Myth #10: If You Send Your Dog Away to Be Trained, It Will Learn to Listen ONLY to the Trainer and Still Ignore Just Like Before
Here’s how I will bust this myth once and for all! No dog trainer can argue with the fact that all the best-trained dogs you can think of have been trained by an expert first. Dogs for the blind, dogs for the handicap, hunting dogs, and attack-trained police dogs, are just to name a few. Doggie Boot Camp is a wise choice, especially when you travel out of town, have a busy schedule, mother to be, in process of moving, or, if you just prefer the “expert” to do the hardest part and have you do the maintenance. Basically your dog goes to rehab and gets re-trained, next comes the harder part–training YOU!
NOTE: These ten dog training myths have been presented to you in the most condensed way possible. As you read the rest of the book, you'll learn more about how I back up what I am trying to convey with even more compelling facts. But you don’t have to take my word for it! I want you to research and study all ten of these myths and mistakes for yourself. Watch some dog classes, observe different dog parks, talk to a few dog owners who have actually tried different training methods, and compare this book to other dog training and dog psychology books on the market.
I’m confident the results you’ll get by following the “Diverse Method” taught in this book, will be so convincing, that you’ll agree other methods won’t stand a chance. This is because by being diverse, you are combining the best of every method making yourself highly versatile.
Kevin Salem is considered to be one of the brightest minds in the world of dog training and one of the pioneers in his field. It's hard to paint Kevin's image with the same brush as others, as his unique way of thinking, writing, and philosophy truly makes him distinct. If you are a fan of Cesar Millan, it will be difficult not to fall in love with Kevin's book. You'll finally be able to put an end to your dog's: Jumping Up, House-training, Play-biting, Barking, Leash Pulling, Destructiveness, Bolting Out, Over-protectiveness– to complete off-leash response. 10 week old pups to 10 yr old adults, all breeds welcome. Kevin offers Doggie Boot Camp or House Calls Nationwide. Try his book, hire him in person, or see him put his eyebrow raising skills into action by visiting his award-winning web site: http://ww.DogSecrets.com
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