Just by correcting these ten mistakes and misconceptions, you will automatically improve your chances of success to a level that matches the top 1% of the most effective dog trainers in the world. You may find it hard to believe, but even experienced trainers make some of these mistakes. Yes. I mean professionals who train dogs for a living.
If you really want to reduce your training time and see a REAL difference in your dog’s training response, busting these myths will be your springboard to amazing results.
Myth #1: Training ruins a dog’s personality and breaks his spirit.
Dog abuse does that, not proper training combined with dog psychology. When you find out that your dog makes a mistake, you should correct it, not punish it. There is a big difference! Tip: A sign of an abusive method is when you or a trainer yells at, hits, or dangles your poor dog by his feet to get him to listen or submit. Certain training tools can also be “misused” in the wrong hands.
Myth #2: Train your dog with treats and eventually he will listen to you just as well, even without treats forever and ever.
This hands down HAS to be the biggest scam in dog training history! Think about it. Would you still work for your company once they stop paying you? So how could you expect the same level of response from your poor dog, especially once you stop feeding him those cookies? You should surprise your dog with treats from time to time, but at the “end” of his training session and NOT before each command. That’s being fair, smart AND practical. Also, your dog should sit, stay, or lie down because you say so and not because he’s going to get a strip of crispy bacon. Most of us were raised that way and ended up fine, right? Wouldn’t you rather trust your Love, Leadership, Praise, and Technique, rather than Hot Dogs, Cheese, Crackers, and Dried Liver? Let’s face it, it doesn’t take much talent OR skill to bribe a dog to death and then mistake it for dog training. Everyone knows that’s just: “bribery!”
Myth #3: Dog parks are the best place to socialize your dog
This is where your dog acquires many bad habits that are not easy to break. These include: non-stop barking for no reason, tackling and chasing each other, constant hunchback, starting to mark inside your house, and even stealing or protecting toys from other dogs, and maybe even from you. Let’s not forget about jumping on people, dogs, growling, biting, lunging, and the possibility of your dog being bullied by much larger and stronger dogs. If you have a tough dog, the day will come when your dog will meet his partner who challenges yours, causing a very unpleasant dog fight. Don’t forget that not all of these dogs will be healthy, vaccinated, or even spayed/neutered. You’ve probably met someone who didn’t like you for no apparent reason. It’s not much different at dog parks. There will be that dog that will mess with yours and even mutilate it for no reason just because he wanted to. This results in your dog losing complete trust in YOU and becoming fearful or even aggressive towards certain breeds, or worse, ALL dogs for the rest of his life. As you can see, taking your baby to dog parks is a gamble where the odds are stacked against you. So she chooses wisely!
Myth #4: Don’t bother giving your dog ANY commands until you get his visual attention by saying, “Look at me!” First answer this honestly! Would you rather have your dog look at you or actually “listen” to you? I prefer both. But we all know that LISTENING is much more important. So please don’t slow down your training progress with the annoying look at me… look at me… look at me… that’s called nagging!!! (Poor men. Now they know what we went through). You only need your dog’s eyes glued to you if you choose to groom him for obedience competitions. Speaking from experience, most of you only care about a well-mannered and obedient pet, rather than a super-trained dog that will earn you all these titles, ribbons, and trophies.
Myth #5: Since “NO” no longer gets your dog’s attention, change it to “Eh,” “Eh-eh,” or “Shht” instead
You definitely want your dog to stop whatever he’s doing the moment he hears “NO!” Even if he has had some success getting your dog’s attention with weird terms like: “Hey,” “Eh-eh,” or my favorite of all: “baaaah.” Your friends, relatives, children and neighbors will laugh at you and have a hard time remembering. Let’s be honest. When your dog misbehaves, people naturally say, “NO!” They won’t really remember or care much for other terms. Of course, César Millán can control dogs with “Shhht” and it works for him. Are you the dog whisperer? I don’t believe it! (Hey Caesar. You owe me a dick!)
Myth #6: You can solve your dog’s bad habits, which mostly occur in your home, by joining an obedience class
Here’s the main problem with dog classes – they are structured to teach your dog the “obedience factor” only! Ask yourself AND the trainer running that group class, how can you solve my dog’s bad habits that mostly occur in my HOUSE, by joining your group class that is filled with ten more unruly dogs? Can it really help me solve my dog’s potty training, jumping, play biting, excessive barking, overprotectiveness, running out the door, chasing my cat, countering separation anxiety, and lack of manners with my friends? guests, dragging it? every Wednesday night to a group class? So this is the truth that most of these dog schools hide from you: the group class trainers, no matter how qualified they may be, and no matter how much they try to be helpful, when it really comes down to it, CANNOT help you. with these problems. You need that one-on-one attention to accomplish those tasks. Even teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash, stay, lie down, and come to you when called is best taught in private or in your home first.
Myth #7: You really can’t teach a puppy under the age of four months. And if your dog is only a few years old, you’re out of luck!
No dog is too young or too old to learn what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is not. It doesn’t really matter if your dog is an eight week old puppy or a stubborn eight year old. With a “Diverse Method”, all dogs can be trained and learn to follow your rules. For example, bad habits like urinating and defecating all over the house, jumping on guests, lunging, biting, running maniacally, excessive barking, knocking over children, terrorizing guests, and chasing the mailman are all behaviors. unacceptable. I’m sure you agree that there is no excuse or age limit for ANY of these bad habits and with the right guidance and training technique, they can be fixed.
Myth #8: All dogs can be trained with the same training tool
There is no magic tool that will work on ALL dogs. Some dogs are too strong, too big, too fast, too stubborn, and too cunning for their poor owners. So what training tools do the best trainers use? The answer may surprise you. But they also trust whatever tool works best for them and their dogs. So why should it be any different with you? If the training tool you’re using right now doesn’t seem to get your dog’s attention or doesn’t match his physical strength, try a different one. Why use what doesn’t work? This is especially important when your dog is faced with hard-to-ignore distractions, such as other dogs, your visitors, the mailman, or the cats in your neighborhood.
Myth #9: Dogs were born to please
Sorry to burst your bubble, but most of our dogs prefer to please themselves first. It’s obvious that your dog loves you very much, but don’t confuse it with “respect” or “obedience.” Also, if all dogs were actually NICE by nature, don’t you think there would be NO dog training books, dog trainers, dog behaviorists, or even dog psychiatrists? Everyone would have a perfect dog with no bad clothes and a dog that listens to you AND everyone else no matter the circumstances. Hey, he’s a pleaser, isn’t he? I’ll take my case!
Myth #10: If you send your dog to be trained, he will learn to ONLY listen to the trainer and continue to ignore him as before
This is how I will bust this myth once and for all! No dog trainer can argue with the fact that all the best-trained dogs you can imagine have been trained by an expert first. Dogs for the blind, dogs for the disabled, hunting dogs and police dogs trained for attack are just a few. Doggie Boot Camp is a good choice, especially when you’re traveling out of town, have a busy schedule, are a mom, are in the process of moving, or if you just prefer the “expert” to do the hard part and have you do the hardest part. maintenance. Basically, your dog goes to rehab and gets retrained, then comes the hardest part: training YOU!
NOTE: These ten dog training myths have been presented to you in the most summarized way possible. As you read the rest of the book, you’ll learn more about how I back up what I’m trying to convey with even more compelling facts. But you don’t have to take my word for it! I want you to research and study these ten myths and mistakes for yourself. Look at some dog breeds, look at different dog parks, talk to some dog owners who have actually tried different training methods, and compare this book to other dog psychology and training books on the market.
I am confident that the results you will achieve by following the “Diverse Method” taught in this book will be so compelling that you will agree that other methods will not stand a chance. This is because, being diverse, you are combining the best of each method, making it very versatile.
by the author, master trainer and canine psychologist – Kevin Salem, The Dog Prodigy