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
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
October 2nd, 2010
By Eric Letendre
In this second episode of Train Your Dog TV, Eric Letendre, “The Amazing Dog Training Man,” goes in depth on the topic of CHEWING. Chewing is a problem faced by many dog owners, especially puppy owners. Watch this episode to learn how to stop your dog or puppy from chewing on your shoes, furniture, remote control, etc. Eric also answers your dog training questions. Make sure you watch the video to get the details on how to ask Eric your dog training question.
April 5th, 2010
By Eric Letendre
“I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing
look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically
dogs think humans are nuts.” – John Steinbeck
______________________________________________
Hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather here in
Western MA was awesome and the Red Sox beat the Yankees on
opening day – It doesn’t get any better than that!
Anyway, Rach and I had a pile of people over for Easter
Sunday and we had four dogs here to share it with us. Our
two, Rachael’s parents brought their dog and we had my
friend Ted’s beagle.
The subject of dog training always comes up and Rachael’s
cousin started asking me questions about punishment. He
said that all of this positive reinforcement stuff is good
but every once in a while you have to “teach a lesson.”
I informed Rachael’s cousin that you don’t have to go
negative to “teach a lesson.” Lessons can be taught using
positive or negative reinforcement.
I added that the problem with negative reinforcement is
that when we use it, it usually confuses the dog.
For instance, let’s say the dog has a chewing problem. Every
time we leave the house the dog finds something to chew.
When we come home and find that the dog has chewed our shoes,
couch or some other item, we punish the dog. We yell, maybe
smack the dog’s bottom and become very threatening.
The problem is that OUR timing is all wrong. We are punishing
the dog long after the behavior occured. The dog will start
to associate the punishment with homecomings.
The dog watches you leave the house. When you come home he
knows that you are going to turn into a raving lunatic and
start yelling and screaming.
This will cause stress in the dog. Guess what dogs do when
they get stressed?
THEY CHEW!
Now the very behavior we were trying to prevent gets worse.
We get madder and madder, increasing the amount of punishemnt.
The dog basically thinks we are nuts.
Punishment can be very effective when you want to stop a
behavior, but it has to be used properly. Used improperly,
you can confuse your dog.
All the best,
Eric
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about the correct way to
use punishment, check out: Dog Training Inner Circle
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.”
