May 8th, 2013
By Eric Letendre
I was doing a TV show last week with my friend and fellow dog trainer, Jim Helems, and we were discussing dog nutrition.
This is NOT my expertise but I have studied the subject quite a bit and have learned some valuable lessons along the way.
One thing I’ve learned scares the hell out of me.
There is one ingredient that can be put into your dog’s food and it does not even have to be listed on the label, this ingredient has been linked to stillborn puppies, liver failure, infertility and cancer.
If that’s not bad enough, this ingredient is no longer used in human food but is still used for making dog food.
The ingredient?
Ethoxyquin.
Here’s why ethoxyquin is so scarey. Ethoxyquin is used as a preservative AND a pesticide.
When it comes to dog food, you have to be aware of what is used to preserve the food. There are natural ways to do this. Dog food can be preserved with healthier ingredients such as vitamin E, vitamin C, citric acid and rosemary.
So, one of the first steps in choosing a healthy food for your dog is to look at the ingredients and read the dog food label. Find out how the food is preserved. If it is preserved with ethoxyquin, BHA, BHT, dyes, etc, make a better choice.
What you feed your dog has a direct result on his or her health AND behavior so don’t mess around with this.
BTW – this is one of the reasons why I wrote and include the Dog Nutrition Guide with membership to The Dog Training Inner Circle. All the training in the world won’t overcome a physical problem and if your dog is feeling crappy because of his diet, it will effect training and behavior.
Get the Dog Nutrition Guide here:
Dog Training Inner Circle
Best,
Eric
September 26th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
I love comic books.
I also love all the new movies being made with super heros.
It’s funny how popular some of the quotes from these movies become. For example, in the movie ,“Spiderman,” Uncle Ben tells young Peter Parker:
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
The problem is that Uncle Ben was not the first to come up with this quote. It was originally said by a man that had his brain removed after his death which was eventually stolen and never found.
The man was the French writer and philosopher, Voltaire.
This is also a quote for every dog owner to learn.
You see, as a dog owner, you have great power over your dog, and with it comes great responsibility.
Think about it – you control when, where and what your dog eats, where he sleeps, when he will get exercise, which words he will learn, health care is provided by you, which toys to play with, and so on.
It is a big responsibility having a dog.
I know I was overwhelmed with my first dog.
It’s one of the reasons I started The Dog Training Inner Circle.
I wanted to help as many dog owners as possible learn how to become great dog owners.
Or as I learned long ago:
“If you want a great dog, learn how to become a great dog owner.”
All the best,
Eric
September 13th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
I’ve gotten strange looks when I’ve talked about this.
Some people look at me and think I am a little weird when I talk to them about what I feed my dog.
One guy even told me outright that he was disturbed after I told him what my dog eats on a regular basis.
I guess to most people, what I feed my dog is a little disturbing, especially if you have never read up on the subject.
You see, my dog eats most of her meat raw. She also gets fermented cod liver oil and fermented dairy products like kefir on a regular basis.
The problem with a lot of dogs is that they are not getting enough nutrients from the food that they eat and this can lead to physical and behavioral problems.
I have seen a lot of dogs that have had behavior problems change once they were put on a different diet.
And you don’t have to make major changes for your dog’s health to improve.
The first step is to start reading dog food labels.
The label will tell you what your dog is eating and you may be surprised to learn that it may not be the best for your dog.
The first ingredient should always be some type of chicken, beef, fish or turkey MEAL – Meal being the important word.
What you’ll find when you look at the label is either a MEAL or a BY-PRODUCT. Stay away from the by-products. A chicken, beef, fish or turkey by-product means that any part of the animal could be used.
Meal is just the meat of the animal being used in the food.
That is just the first step when it comes to looking at labels.
I’ll share a few more tidbits in future emails.
Anyway, if you want to fast track your dog’s health and learn more about this, check out the Canine Nutrition Guide which comes with membership to The Dog Training Inner Circle.
Simple.
Informative.
Easy to follow.
Go here to subscribe:
Best,
Eric
August 15th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
I love the beach.
Just got back from a week at Surf City, North Carolina and had a great time with Rachael and her family.
Big, six bedroom house right across the street from the ocean.
Lots of laughs, lots of adult beverages and a lot of good food.
I was talking to one of Rachael’s cousins who had no idea that you should never give a dog chocolate.
I quickly explained the dangers and then shared a few more foods that you should never give your dog. Here they are:
Grapes and raisins – A small amount can make a dog ill. According to Pet MD, they can cause kidney failure.
Foods sweetened with Xylitol – Xylitol can cause an increase in insulin that can cause your dog’s blood sugar to drop and can cause liver failure.
Chocolate – The toxic agent in chocolate is theobromine which can cause sickness very quickly.
Sugar – Can cause all sorts of problems and lead to weight problems with your dog.
Salt – Salty foods like chips and pretzels can cause excessive thirst and urination.
Those are just a few of the foods you should be aware of. Since it is up to us to help our dogs achieve maximum health, we also have to be aware of what foods support health.
It is one of the reasons I wrote The Ultimate Nutrition Guide for Dogs and include it with every subscription to the Dog Training Inner Circle.
Get your guide here:
All the best,
Eric
June 15th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
I try to be a peaceful guy.
I really do.
But…
…there are three words that push me towards the edge.
Would you like to know what they are?
Okay, here they are:
Can’t, No and Don’t.
When I think back to the days when I first started training dogs (back in the 80’s), everything was “can’t”, “don’t” and “no.”
“You can’t ever play tug games with your dog.”
“Don’t ever let the dog eat people food.”
“Tell your dog “No” if she tries to get on the bed.”
Back in the day, training was pretty negative and it came with a long list of “Don’ts.”
Don’t let your dog out of the house until six months old.
Don’t let your dog walk in front of you.
Don’t let your dog go through the door before you do.
As I went on to learn more about training, I came up with a theory that I still apply today and so should you. My theory can be summed up in two words:
“Question everything.”
Whenever anyone tells you anything about dog training, behavior or health (or anything else) you should question them – except me:)
Just kidding, but seriously you should question the “experts.”
It reminds me of the time my little sheltie, Sam, developed a serious skin problem. Hot spots all over, waking me up in the middle of the night because she was chewing her skin.
I went to three or four different vets. Shampoos, cold tar baths, steroids, nothing worked.
When I questioned the vets they laughed at me. I didn’t give up and decided it was time to do some digging on my own. I found out all Sam needed was a drastic diet change. Once I did that her health immediately improved and she went on to live to the ripe old age of 18.
When I developed The Dog Training Inner Circle I included a forum for members to ask and challenge anything. I also developed the Inner Circle with dog training methods that I had questioned and proven to be the most effective over a 20 year span.
That’s why I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with my training system any day of the week.
I know, it’s a bold statement.
Come on over and see for yourself:
Best,
Eric
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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 techniques 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.”
