May 15th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
Last week I was working with a big fun, beautiful dog named Bo.
Bo’s owner was not too happy with his behavior.
You see, Bo loves chewing, digging, pulling on leash and basically getting into trouble.
I have seen hundreds of dogs like Bo, and by following some simple steps, his behavior can easily be brought under control and he can become a very enjoyable dog to be around.
But here’s the rub…
…the owner. Bo’s owner thinks Bo is a complete and utter bonehead and has said so many times during our training sessions.
The owner likes to tell me all the reasons why Bo will never learn obedience or stop his annoying behavior problems.
The first ten minutes of our last session were spent with the owner explaining all the reasons why Bo can’t learn obedience commands and why none of my suggestions were going to work.
That is when I put up my hand and asked her if she knew who Henry Ford was.
“The car guy?” she asked.
“Yes, the guy who started the Ford Motor Company.” I said.
I went on, “Henry Ford is famous for a very popular dog training quote. Would you like to hear it?”
“Sure.”
“If you think you can do a thing, or if you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” I said.
“That is a dog training quote?” She asked.
“Well in this situation it is. It applies to everything in life but for our purposes it applies to dog training,” I said.
You see, I have used this quote over and over in my dog training career because it applies so well.
I have had loads of people tell me why dog training doesn’t work for their dog and they are correct, if they believe that.
BUT…
…The same person can also choose to believe that their dog can learn to do obedience, to stop doing annoying behaviors and become the dog they always wanted.
The choice really is up to you.
If you believe Henry Ford’s quote and are ready to train your dog, I have a something you may want to check out:
All the best,
Eric
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:
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
October 16th, 2010
By Eric Letendre
Tiny Dog Has Been Barking Nonstop For 6 Years
Funny little video a friend sent to me. My friend sent it to me because he has a little eight month old beagle that likes to bark all the time. He sent it to thank me because I helped him bring his dog’s barking problem under control.
You see, when he contacted me a few months ago I sent him to the Good K9 Manners course which has a section on how to fix any barking problem. Barking is no longer a problem.
In case you missed it you can still get the Good K9 Manners course for less than you think.
Go to Good K9 Manners and type DOGTVMANNERS to get the complete course at a special price but it won’t last much longer.
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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.”
