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.
October 14th, 2010
By Eric Letendre
Get this… Hungarian scientists are working on computer
software that analyzes dog barks so people can better
recognize their emotions.
It’s true.
And get this… the researchers tested the software in 6
situations: when the dog is alone, when it sees a ball, it
fights, it plays, it encounters a stranger or it goes for
a walk.
But here’s the best part: The computer correctly recognized
the emotional reaction of the dogs based on their barks and
yelps in 43 percent of the cases. People had judged correctly
in 40 percent of cases.
Scientists said the software could be improved.
Why is this important to you?
Imagine if your dog could let you know that they need to go
outside to pee, or if your dog could let you know that they
are pent up and need some exercise before they chew your shoes.
Unfortunately, we have to make do without the software and we
have to communicate what is acceptable and un-acceptable behavior
in the house.
It is one of the reasons I developed the Good K9 Manners course.
The course will help you communicate to your dog that:
* Chewing
* Jumping
* Stealing
* Unruly Behavior
* Barking uncontrollably
are all un-acceptable behaviors.
In case you missed it in yesterday’s Train Your Dog TV, you
can get the Good K9 Manners course for less than you think.
Go to Good K9 Manners and type DOGTVMANNERS and you’ll
get the reduced price.
This won’t last long.
Good K9 Manners and don’t forget DOGTVMANNERS.
All the best,
Eric
December 30th, 2009
By Eric Letendre
Well the New Year is rapidly approaching. Rach and I are getting ready to go up to New Hampshire to bring in the New Year at her sister’s house.
She always has some friends over and the topic of dog training always comes up, which is good, because I love talking about dogs and training.
Recently I was at a Christmas party and was listening to a group of people talking about their dogs. The lady speaking stated that she had hired two different dog trainers and that it is impossible to stop dogs from stealing food off the counters or tables.
I never do this, especially around strangers, but I stepped forward, gently raised my hand and said, “You’re in luck, I can fix your problem.”
With a doubtful look she asked, “Oh yeah, who the heck are you?”
I calmly replied that I am The Amazing Dog Training Man.
After she finished laughing she said, “Okay Mr. Amazing Dog Training Man, how would you stop my dogs from counter surfing?”
With confidence, I strode over to the computer and showed her this video:
All the best,
Eric
P.S. Wishing you and your dog a Healthy, Happy New Year!
P.P.S. If you want your dog to behave in 2010, check out The Dog Training Inner Circle.
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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.”
