(The
Most Loved or Hated Chapter of Our Book.)
You have to give these big corporations credit for earning millions of dollars by marketing this method so effectively. After all, just about any dog training book, dog magazine, the majority of dog trainers and dog schools rave about using food while training. Even the almighty Pet Smart advocates the bribery method. You may find this hard to believe but they claim that in order to properly train your dog, you must give it treats for sitting, staying, lying down and even to go potty. And that’s not all. They also tell you to give your dog treats for heeling, for looking at you, or to prevent him from attacking another dog or a person. After your dog gets somewhat trained, or perhaps a better choice of words would be IF your dog gets trained by this approach, then you are advised to completely stop using all treats for good. They will promise you that your dog will eventually obey you just as well with or without treats, anywhere, anytime and for the rest of its life. Folks, whenever someone’s making such a claim,
look around to see if Ashton Kutcher pops up. This clearly sounds
like you are being punk’d! Come on, Ashton? Where are you,
bud? Oh, Come On. Using Treats
Can't Be THAT or Else... This is a fair statement. But first, let’s study the “majority of us” for a moment. Here we go: The majority of us aren’t health-conscious. The majority of us don’t spend quality time with our loved ones. Instead we give that time to computers, watching television, playing videogames and other mobile devices. Let’s not leave out the time we spend behind the wheel, commuting. You guessed it. We sadly give the majority of our time to “machines”. I'm not finished. The majority of people are rarely nice, polite or driven. And of course, the majority of us don’t appreciate “who” and “what” we already have in our lives. Long ago, the majority also believed that earth was flat, smoking couldn't harm you, and that there was no difference between breast milk and baby formula. As you can see, the majority aren’t nor have been always right throughout history, my dog-loving friend. Remember the old saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Folks, you have to smarten up here. Don't let them stretch the truth by misleading you. Again, just because the “majority” is doing something doesn’t mean that it is the right or smart thing to do. But, Isn't This Method Backed by Science?!?! Don’t be fooled by Pavlov or Skinner theory that all these “Positive Reinforce Trainers” throw at you left and right. I am honestly sick of them hiding behind this claim. Give me a break. Folks, the dog that these wonderful scientists experimented with didn’t have any of your guests, other dogs, the neighbor’s cat, or your poor mailman in that lab. Hello? So if you notice your dog drooling, it might be because he spots
a squirrel and sees him as an animated squeak toy. There is my
scientific proof for ya! Best of all, I didn’t have to starve
any poor dogs or pay a bunch of scientists to prove my point.
Folks, some things in life are just common sense. Sneaky Trap that You Fall For. They Even
Fooled "Me" Once! This reminds me of a priest or a pastor who preaches, “Be
positive and gentle, my child.” If cookie trainers can get
away with calling themselves, “Positive and Gentle,”
then which category do the rest of us fall under? Other trainers
must be negative, abusive, and maybe hateful. Maybe if we don’t
rely on treats then we must be suicidal, alcoholic drug addicts
who beat dogs into senseless submission. Hey, after all we are
negative, right? I am scratching my head trying to understand why so many trainers and dog schools swear by this method. For all of you trainers out there who push giving your dog a bunch of cookies for everything, I will boldly challenge your experience, your technique, and your overall knowledge about training, dog psychology and canine behavior. I mean, come on, everybody knows it doesn’t take much science or skill to bribe a dog with treats and think you’ll end up with long-term results. Here’s a question for you: If you claim
this way of training is so effective, then why does it stop working
around real world distractions? * Misbehaving around visitors or
other dogs All by holding a crispy bacon strip in front of its nose? I am sure many of you would have to agree that most of my list falls under real-life examples. In fact, I bet one or more might very well be a part of your daily routine. And to be fair, nobody’s asking you to get your dog to respond in front of an alien, dinosaur, Batman, the Blue Man Group, or some kids busting jaw-dropping break dance moves. A dog that listens to you when you are holding a treat or pretending to hold a treat is only half-trained. It’s about time somebody pulled back the curtain on treat
trainers and acted as a whistle blower by exposing what is REALLY
inside the Pandora ’s Box. You will finally get that Aha!
Moment on how skillfully you’ve been misled and brainwashed.
The following paragraph will make you think and, unless you’ve
had a Botox treatment, may even raise an eyebrow. Accept These Flaws When You Train Your Dog with Treats: * Your dog will only listen to you
when you are actually “holding” a treat. As you can see, food bribery training ruins your dog’s true potential. Another undeniable fact… Bribery Only Gives You the
"Illusion" of a Trained Dog Let’s say you were having a fancy candlelight dinner every night with fine wine, a crackling fire and my man, Luther Vandross, playing in the background. Or perhaps you prefer the sound of smooooooth jazz. Who wouldn’t want this, especially when it’s every night? That sure sounds nice and lovely. But we also know that it’s just a matter of time until this fancy-schmancy dinner loses its special appeal. Some of you have already guessed it. I am referring to the power of “routine.” Now, if you were having this special kind of treat once in a while, and as a surprise, it would be far more special AND desirable. Notice, I said once in a while, NOT once every hour ! This is because we tend to overlook the routine factor and the old saying, “You don’t know what you got until it’s gone.” Constantly giving your dog treats for every minor or major reason
is no different from the scenario I just described. I will say
it again until I am blue in the face: If your training foundation
has been built on nonstop bribery, instead of positive attitude
and proper technique, it will soon collapse. I see it happen over
and over again. Still NOT Convinced?!?!
Still hanging on that Pavlov and Skinner theory? How cute. And if you are NOT a cookie trainer, then they sure have done an awesome job of brainwashing you. Don’t worry. I’ve been there. Keep reading because you’ll find the following examples even more convincing. So convincing, in fact, that the most experienced treat-trainers’ hackles will go up and will stay up for a while. Here are more weak points about this method. FACT: Treat-trainers advise you to NOT feed your dog prior to training it, and then start with some moist and tasty treats. Genius! Now all you have to do is make sure you have a pouch of cut-up cheese around your waist and a starving dog at your feet day and night. Problem solved. How else are you going to pull it off? Some of them even add, “Treats make it fun and motivational.” Silly me. I’ve been torturing those dogs and myself all this time. FACT: Cookie trainers make statements such as: “Nothing in life is free,” or “You wouldn’t work for free, so why should your dog?” Therefore you should reward your dog with treats just for responding to your commands.” Nothing is free, huh? Let’s think this through for a moment. Folks, you provide lots of free things for your lovely dog. Here’s my list: free food, free rent, free medical coverage, free dental, free vision, free toys, free baths, free walks, free grooming, free patting… should I continue? Here we go again: free treats, free car rides, free play time, free doggie bed, free dog house, free dog run, free rawhides, free cleaning up, and even a free retirement plan. For those of you who own more than one dog, a free companion. As you can see, your dog may not live that long, but definitely has it made with you! FACT: The best and quickest way to teach your dog a trick is to use a treat or its favorite toy. If you think about it, teaching “tricks” is not the same as teaching “commands.” When you use treats to make your dog obey a command, your dog will automatically assume that you are teaching it a trick, NOT a command. Can you really blame him? Even agility exercises are taught with the use of treats or the dog’s favorite toy. They are impressive to watch, but you can’t really put them to use in your daily routine. You can’t say that about the obedience element since everyone agrees that “obedience” is an important part of our daily lives. That’s why, if you have noticed, they are called COMMANDS! They are NOT referred to as the “sit trick,” the “down trick,” or the “stay trick.” You might be disappointed when your dog refuses to perform those cool tricks you practiced, but I’m sure you’d be furious when he flat out ignores your “commands,” especially when you really need him to obey, such as when he’s running down the street acting like an idiot as a car heads straight for him. Unless the agility class taught your dog to jump over moving cars, then I rest my case. FACT: You might assume that you can treat-train your dog and then expect her to respond to commands at the same level, even when the goodies are out of the picture. What you don’t realize is that your dog might think you’ve lost your mind, or at least you’ve lost your pouch of goodies! “What the heck happened to those days when I used to get a treat EVERY time I sat for you?” is basically what your poor dog will be thinking. Or even worse, maybe she’ll think you just don’t love her as much as you used to. I mean, what else do you expect your poor dog to think when you
only give it treats once in a blue moon? If you could read his
mind, it would say, “I may be a dog, but I ain’t that
stupid!” FACT: As you read earlier, using food as a bribe hardly teaches your dog the respect factor. It definitely builds trust, love and affection, but NEVER respect! Besides, doesn’t your dog already love AND trust you? It’s the respect that’s missing. Why do you think your dog only listens to you half of the time? It’s because there is that strong love, that strong bond, and also that strong lack of respect. Hey, nobody said the truth is easy to digest. Moving along. FACT: It may surprise you that one of the main reasons your dog steals food from your plate, your kids’ hands, or from counters, is because you’ve been training it with treats or spoiling it rotten. Remember, you’ve taught this dog that you’ll give him treats here and there, so he’s just snatching what he automatically sees as his. And it doesn’t matter if you never ever gave him human food. Food is food to him. So instead of waiting for treats on “your terms,” your dog is just taking matters into its own paws. Say you have two dogs in which you trained one with treats and the other with physical praise. Which would most likely beg for food at the table or even dare steal food from counters or from your toddlers? I rest my case. Here’s another great example: You have two kids. One you spoil rotten and let get away with murder and the other one you make follow your rules and earn every privilege. Which one do you think would most likely take you seriously? Which would more likely turn against you or talk back to you? FACT: Many dogs that have been trained through the bribery method only respond to what type of treats you happen to use. If it’s that jaw-breaking biscuit or some other treat that your dog doesn’t care for, he might sniff it, give you a dirty look, and walk away. I’ve seen some even give their poor owners the bird. Well, just about! But if it’s that yummy treat or even better, the steak from last weekend’s barbeque party, your dog could be telling you, “Oh yeah, baby! Here’s sit, down, paw, left paw, right paw, roll over and I’ll even play dead for you! Now hurry up and toss me some of that steak, woman.” Is this obedience training or some kind of negotiation with your dog? FACT: Unless you are into competition training and DEMAND your dog to never take his eyes off you, working with treats will only sabotage his training response in the long haul. Besides, I seriously doubt that you want to make a soldier out of your pooch. If you haven’t seen obedience trials, maybe you should. That’s where you notice these handlers expect perfection from their dogs. I’ll be honest with you. Most of my clients don’t really care about a perfect performance. They just want a well-mannered dog that actually “listens” and doesn’t put his nose up people’s crotches. FACT: Getting your dog to eventually respond to you without any treats isn’t as easy as most cookie trainers claim. Then why even try opening that can of worms? You will have to retrain your dog to listen to “you,” not because you are going to lure it with some goodies. It requires a “complete re-adjustment” of your technique and your dog’s perception. FACT: If you don’t have much patience, or want faster results, cookie training is definitely NOT for you. Although working with dogs and people has taught me lots of patience, the theory behind this method takes more patience than most dog owners have. This is because you are ultimately giving your dog the choice of obeying. This means: If your dog doesn’t listen to you, it will not get any treats! So most dogs love having this option, which is why they end up taking their sweet time in obeying you. Some of you make the mistake of giving your dog the treats regardless of whether he listens to you. It’s not any different from not studying yet still getting an A+ from your teacher. Is that even productive? You only accomplish three things, nothing, zip, nada! In order to make your kids behave, you could say, “If you
want to go to the movies, you better get your homework done.”
Or, “Stop that or else there won’t be any videogames,
internet, Disneyland,” or whatever. This might work for
a while, but we all know that day comes when your kid snaps back
at you, “Fine, then, I don’t want your stupid video
game and I’m sick of Mickey Mouse or Goofy!” I agree
that kids should be able to make age appropriate choices and learn
that there are consequences and rewards to their actions. But,
as strange as this sounds, treat-trainers’ philosophy is
all about letting our DOGS figure things out on their own. Sadly,
dogs don’t have the ability to learn the same way kids do. FACT: As you read earlier, spoiled dogs have a natural tendency to become dominant AND demanding. This often results in bullying and, in some cases, aggressive tendencies toward people and other pets. These dogs could get dominant toward other dogs, you, and your kids. Does your dog guard his bones, toys, rawhides, pig’s ear or bowl from you or others? If so, I’m betting that you are either doing lots of treat-bribery, or have done so in the past. In conclusion, dogs that have been trained through love, praise and technique rarely turn on you or others. This is because they love AND respect you. That’s right. I said respect, not fear. What Do Newlyweds and "Positive Reinforcement” Have in Common? If you really think about it, positive reinforcement is a lot like newlyweds. They're all lovey-dovey in the beginning and try to put their best foot forward. Men are perfect gentlemen and women never step out of the house without any makeup. Both are kind, polite and sexy. They never get sick of each other. There are flowers everywhere and every night. You hear Mozart playing in the background. Everything is fun and all arguments are minor and forgettable. And of course he pulls out all the chairs and holds all the doors for her. “I love you, babe.” “No, honey, I love YOU, sweetie.” And… WAKE UP! Folks, we know very well that not all couples are willing to keep up these newlywed habits forever. And unfortunately if they do, people will think something is wrong with them or that they must be faking it. What most likely ends up happening after years of being together: you give one another a high five on Valentine's and call it a day. Training your dog with treats is not much different. Think about it. At first, you are all nice, bribing your dog left and right. But as time goes by, you keep cutting down on the treats and eventually stop all treats for good. In case you forgot, they call this method “positive reinforcement.” Or I like this one even better: positive reinforcement equals positive results. Awwwwww… how cute and appealing! Let’s look at some facts again: What’s so positive about bribing your dog with treats and
then stopping it altogether or cutting way back on it? How can
that be “positive”? I see it more as deceptive. Wouldn’t
you? Not you, biscuit trainer. I am talking to others who want
their dogs to listen because they said so, not because of sticky
raisins. Yes, some of them recommend raisins. To compare how dogs of different sizes and temperaments respond to this test, we'll go to a shelter in my hometown of Sacramento, California. We’ll select fifteen dogs that have had no training from one of the shelters. The first five will remain untrained to see how they react in these situations. You can train the next five with a clicker or treat-based method. I’ll train the last five using the “Diverse Method.” Then we’ll take all these dogs and put their training to the test. I am certain that those five proud cookie-training graduates won’t do much better in these situations than the five that have had no training at all! Make sure you don’t forget your pouch of hot dogs and that clicker, along with whatever training tool that you swear by. Don’t worry. I will even let you starve the poor dogs before you bribe them. I will make sure follow the same guidelines but without any starvation, any treats or any drugs. I won’t even need to use a choke collar or shock collar. To accept this challenge, just contact me, and I can make all the arrangements. The media will cover the event so we can get some publicity for the shelter. That should help get these newly trained dogs adopted right away. Also, with the cameras recording this event, the public will be able to see for themselves that there is no kind of abuse or animal cruelty going on. If you want to bet money, we’ll bet whatever you desire. Since I won’t be losing, it doesn’t really matter to me and I’ll donate the prize money to the shelter that lets us use their dogs. This will prove again that it isn't all about the money for me and that I am just trying to prove my point. You see, it’s one thing to be able to pull off these tasks with your own dog, but it’s a totally different story to be able to put it to work with dogs that you don’t know anything about. That’s when you really HAVE TO rely on your technique, experience, instinct, communication skills, as well as finding the proper tool that is the best fit for that dog. It shouldn’t really matter whether it is a Labrador, Pit Bull, Doberman, Jack Russell or Chihuahua. A skilled and versatile trainer will confidently take on the challenge. Now, if you have seen great success by relying heavily on treats, then there are only two explanations: 1) You started training your dog from a very young age and have
been consistently involved in its training on a daily basis. Usually only those who compete in obedience competitions accomplish such results. These folks train their dogs diligently for two to three hours a day. I’ll be lucky if I can get my clients to practice twenty minutes a day. People are just too busy, and they often procrastinate training their dog. Just don’t forget that even these amazingly-trained dogs are performing an exercise that has been rehearsed hundreds of times. It’s simply a drill that has nothing to do with your dog’s daily routine. Think about it, how is walking your dog in a figure-eight pattern, having him pick up a dumbbell, drop a dumbbell, and jump over a few hoops considered as your real-life scenario? I know for a fact that the majority of you don’t really care about any of these fancy moves and would rather have your dog listen to you anywhere, anytime without being a pain in the rear. Am I wrong? Look. If you are working with some cookie-trainer at the moment, she is probably doing her best—which is the saddest part. Your poor trainer has been brainwashed or is too stubborn and too naïve to be diverse. These trainers have been programmed to believe that their training method is the only way to achieve results. And if it doesn’t work, they’ll ask you to put your dog down, to make sure you always muzzle him, to make sure he is crated, or to find him a new home. To come across even more convincing, they refer to other methods as “outdated.” Actually, this bribery thing has been getting more popular than ever the last 10-15 years. So the way you make “their” method outdated is to combine Diverse Method with dog psychology! After listening to all the propaganda, it’s as though they are living in a world of fantasy. They just don’t see the real picture. But hopefully “you” do! Mark Twain said it best: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Treat-trainers always ignore the weaknesses in their method. “Positive Reinforcement” has been highly-promoted for nearly two decades, but has never been truly effective. Even if it seems to be working for some, I doubt that you will see long-term results you can truly rely on, especially when it comes to those hard-to-ignore distractions. I also know some of you will be skeptical and prefer to learn from your own mistakes. I truly admire you for that. After all, that is how “I” discovered the truths, which inspired me to write this book. Hey, you can learn a lot from others' mistakes and failures. It's just that some people have to do it themselves before it becomes a "reality." As a trainer, I began to notice that there were flaws in various methods. The more I uncovered these weaknesses, the harder I searched for answers. But no trainer or dog book explained all these facts to me. Certainly not the way I am presenting them to you here. I wish someone had, which is part of the reason this book took a decade long to finish. (I still cannot believe it. I started working on it the middle of the year 2000.) If you are still skeptical or currently working with a treat-trainer, look your trainer in the eye and ask… .......................................................................................................................
Written by International Trainer and Dog Psychologist, Kevin "The Dog Prodigy" 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! 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? 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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