October 24th, 2011
By Eric Letendre
Did you know that most of what WE call behavior problems in dogs is incorrect.
Most of the behaviors that we don’t like are really just location problems.
When your dog pees on the carpet we call it a behavior problem. When your dog digs in your yard we call it a behavior problem. When your dog jumps we call it a behavior problem.
If we show the dog the right place to do the behavior it is no longer a behavior problem.
What if your dog pees outside, what if your dog starts digging on the beach, what if your dog jumps during an agility trial.
No longer problems.
Here is a video to help you solve any behavior problem:
June 21st, 2011
By Eric Letendre
Yes, today I am miserable.
Life is good, no problems with the wife, dog is healthy, business is good, family is safe.
So why an I miserable?
Well my dog loving friend, it all has to do with a weed whacker and a BIG patch of poison ivy that I did not see.
I sit here with it on my face, legs, arms and back.
BUT…
…that is NOT going to stop me from helping you solve your dog training and behavior problems, so let’s mush on!
Many dog owners wonder about being the “alpha” or the “pack leader.”
Dogs are extremely social animals, and it is the reason why we need to establish some order. Your dog can develop big problems if you are not seen as the one in charge.
Aggression, destructive behavior, housetraining, barking, jumping and chewing are just a few of the behaviors that can develop when the owner is not the pack leader.
Why would a dog develop some of these behaviors, you ask?
I can answer that question with one word:
STABILITY!
It is kind of like a kid in the house. Kids that grow up in houses with strong parental guidance tend to be more stable adults. The guidance has to be fair and consistent and it is the same with dogs. A strong leader does not hit, scream, yell or threaten.
Dog trainers used to teach dog owners to be tough with their dogs and to hit, scold, scruff shake and do alpha roll-overs.
Not good, because when you use aggression it is just a matter of time before your dog will get aggressive with you.
Being a strong leader is simple.
Instead of using force, you control the activites that are important to your dog. You control:
Food
Sleeping areas
Social contact
Games
I can take just about any dog and within about a week, I can teach the dog that I am the one in charge without ever touching the dog.
If you’d like to learn more about teaching your dog that you’re the pack leader check out this DVD:
All the best,
Eric
May 12th, 2011
By Eric Letendre
I mentioned not to long ago that I had just finished reading the book, “Marley and Me,” by John Grogan.
Great book and I really enjoyed it because I have met many, many Marley’s in my career as a dog trainer. Marley was a big, happy, hyper, lovable yellow lab that turned into a real handful for his owners.
Marley had a lot of fun chewing, digging, stealing and dragging his owners every where they walked. Labs are great dogs but they get into trouble because they are full of energy and a love of life. I’ve had many dog owners come to me with their dogs and have listened to them as they tell me how much they love their dog but don’t know how to stop the bad behavior. Keep Reading…
February 16th, 2011
By Eric Letendre
Yesterday I posted a video on this blog. You can watch it below this post.
The video was from the 1930′s Little Rascals.
When I was a kid, I would watch The Little Rascals every morning after I did my paper route. LOVED that show and found some old videos on YouTube.
I laughed at the way Spanky grabs the other kid under the table like a dog and gets a dose of Tabasco.
Taste deterrents are used in some situations – chewing, begging, etc.
You can find commercial taste deterrents in most pet stores. They come flavored as bitter apple, sour grapes,
etc.
In the dog training world, there are STRONG opinions on using any type of aversive in dog training.
What I have found in 20+ years of training dogs is that there are times when you use positive reinforcement and there are times when you can use a negative consequence to get the desired result.
Now, before I get a flood of hate mail, please let me explain.
Using a negative consequence does NOT mean you hurt or harm your dog. For instance, I have used breath spray for years to teach dogs to stop barking on command.
Would you think breath spray is harmful to a dog?
NO, it is not, but it is a negative consequence and the dog quickly learns to stop barking on command.
And that is what dog training comes down to. TEACH your dog by positively reinforcing behaviors. Sit, down, stand come, etc, are ALL taught by rewarding the behaviors. These commands used to be taught with a choke or prong collar which is wrong, wrong, WRONG!
You stop behaviors (jumping, barking, begging, chewing) by using a negative consequence.
A negative consequence is NOT hitting, slapping, shocking, choking or anything harsh.
A negative consequence can be water, sound, spray, etc.
You can apply a negative consequence that will stop the behavior without hurting your dog.
Here is the last bit of advice I’ll give you on applying a negative consequence. The negative consequence should NEVER be associated with you.
All negative consequences come from the environment, everything positive comes from you.
I discuss this much more in depth on the Good K9 Manners website.
You can get $10.00 off the regular price by using the coupon code: 10-OFFK9MANNERS
You can think of it as a late Valentine’s gift from your friend, The Amazing Dog Training Man.
All the best,
Eric
January 26th, 2011
By Eric Letendre
Well, it’s official.
Another 4 to 12 inches of snow expected tonight into tomorrow morning.
We already have two and half feet of the stuff and I had to shovel out a place for my dog to take care of business. It would also be nice to take a long hike in the woods, but I think I am going to have to invest in some snow shoes.
Anyway, the last time we had a winter this bad I got a call from a very distressed border collie owner.
She worked long hours and because of work and weather conditions her poor dog was really going nuts. Every dog needs exercise but border collies need jobs. They really have an incredible desire to work and run.
By the time I got called in, things had gone from bad to really, really bad.
You see, she lived in an apartment and her dog had chewed a hole in the wall and gone right through it. Her dog was in her neighbor’s apartment when she came home. The neighbor was none too happy and that’s when I got the call.
I put together a program for her that included a lot of exercise for her dog. Luckily, there was a dog daycare in the area that her dog could go to a few times a week. We also taught her what was acceptable and what was UN-Acceptable to chew on.
Within a few weeks, the neighbor got over the hole in the wall and the border collie responded very well to the training.
The scary part of all of this was what was going to happen if the training program that I recommended did not work. She knew that she was going to have to find her dog a new home which would have broken her heart.
But, it all turned out good.
A lot of what I showed her to do is in the Good K9 Manners program that you can still get at a reduced price for two more days.
Hop on over to Good K9 Manners and use the code 10-OFFK9MANNERS to get the special discount.
All the best,
Eric
Eric Letendre is a professional dog trainer from the United States. For more than 20 years, he has been developing dog training "hacks" that have worked for dog owners all over the world. Eric operates from a home office or a laptop while traveling and draws on his experience and passion for dog training to show others how to develop a dog that is truly “Man’s Best Friend”.
Eric is the author of numerous reports, the E-Book “101 Ways to Hack Your Dog’s Behavior,” “The Amazing Dog Training Man Book,” and produced and stars in his DVD “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer.”
