April 19th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
Imagine being able to go hiking in the woods or for a walk on the beach with your dog.
Now imagine that you can do it without a leash.
How much more enjoyable would that be for you and your dog?
There is one command that your dog has to know before you can go off-leash.
The Recall Command.
Your dog has to come back to you when you call.
Believe me, it is much more enjoyable when you can go places with your dog knowing that she will come back when you call.
Where I live now there is five acres of woods behind my house. It is nice being able to spend time outside with my dog without a leash. It was NOT always that way.
The first dog I had as a kid was horrible off-leash and I spent hours chasing this dog. I would have to enlist the help of friends because this dog was impossible to catch.
It may have been the spark for why I became a dog trainer.
I used to wonder what it was like having a dog like some of my friends. It seemed their dogs could go anywhere with them because their dogs would listen.
Anyway…
I started working professionally with dogs in 1988 and I was always fascinated with the recall command. It is the one command where the dog had options.
On leash you have close control over your dog. When your dog is 50 feet away the dog can choose to respond or ignore your recall command.
I used to study dolphin trainers to develop better techniques. The U.S. Navy trains dolphins and sea lions to check for mines. The dolphins are released into open waters from specialized boats and THEN RETURN on command.
Talk about the ultimate recall command.
And…
…it is also the reason I spent the past month putting together the MOST detailed course on teaching your dog this extremely important command.
In the course you will see how I help some friends of mine teach their dog how to come when called.
Things like:
You can get all the details here:
March 29th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
I’ve been told that you before you can get help, you have to admit that you have a problem.
I have a big problem.
I’m going to get very personal here and discuss it in this post. If this is not your cup of tea, I completely understand if you leave now and don’t continue to read on.
The problem developed very quickly. In fact, I am amazed that it progressed so fast.
Here goes.
My problem is…
…Netflix.
Yes, I subscribed to Netflix about a month ago and became addicted to watching Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.
This quickly became a problem because I was sitting in bed watching TV when I should have been productive. One morning after watching a zombie chomp someone’s neck on The Walking Dead I said to myself, “Self this is ridiculous, we can’t do this anymore.”
The scary part was when I answered and said, “Well, what are we going to do about it?”
That’s when I was struck with a great idea. I was going to use an old dog training trick on myself.
I was going to use “Grandma’s Law,” also known as The Premack Principle.
Let me splain:
Grandma’s Law is used all the time. Grandmothers and Mothers use it when we are kids. Have you ever heard, “You can’t have dessert until you eat your brussel sprouts” or “You can go out and play until you do your homework.”
Pretty interesting, wouldn’t you agree.
This is also known as The Premack Principle, named after David Premack, a behavioral psychologist. Here is what the principle says:
“A high probability behavior can serve as reinforcement for a low probability behavior.”
AWESOME.
Basically, it means that you put the pleasant activity after the unpleasant activity.
No more Breaking Bad until the end of the day. No more Walking Dead before work.
What does this mean for you and your dog?
Glad you asked my dog loving friend.
Grandma’s Law can be effectively used for the come when called command. You can get your dog to do something he does not want to do (come when called) when he wants to do something else (sniff, chase birds, etc.).
In order for this to work you have to set up some training situations where your dog learns to come to you when they want to do something else. You teach your dog that before they can get what they want, they have to do what you want (come).
By setting up the situation correctly, this can be a very powerful way to get your dog to come when called, especially when your dog is distracted.
If you like to learn more about Grandma’s law and get the FREE Report, “8 Incredibly Simple Steps To Get Your Dog To Come When Called,” go to Always Come When Called
March 21st, 2012
By Eric Letendre
My zipper was stuck.
I was panicked. I felt stupid, nervous and had no idea how I was going to explain this to my new boss.
You see, it was my first day as an “official” dog trainer.
I had just landed a job training dogs at a large, successful, well-known dog training school in Connecticut.
About 25 dogs and their owners had shown up and I was very excited and happy to see the turn out.
Just before class I ducked into the men’s room and just as I finished and pulled up my zipper, it got stuck.
There I was standing in the men’s room tugging and pulling with all my strength and it would not budge.
The minutes ticked by and I could hear the dogs and people getting louder and louder.
Panic time, how was I going to fix this?
A small bead of sweat began at my hairline and I could feel it drip over my forehead.
I decided to give it one giant pull. Just as I did, the zipper broke.
A soft knock on the door and the receptionist asked if everything was okay. I answered that I would be right there.
She must have heard the panic in my voice and said:
“You sure?” “There are a lot of people and their dogs waiting to start the class.”
That’s when an idea flashed into my head.
Downstairs was the grooming area. During the day, a steady stream of dogs came in to be bathed, clipped and dried.
In a flash, I opened the door and bolted past the receptionist and ran down the stairs. Once in the grooming area, I quickly looked around and found exactly what could help me.
I grabbed it raced back up the stairs.
I got some weird looks as I walked into the training class but nobody questioned me.
I had put an apron on and taught the entire class that way.
But now I had a bigger problem. The class was in total chaos.
Dogs were barking and pulling on leash, kids were running around screaming and the owners did not look too happy.
I had to calm the dogs FAST.
It is very easy to calm a dog down in a hectic situation.
Most people struggle and have a difficult time when their dog becomes excited.
The solution is often as simple as what I did in the above story.
However…
If you’re ready to train your dog faster than a zipper getting stuck, check out the Dog Training Inner Circle.
All the best,
Eric
February 28th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
Separation problems are very common with dogs. Dogs are highly social animals and some have a difficult time being left alone.
Separation problems can result in housetraining issues, chewing and destructive behaviors, barking, digging and anxiety.
If your dog is having a separation problem–the following are some steps you can take to help him overcome it.
Step #1: Understand your dog’s behavior. Your dog is not destroying your house to spite or get back at you.
Step #2: Your dog is highly stressed and cannot handle being by herself. You need to help your dog feel secure when left alone.
Step #3: Help develop your dog’s tolerance for being left alone. Your dog becomes stressed when you leave.
Step #4: To increase your dog’s stress tolerance, you need to gradually leave your dog alone for longer and longer periods.
Step #5: This is accomplished by putting on your jacket, grabbing your keys like you’re leaving and walking out the door.
Step #6: Once you’re outside, wait about 5 minutes and walk back in.
Step #7: If your dog can handle the 5 minutes, increase the time to 10 minutes. Once your dog can handle the 10 minutes, keep gradually increasing the amount of time you’re outside.
This does require some time and patience.
Step #8: Crate training your dog can also be very helpful when you have to leave for longer periods of time.
Step #9: Exercise your dog. A dog that has separation problems and a lot of pent-up energy will result in disaster.
Step #10: Bringing your dog to a dog daycare may be an option if your dog does not like the crate and if your dog is very active.
Step #11: The exercise and mental stimulation at the daycare should help your dog overcome separation anxiety.
Step# 12: In extreme cases you may need the help of your veterinarian. A vet can provide medication for dogs that are extremely stressed when left alone.
Get more help with separation anxiety at the Dog Training Inner Circle where I can answeryour questions personally.
All the best,
Eric
P.S. Please pass on to any friends or family that have a dog with this problem.
P.S. The Dog Training Inner Circle has over 85 videos and loads of articles to help with any behavior problem. You also get my step by step dog training plan at the Dog Training Inner Circle
February 15th, 2012
By Eric Letendre
My wife thinks I’m a little weird.
She does not understand how I can watch an hour of Seinfeld every night.
“Don’t you get sick of it?” she asks.
I don’t know what it is but I never do get sick of watching the show. Even though I can almost recite each word of the show and know what is going to happen I keep watching it.
Did you know that the show almost did not get on the air when Seinfeld told NBC that he wanted to “do a show about nothing.”
Why do I tell you that?
Because that is the secret to stopping puppy biting. Keep Reading…
Can you let your dog off leash?
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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.”
