!!! Warning Signs About Dog Trainers You Never Knew !!! From the Most Controversial Dog Psychology
Book Ever! WARNING SIGN #1: These guys may love your dog and your money, but they can’t stand people and in my honest opinion, should be in a different field. Let’s face it; if you don’t get a good vibe from someone or their website, on the phone, or even in person, look elsewhere. You'll be stuck with them for weeks or even months down the road. By the same token, I've met many wonderful individuals who were absolutely clueless in delivering real results. WARNING SIGN #2: They Rely Heavily on the Use of Treats for Everything Don’t be one of those owners who can’t do much without holding a cookie. It's best to use goodies once in a while and as a surprise. Even better, use them at the VERY END of your training sessions. If you show your dog the treat prior to giving a command, sorry, your dog is actually listening because of THAT treat. What else would you call it? (Your dog should listen to you because you said so and because you are his provider!) WARNING SIGN #3: They Only Know or Focus the Most on Teaching "Obedience" This is where the trainers are great at teaching your dog how to walk on a loose leash, stay for a few seconds or lie down, but they don’t specialize in solving behavioral issues. I'm talking about being able to solve your dog's over-protectiveness towards other dogs, towards people, anxiety, get it completely housetrained, stop it from jumping up, to barking, fighting, nipping, biting and to manage his fearfulness. WARNING SIGN #4: They Push For Group Classes and Hate Doing Private Lessons Even the most skilled and experienced trainers can’t do much in a group setting. This is just a fact. Every dog owner comes with their own separate set of problems. In these classes is where dogs lunge at each other, bark, growl, whimper, pull on the leash, or even try to attack one another constantly. How is this productive? All you’ll end up with is a dog that might listen in the class, but runs the show at home or may listen at home, but makes you look like an idiot in front of total strangers. (All Petsmart, Petco and 8 Week Park Group Classes Fall into This Category.) WARNING SIGN #5: Okay. Although you rarely accomplish much in a group class, a
trainer should still let you observe any class of your choosing.
It’s even worse if they refuse to give out any references.
Look, if you do a great job, people naturally rave about you.
So if a trainer is offended or gets mad at you when you ask for
a reference—definitely count that as another red flag and
take your business somewhere else! WARNING SIGN #6: They Refuse to Get Everyone Involved with the Training If the trainer becomes annoyed or upset when others in your family want to be involved in training, this indicates they want all the pressure on you. Think about it, don’t you want your dog to obey EVERYONE in your household? So what will end up happening is a dog that may listen only to one family member and become a pain in the behind for everyone else. I am willing to bet money that you'll notice this once that person who was involved all along isn’t nearby, or worse, out of town. WARNING SIGN #7: They Tell You to Ignore Your Dog’s Bad Behavior Yes, you read it correctly. They tell you to ignore your dog’s jumping up, barking or whatever and WAIT until your dog actually stops on its own. Hmm… isn’t that the same as not doing Jack?!?! Why even hire an expert in the first place if you can just ignore every bad behavior? Oh, the same trainers might also recommend that you never ever say NO to your dog. Their solution: Try saying “Eh-eh” or even worse, bark, growl or yelp like a puppy. Sorry. But NO, means NO, means NO!!! WARNING SIGN #8: They Are too Harsh with Their Training Method.
WARNING SIGN #9: They Will NOT Let You Try a Different Training Tool You always hear trainers preach: Never use choke chains, only gentle leaders, no pinch collars in our class, we only use shock collars (oh, sorry, e-collar, or remote training collar, is their lingo) and yada yada. The truth is, no tool works every time, on every dog and with every owner. Don't be afraid to experiment and never limit your options. Find the one tool that gets your dog’s attention no matter how tempting the distraction may be. This simply means that particular tool should stop your dog from misbehaving around other dogs, cats, kids, squirrels or moving cars. If someone insists that they know better, challenge them by handing over your dog's leash and say: "Here, please show me what you’ve got and the tool you swear by. And it better work right NOW!" (Hint: That's how you'll know if the tool is getting your dog's attention. It will work immediately. It won't take eight weeks. Eight seconds is more like it.)
They Rarely Return Your Calls
or Check on Your Progress.
Written by Master Trainer and Author, Kevin "The Dog Prodigy".
Things You Never
Knew About ALL Dog Trainers There are thousands of average trainers with average
knowledge, who charge you an average price, and deliver...well;
that—“average results”! Just by not knowing
or ignoring this simple fact, most of you will end up with poor
or NO RESULTS. In my years of rubbing elbows with hundreds of trainers, I’ve
met those who enjoy fine wine and caviar with the rich and famous.
I’ve known those who only settled for teaching group classes.
I’ve seen a fair share of the ones who loved doing house
calls, yet struggled to make ends meet. And of course, I’ve
run into plenty of hobbyists who threw training sessions in local
parks and trained people's dogs for fun.
(Hey, I also do some Karate and bang on drums for fun.
Would you hire me?) What I'm trying to say is that canine professionals aren't any different from the rest of us. You decide which category I belong to. .................................................................. I also learned a lot from the worst-of-the-worst. How, you ask? Just do the complete opposite of what those morons do and I promise that you’ll make it big. After many years of observing the masters, I've noticed that these individuals operate in a totally different class and mentality. I admit. It was impossible to simply ignore their high level of achievement. Although each had their own story, you just couldn't resist seeing a pattern behind their success. What I found was, most, if not all— Possessed These Ten Qualities About Them: 1. They geniunely care about your dog and your
success. One of the things we always remember about someone is their
character. Sadly, morals and ethics aren't that easy to come by. Studies have shown that if you are nicer, you'll live longer, will be happier, gain more business, attract more positive in your life, and are rarely hated, sued, or killed. Hey, some of these folks may even come with a great sense of humor. Sorry, only some. I found that people listen and look much better when they’re smiling. Well, most of them. Why we have so many dog trainers that
are rude, mean, and offensive is beyond me. Here's an experiment: Grab the phone book, e-mail a few dog schools
from a trainer directory, or even better, from their websites.
You'll soon be disappointed to find that most will leave you hanging
as you grow gray waiting for a response. (How do you think I got
to be this gray?)
And I'm Not Just Referring to Dog Training.
Those who go from average to brilliant know that some things in life go far beyond one’s knowledge or skills, and it is also about treating people ethically. ...............................................................
When it comes to intuition, women are much better at it than men. They often say, "It has to feel right," or "I didn't get a good vibe from him/her." Now, if a trainer makes you feel uncomfortable by being too pushy, rude or condescending, remember, you could be stuck with this person in your home, in private, or in some group class for eight weeks or longer. True professionals always answer your toughest questions with patience and respect. They rarely get offended when you challenge their knowledge or expertise. This is why these individuals don't just deliver; but out-perform their competition. They know that going the extra mile WILL get them that extra result. How many times have you hired a painter, a contractor, an attorney, or even a babysitter who disappointed you with their poor work ethics? They did a lousy job and didn't even care much. These are the folks that just go with the flow and don't accept constructive criticism from anyone. In a nutshell, you just don't see that wow factor or that pizzazz in their work. Noooooooo, I didn't say pizza. (After all, how do you think we got to become the land of the free and the home of the chubby?) Eight out of ten of my clients have already tried PetSmart, Petco or some sort of park group class. Some even tried a private trainer, yet still weren't that impressed with the outcome. In almost every case, the instructor was an amateur who trained dogs on the side. Now, for those of you who hired a professional, you probably found out the hard way that they weren’t as professional as you’d hoped after all. Let me explain: They were definitely a pro, but a pro at doing a sloppy job or a pro at ripping you off! There are millions of people out there who do something for a
living but don't really have their heart and soul in it. These
folks can't wait until they can get away from their workplace.
(That explains why the rate of heart attacks is at its highest
on Mondays. They hate that job or boss so bad that it's literally
killing them.) You probably have already tried a few trainers by now. I’m betting that most of them didn't bother to point out any of your good qualities. Let's face it; it's not that difficult to jump on someone's flaws and weaknesses! Now you know why so many owners get tense, less motivated, and in some cases, even drop out of these dog classes altogether. It was obvious: All the the trainers did was nit-picking, correcting
and scolding the pet owners in front of their family or, even
worse, around complete strangers. How can this be fun or productive?
I always say, "What makes a good trainer brilliant is his
or her ability to praise your good habits while pointing out your
mistakes in a courteous, yet constructive manner." The ones who make a positive impact with you have mastered the difference between insulting someone and giving a critique. This is why there are hundreds of decent trainers out there, but only a few great "instructors"! As I mentioned earlier, the challenge lies in teaching the owners—dogs are fairly easy. One of my trainers told a client that if he kept yanking his
dog's leash for no reason, she'd jerk HIS NECK to show him how
it felt. Now, she obviously cared enough about the dog, but cared
less about getting her point across without losing her cool, not
to mention offending the owner. There are right and wrong ways
to stand up for a dog, and the way she handled it was definitely
not nice or professional. As a writer I hate saying this, but please don't believe everything you read, hear or see—especially things that just don't make any sense. If the method doesn’t seem logical to you or sounds a bit foolish, how do you suppose your dog is going to make sense of it? There are many trainers who come up with absurd and irrational ideas. Let me give you a few examples: Some suggest that you should never say your dog’s name when you catch him misbehaving or making a mistake. Is that logical? Now, let's assume you have two dogs and one starts humping little Johnny. You yell out NO—STOP IT! Don’t you think that would startle both of your dogs? In fact, wouldn’t that confuse the one that wasn't even misbehaving? Then please stop the nonsense. You'd be far more effective if you'd mention the name of the
dog that is misbehaving, either before or after reprimanding
him. Now, totally leaving your dog’s name out would certainly
make sense if it was just the two of you. But if you
have more than one dog, it will be very confusing to him to completely
leave out his name and hope that he'll somehow catch on. Back to dogs not understanding English. Then what language are
you speaking when you tell your dog to: Sit, Down, Heel, Come,
Stay, Good boy, Good girl, Fetch, It’s OK, Off or NO bite?
That’s not Swahili, is it? Well, That Was La La Land
or Wishful Thinking... These behaviorists all held a Ph.D. and meant well, but their advice didn't have any Ph.D in it and seemed like a waste of time. Bottom line, it is very rare for a method to work without you being able to pinpoint the logic behind why and how it works. Normally, your common sense should tell you if the method or advice is the real deal or not. Does this seem rational? Am I getting anywhere with this? Are people going to laugh at me when they catch me trying this nonsense with my dog? The same rule applies even with what you read in this book or on my website; observe it with an open mind and give it a try first—then be the judge! Folks, that's the beauty of being “Diverse.” Once you try a variety of techniques, only then can you be certain of what worked and what did not. Otherwise, you are just relying on assumptions instead of facts. Whether you've seen a method on television, heard it from your
trainer, or it came from someone with a Ph.D., stop and ask yourself:
Does what they're telling me seem logical or practical? And besides
getting rid of my dog, what other options are out there? Have
I truly exhausted every route and all experts of different
teaching philosophies? Bottom line, ignoring your dog's bad habits is not rational
or effective. If you don't believe me, start ignoring all
of your dog's counter surfing, jumping up on you, jumping on your
guests, and ignore that embarrassing growling and lunging at everyone.
Prove me wrong that this strategy or wishful thinking is going
to eventually start working. Better yet, don't just prove it to
me—prove it to yourself!
The very best, regardless of their profession, are like a sponge
and hardly miss anything. These individuals notice the smallest
things that make the biggest difference. I observe your technique, your dog’s history, its temperament,
daily activities, and when or to whom in your household he responds.
Are you firm, easy-going, loud, harsh, or persistent? Do you have
a spoiled brat and are you afraid that even saying "NO"
to him might hurt his feelings and we may never see him wag that
tail again? ............................................................................................ This means they aim for practicality and a real life approach. Remember, your training technique has to work anywhere and anytime or else you're wasting your time. Ignore this simple fact and you'll end up with a dog that: * Pays attention somewhat
in class, but nowhere else. .....................................................................................
Rookies always tell you that it takes time or it can't be done.
I usually tell my clients: "You watch. By the second lesson
we'll talk about how bad your dog used to behave, and how he has
changed for the better already."
Only a few owners and even trainers get to this level.
Your goal should be to eventually have complete control
of your dog without having him leashed or close to you. That’s
right; you want your dog to obey you from across the room, across
the street, in the yard and even from a distance, just with your
normal tone of voice. Again, I said normal—not
screaming at the top of your lungs. ................................................................................................................ I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating: You and your pooch need to be prepared for those "what if" scenarios. To be exact, what if my dog bolts out the door, manages to slip out of her collar, breaks the collar, attacks another dog, or even a child? Maybe your dog was running free, everything was fine and he was just hanging out when all of a sudden ______________ (fill in the blank). Look, no matter how careful or responsible you may be, someday your dog WILL get loose and will make a fool out of you. Again, only a very small percentage of trainers have the expertise to help you master total voice control over your dog. Make sure you hire the right trainer. If you are looking into group classes, ask to observe the graduation day of their advanced class. This will give you an opportunity to see for yourself whether the trainer's dog still the only off-leash trained there. If so, this clearly indicates that the instructor was able to get his or her dog to that level of compliance, but failed to do so with the clients' dogs. A case of great trainer, but poor instructor fits this one like OJ's glove!
Whether it is a ten-week-old pup or a ten-year-old dog, they
all can learn the difference between right and wrong and
what you’ll tolerate and what you will not. This is just
a fact!
Experienced trainers work with ANY breed! In fact, many of them gladly welcome the challenge of tough cases. Whether your dog is considered a bully breed, dominant, aggressive, red zone, un-trainable, or unpredictable, these pros never turn you down. Their goal is to help you save your dog from being put down and love proving all the skeptics wrong. This is because they possess the knowledge and the expertise of working with challenging cases. Average dog schools flat out refuse to work with difficult,
big or dominant dogs. As soon as you mention that you have a Rottweiler
or a Pit Bull, and before you get the chance to say that it's
just a puppy or a very nice dog, the majority of them will give
you the cold shoulder and say, “I’m sorry, but we
don’t accept that breed here.” Again, a true dog lover will never discriminate against certain dogs. Whether your dog happens to be small, big, scary, fussy, mixed, or a breed with a bad reputation, it shouldn't make one bit of difference. Your dog is just another case to them. Many of you might find this hard to believe, but even a Labrador or Golden Retriever can be a pain to train. Just about anyone who knows about these dogs would admit that they are known to be extremely smart and rarely get aggressive. But what breeders and dog magazines never bother to mention is that both of these breeds are also notorious for being very strong, hyper, over-friendly and easily distracted. In fact, even old age doesn't always slow them down one bit.
Let's face it; no parent can ever raise a child properly
without being firm and kind. Being firm alone may get you somewhere,
but balancing it with being fair is what makes a relationship
strong, healthy and loving. Folks, this is a classic case of "over-training" a dog. His dog just couldn't have fun. He didn’t even want to play with other dogs or interact with people. How sad. I told the fella, “It’s obvious you’ve done a great job becoming your dog’s master, but I can tell you are definitely NOT his buddy.” He shrugged and said, “Hey, YOU be his best friend." .......................................................................................... ....................................................................
Here's an interesting experiment: Gather the best-of-the-best
dog gurus in the world, but take away ALL of their training tools.
That’s right. No collars, no harnesses, no leashes, no treats,
no tennis balls, and certainly no shock collars. They might as
well be totally naked. Then throw in some unruly dogs and let’s
see what happens. Trust me. There wouldn’t be much these
dog wizards could do. After all, even the almighty Cesar Millan
needs his tennis racket when dealing with unpredictable and snappy
dogs. Here's what I don't understand: The majority of trainers are fully familiar with other training tools on the market, but they do everything to keep you in the dark. ............................................. Regardless of what a trainer’s
belief may be, I think "you," as the owner of your dog,
should have the right to make the final decision in regards to
your choice of tool.
Average trainers rarely put much thought or consideration into
your dog's age, size, speed, strength, intelligence and determination.
After all, a solid technique and a positive attitude can only
take you so far. This is why having a useful tool that finally
can get your dog's attention plays a significant role in your
journey to success. But here's another undeniable fact: The best and the brightest
don’t believe that a dog cannot be trained or rehabilitated.
Their mindset is completely opposite from your typical trainer.
They focus more on HOW they can help you transform your dog. This
means they always explore various methods if and when necessary.
Simply put, they don't mind pushing the envelope by trying different
things. I’ve traveled quite a bit in different cities and even
countries in order to work with many of these individuals and
found them to be amazing. They were excellent trainers and extraordinary
instructors. They were confident and sometimes even a bit cocky—but
always backed it up with skill, experience, knowledge and, of
course, that amazing “Diversity.” These experts have mastered all ten of these principles. This is why they are incredibly successful and come highly recommended. If you are a trainer reading this and your goal is to become one of the greatest, study and master all ten of these traits. That is, if you flat out refuse to settle for average, decent, or even excellent, but prefer to be remembered as one of the greatest icons, a dog phenomenon, and a true legend in the dog industry. As I mentioned before, the best and the brightest never believe that your dog cannot be trained. They focus more on the HOW! In a nutshell, what makes these trainers
brilliant is their versatility. They mix various styles
of training in a smart, effective and nonviolent fashion. Their
main goal is to custom fit an approach that works best for the
owner and the dog.
Taken from Kevin's Book,
"Hidden Secrets Behind Dog Training"
We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” --Chuck Palahniuk
This Book Gives You a Totally New Perspective About: 1. Yourself - Your thoughts, beliefs and perception
of your current and previous dogs. Book's Description: This book takes a deeper look at modern dog training and canine psychology while it also introduces you to the next level and the future of training and canine behavior modification—“The Diverse Method.” Think about it. If there are more than four hundred different breeds of dogs in this world, how can they possibly all respond to only one way of training? Have you ever considered that fact? You see, every dog was bred specifically for a purpose. So for any expert to argue that you can train EACH AND EVERY ONE with just Positive Reinforcement or Negative Reinforcement show their arrogance, lack of experience and diversity. The secret is to follow a "Diverse Reinforcement" because, just as with humans, dogs don't always respond to a strictly positive or negative approach. Here's where it gets more interesting. All dog trainers know this, but don't or can't teach it in their training method. !!! Now Did I Get Your Attention??? !!! Look, you are definitely NOT going to be safe, smart or successful if you rely on just one way of training as a crutch. The key to greatness is to arm yourself with different training techniques that will prepare you for ANY dog, despite their age, size, strengths, intelligence, past history or personality. Again, I am talking about being "Diverse" because no method and no training tool is guaranteed to work in every situation and on every dog. That's just a fact! This is one of those rare books that will make you smile, make you laugh, make you think and even challenge you to push yourself far beyond your leash or your bag of treats. It is filled with life lessons along with my incredible journey with dogs from all walks of life. If you are the sensitive type, you may get a few lumps in your throat. I've spent a decade writing this book, which inspired me to learn something new from every dog, every owner and every trainer I've encountered. So, in a way, the book has grown with me. My hope is that when you finish it, both you and your dog will be able to communicate with one another much more effectively. --Kevin "The Dog Prodigy"
Ever since he was young, Kevin has been able to relate and communicate with dogs in a very special way. You know when you meet a natural. We’ve all seen one. These individuals are rarely taught, but rather born. In over two decades of working with different breeds, he has successfully trained well over 10,000 dogs worldwide, earning him the nickname,“The Dog Prodigy.” He is one of those rare experts in his field who has the knowledge and the expertise to accept challenging cases that the majority of dog schools simply don’t want to deal with. We are referring to “red zone dogs,” and those already given up on by many trainers, veterinarians and even animal behaviorists. He is proud of saving hundreds of these dogs from abandonment, shelters, or worse, euthanasia. Kevin gained his experience from studying and practicing different methods of training. To expand his knowledge even further, he also compared the strengths and weaknesses of different theories from more than a hundred books on dog training, dog behavior, and canine psychology. Mr. Salem currently operates his school, Dog Secrets, where
he offers house calls not only throughout the US, but globally.
You may also send your dog to his most popular program, the Doggie
Boot Camp.
!!! More Extremely Thought-Provoking Articles Worth Reading !!! What Most Trainers Ignore or Even Hide From You!
Why Can't You Get Your Dog to Respond Around "Other"
Dogs? Using
Treats? Are You Really Being Rational, Practical and Natural? 99%
Sweet - 1% Cujo!!! When Nice, Smart Dogs Get Down Vicious!
20 Reasons
Why Your Doesn't Listen When it Matters the MOST!
When and Why You Should Doubt Your Technique or Your Trainer!
Inside the Mind of Veterinarians and Their Staff (Dog Etiquettes!)
Turning
a Childhood Tragedy into Triumph! - Kevin's Sad Story!! Have you noticed that the very best things in life are rarely "things". They are your loved ones, your happiness, your passion, your health, your attitude, your love, and your accomplishment. --Kevin "The Dog Prodigy"
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