August 23rd, 2010
By Eric Letendre
“Any questions,” Eric asked after going through the five myths with me.
“No. So far, so good,” I replied, anxious to hear more.
“So becoming a good dog owner is easy. All you have to do is follow four simple steps. Here they are,” and Eric listed them.
1. Good management skills
2. Exercise
3. Structure
4. Influencing behavior
“This is the first part of the Reverse Dog Training Method. Once you understand, follow, and apply the four steps you will be on your way to becoming that good dog owner. So, for today’s lesson, I’ll give you a detailed explanation of each one. Let’s start with good management skills.
“Good management skills are crucial when you first bring a dog into your home. Your dog does not understand the rules of the house yet. It is your job to teach them to him. However, in order to successfully teach him the rules of the house, you need to be with him every second.
Think of the dog as if he was a small child. You can’t let a small child out of your sight for a moment. The same holds true for dogs. They must constantly be watched over. I know this sounds like a big job, and it is, but in order for Peanuts to learn, you must be right there the second he decides to pee on the carpet or chew the sides of you coffee table.”
“I can’t be with him every second of the day,” I said, concerned that maybe there was no solution for Peanuts.
“I never said you had to be,” Eric replied, as he smiled at the look on my face.
“How am I going to keep an eye on him every second?” I asked.
Eric went on to explain. “A lot of dogs get into trouble when the owner is not home. We leave the house and come home to find a deposit on the rug or our favorite pair of shoes torn up. That is when we feel like punishing the dog. If we punish him long after the behavior has occurred, we only confuse him.
In fact, we can sometimes make behavior problems worse by punishing after the fact.
“Here is a typical example: Say you leave the house for an hour. While you are gone Peanuts decides to destroy the TV changer. You come home and find the TV changer in a hundred pieces. At this point you are angry and you know he did it. You call him over, show him the TV changer, and scold him. Maybe he’s made you so angry that you grab him by the scruff of the neck and physically scold him.
“What you have to realize is that Peanuts does not understand why he is being punished. He only knows that you are upset.”
“Wait a minute,” I interrupted. “My dog knows he did something wrong, he always acts like he is sorry after I yell at him.”
Eric responded to this calmly, as if he had heard it a thousand times before. “Peanuts knows that you are upset, what he doesn’t know is why you are upset. I could go over your house right now and yell at him, chances are he will act like he has done something wrong.
In fact, let me ask you a question. What if you were to walk into your house and yell at Peanuts and he really had done nothing wrong? How would he act?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, thinking about what Eric had just said.
“Peanuts would act the same way.”
“You’re right, he probably would,” I agreed. I had never thought about it before.
“Then how does he know why is being yelled at?” Eric asked patiently.
I thought about this for a second, and then slowly answered, “I guess he wouldn’t know.”
“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” Eric said. “Peanuts doesn’t understand why he is getting scolded. Because of that, there is a strong chance that he would associate the punishment with your arrival home. You walk in the door and he gets scolded. Now, whenever you leave the house, what is he probably going to think?”
A little unsure of the answer, I ventured a guess, “That when I come back home he is going to be punished?”
“Correct! Peanuts will think that when you walk back through the door he is going to get punished. If that is what he is thinking, he will probably become anxious. Do you know what a dog does when he is stressed or anxious?” Eric asked.
“Chews!” I exclaimed.
“Right!” Eric said. “The other problem is that Peanut’s nervous system speeds up. When the nervous system speeds up, guess what happens?”
I thought for a moment, but I couldn’t come up with the answer. “I don’t know,” I said. I had never been very good in biology.
“The digestive system also speeds up, which means your dog will have to relieve himself.”
A grin spread across my face. “I get it,” I said.
“So let’s go over this again, just to make sure you are clear. Punishment after the fact only confuses the dog, and in some cases can make the behavior problem worse. The only time you can punish Peanuts and not confuse him is when you catch him doing the behavior that you want to stop.” Eric looked at me pretty intently. It seemed clear that this was a very important point.
“OK,” I said. “I understand that I can’t come home and yell at him. It makes sense that I would just confuse him and make matters worse, but how do I stop him from doing all those bad things when I’m not there?” I still didn’t know how to solve the problem of him chewing, and stealing, and going to the bathroom all over the house when we weren’t home.
“Simple,” Eric replied. “You just need to learn how to effectively mange Peanut’s behavior. Like a small child, you need to be there to watch his every move. I know that sounds like a lot of work,” he stopped for a moment when he saw my expression, but then he continued, “It is at first, but it gets better.
And, there are some tools that you can use to make life easier on you. Let me explain to you how to effectively manage Peanut’s behavior. In fact, you can eliminate many of the problems that you are experiencing once you learn good management skills.”
“I can?” I asked, not entirely convinced.
“Yes,” he said, sounding very sure. “One of the best management tools is a crate. When Peanuts is in the crate you are managing his behavior when you are not there. The great thing about a crate is that you can speed up the housetraining process and you don’t have to worry about coming home to find your valuables destroyed.”
“Wait a minute,” I interrupted. This was the same advice the shelter had given me and it hadn’t worked. “My dog hates the crate! I have tried and tried but Peanuts will not go in it. I have to wrestle him in there. I finally gave up and don’t even try anymore.
I have been keeping him in the bathroom… but he ripped up the linoleum and destroyed the door…” my voice just kind of trailed off. I was embarrassed by Peanut’s behavior and my poor management skills.
Eric seemed to be very understanding about this and continued on, “Most people don’t properly crate train their dogs. We have to make a positive association with the crate. Only after Peanuts has had many positive associations will he willingly go into the crate.”
“How do we make positive associations with the crate?” I asked. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get Peanuts to accept it.
“It’s easy,” he said. “The first step is to feed all of Peanut’s meals in the crate. We are going to put the food bowl in the back of the crate. The only way Peanuts is going to get his breakfast or dinner is by going into the crate. The next step is to put Peanut’s toys and treats in there.
Anytime we are going to give Peanuts a treat or toy he is going to have to go into the crate to get it.” Eric paused for a second to make sure that I understood all of that and then he added an important point. “At this time we do not want to shut the door. Let Peanuts come out of the crate anytime that he wants to.”
“Okay” I answered. That seemed pretty easy advice to follow.
“Now it gets fun,” Eric said with a smile. “You are going to go to the local pet store and buy some Kong toys. A Kong toy is a beehive shaped hard rubber toy with a hollow center. The great thing about the Kong toy is that the hollow center can be stuffed with all kinds of goodies. You are going to call Peanuts over to the crate and in front of it you are going to stuff that Kong toy with some awesome treats.
“Take the Kong toy, and with Peanuts watching you, put some cheese into the Kong. Let him sniff it first but don’t let him have any. Put the cheese in, then wave some other tasty treats in front of Peanuts. Put the treats in, then let him watch as you stuff some more cheese into the Kong.
At this point Peanuts should be very excited. While he is watching you, throw the Kong into the crate and close the door before he can get in.”
I looked a little puzzled at this last remark. Why would I want to put this toy in the crate and not Peanuts? Didn’t I want to be able to put Peanuts in the crate?
Eric just kept on with his instructions. “Now Peanuts is on the outside of the crate and he desperately wants to get in. You’re starting to change his mind about the crate. You are now starting to build a desire to go into the crate.”
Wow! Could it really be that easy to change Peanut’s entire opinion? Could I really make Peanuts want to go into his crate?
“After a few minutes open the door and let him go in to grab the Kong, the whole time telling him what a good boy he is. After you have done this a couple of times you are going to tie a piece of string around the Kong toy and tie it to the back of the crate.
Now when Peanuts goes into the crate he has to stay in the crate to enjoy the goodies in the Kong.”
I couldn’t believe how much sense this all made. How come the people at the pet store, and especially that last trainer didn’t know this.
Eric continued explaining, “As he develops a tolerance for being in the crate, start to close and latch the crate door for short periods. Over a few days time, keep it closed longer and longer.”
“Wow, that is a great idea,” I said. I was completely in awe. Eric then explained the steps a dog owner needs to know in order to apply good management skills.
Here are the steps that I have from the notes that I took.
Management of behavior is a crucial part of owning a dog. The dog has to earn his freedom over a period of time. Dogs do not have any idea of what is right and what is wrong. We have to teach them. The crate is a great tool to use when we can not watch the dog.
There are many different ways to manage a dog’s behavior. We can use crates, leave a leash on the dog when he is in the house, baby gates, a fenced in area, etc.
As the waitress came by to check on us and give us a refill, Eric reassured me. “As Peanuts gets older the management gets easier. Okay, that’s the first step, good management skills.”
“This all sounds great to me,” I said, but I knew there was still something (or someone) that might throw a monkey wrench into this great plan that Eric was developing for me. A little sheepishly I told him my concerns. “My wife is not a big fan of crates, in fact she thinks it’s cruel and refuses to use one.”
Eric just laughed and shook his head. “I hear that all the time, so let me give you three really good reasons to give your wife why you and every dog owner should use a crate. First, most dogs like a place of their own. It is common to see dogs sleep behind a couch, under a coffee table, or in the corner of the room. Once a dog makes a positive association with a crate, he will often go there all on his own to rest.
“Second, at some point in your dog’s life there is a good chance that he will have to go to the groomers, the vet’s office, or travel. This will require Peanuts to go into a crate. Trust me, it is better to get him used to a crate in the comfort of your own home and in a positive way than it is to wait until he is two years old and forced into a crate by some vet techs or grooming assistants. That would be very stressful to him.
“Third, most young dogs love to chew on anything, including electrical wires. A young dog left out to chew on anything he can get his mouth around has the potential to get harmed. There are plenty of incidents of puppies getting injured or killed by chewing on the wrong things.
So, when someone thinks it’s cruel to put a pup in the crate, I think it’s cruel to leave the dog with too much freedom. You’re just asking for trouble.”
“Well, I never thought of it that way” I said. I’ll be sure to share those points with my wife.
“No problem,” Eric said. “That’s why they call me The Amazing Dog Training Man. Do you have any questions about management of behavior, or anything else that we’ve covered this morning?”
I thought back to everything that he had told me so far. There was so much new information. “Let me just make sure that I have this right,” I answered back. “It is my responsibility to know what my dog is doing at all times. If I can’t watch Peanuts, I should put him in a crate.”
“Great summary,” Eric said, seeming pleased with me. “And don’t forget, you should also leave a leash on him in the house. This way if he steals anything, you don’t have to chase him around. All you have to do is step on the leash. Basically, good management gives your dog some boundaries,” finished Eric.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it. What’s next?”
Stay tuned for chapter 4 or get the whole story by clicking here: “The Amazing Dog Training Man Book”
Chapter 4 is the last chapter I am sharing on my blog. To get the other 11 dog training, information packed chapters go to: Amazing Dog Training Man Book
Eric Letendre is a professional dog trainer from the United States and has been training dogs for over 20 years, teaching regular, average, every-day owners all over the world how to get the training results they want as fast as possible. Eric is also the author of numerous reports, the E-Book “101 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Behavior,” “The Amazing Dog Training Man Book,” and produced and stars in his DVD “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer.”
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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.”
the artical about training a puppy to stop chewing everything by keeping an eye on him 24/7 or leaving him in his crate seems to make sense ,we have ours in a crate and after 1 week of using the crate he is loving his own home and his space inside the crate ,it seems like he is very content and secure there.
Our cocker spaniel puppy “indie” (10 weeks now ) and he has already nearly mastered potty training using your methods .
we are now on the chewing training which is more frustrating but im sure like you said in time will get better once he knows whats expected of him ,
thanks again
Ian and Sara in the uk
We used this training technique with our dog and have had AMAZING results! We waited until I was home full-time before we decided to get a dog so it was easier in some ways, although I was pretty busy keeping track of an active puppy all the time. Like keeping track of a toddler in SO many ways! We did use a crate and the puppy was either there or under my direct supervision. There were exactly two ‘accidents’ in the house when we brought our puppy home, and it was all my fault because I had turned my attention away from the pup. I did catch him in ‘the act’ once,shouted NO loudly to intercept the behavior, and then led him to the door to go outside. No hitting or continued scolding was necessary. Since we got Copper at Thanksgiving time, I shoveled snow in an area for him to do his ‘duty’ and as he was relieving himself, I praised him for doing good duty. DUTY then became our key word for those times when I didn’t want him to dilly-dally! This also has the added advantage of territory elimination (meaning he has very specific spots to do his duty and we do not have messes all over the yard). Love your stuff, Eric, thanks for everything!
I’m convinced! I still have a lot to do to get my long-haired Chi trained properly and keep coming back here for help. I have been enjoying the excerpts from the book and love the way it was written; it’s very entertaining and instructional. Reading your blog and news letters is helpful and keeps me on track. I particularly enjoy those sections that remind me that my dog is just that, a dog and not a four-footed human. I feel that following your suggestions is going to help me to have that well-trained pet that I’ve always envisioned. Thanks!