From the Book, "Hidden Secrets Behind Dog Training"
By Master Trainer and Canine Psychologist - Kevin The Dog Prodigy
( Extremely Thought-Provoking! )
You Are About to Expose the “Biggest Scam”
in Dog Training Today!
Contrary to popular belief, relying heavily on treats usually
gets you quick,
but very short-lived results.
Sadly, millions of dog owners and even trainers around the globe
have fallen for this method. Instead of educating you
on importance of praise, technique, leadership and dog psychology,
you are brainwashed into using cheese, hot dogs, beef jerky and
cookies.
Now,
Answer This: Which
of the Two Methods Above Sound Rational, Practical or Natural
to You? Keep Reading. Your in For a Big Suprpise!
What you are about to read is truly shocking. In
fact, I am willing to bet that 99.9 percent of you have never
heard, seen, or read about it anywhere else. It’s about
time somebody pulled back the curtain and acted as a whistle blower
by exposing what is REALLY inside the Pandora's Box of dog training.
You'll have that "A-ha Moment"
on how skillfully you’ve been misled and brainwashed by
numerous sources all along.
With an open mind, read this chapter all the way
through before drawing your final conclusion. You either will
thank me for opening your eyes or you'll call me crazy. Either
is fine with me. I’ve been called much worse. Here we go.
Let’s abandon all skill and technique, kick common sense
to the curb, and give our dogs treats just for being alive and
then call it “dog training.” Sounds crazy? Not really.
Almost everyone seems to be jumping on this bandwagon these days.
But you’ll soon be challenged with many hard-to-ignore evidence
on why this way of training backfires on you in the long haul
and ruins your dog’s true potential.
You have to give them credit for banking millions of dollars
by marketing this method so effectively. After all, most dog training
books, dog magazines, the majority of trainers and dog schools
rave about using food while training. Even Petsmart which is the
biggest pet store chain in America advocates the food-reward based
method, or as I call it by its real purpose--the bribery method.
You may find this hard to believe, but they claim that in order
for your dog to get properly trained, you must give it treats
for sitting, staying, lying down and even to go potty. And that’s
not all. They also recommend treats for heeling, for looking at
you, or to prevent your dog from pulling toward another dog or
a person.
After your dog gets somewhat trained or perhaps a better choice
of words would be IF your dog gets even trained by this nonsense,
then you are advised to completely stop using all treats for good.
They promise you that your dog will eventually obey just
as well with or without treats, anywhere, anytime and for the
rest of its life.
Folks, whenever someone’s
makes such a claim, do yourself a
favor and look around to see if Ashton Kutcher pops up. This clearly
sounds like you are being punk’d! Come on, Ashton? Where
are you hiding this time?
Years ago, I was a hardcore advocate of this type
of training and I will admit, I've seen great results behind
closed doors and in small backyards. But call me crazy, I
still wanted to test the dog’s command response out in the
"real world." I won’t lie to you here, more than
anything else, I was dying to show off my mad training skills
that I developed through this bribery method.
After all, this particular dog that I was working
with mastered every one of the commands with those tasty treats
in a distraction free setting. So why wouldn’t he listen
to me otherwise? Hey, a trained dog is a trained dog, right? Wrong!
Don't worry, I made sure that I followed the book's
advice to a T. Starved the poor dog all day and packed some of
my mom’s tasty meatballs in a plastic bag.
Half of the walk went great, until the dog spotted
the neighbor’s cat. And that’s when all hell broke
loose. My super-trained dog, started pulling, lunging and making
some weird noises. Hmm... it wasn't a bark, a growl or a yelp--it
was a mixture of all. He got on his hind legs and started twisting
back and forth. Without missing a beat, I reached inside my bag,
presented a meatball... NOTHING!
Now, this was long time ago, but I could've swore
that he gobbled one meatball in matter of seconds, and without
even taking his eyes off that cat.
You guessed it. The dog made me look like a dumbass
in my own street. He kept moving his head out of the way and walking
around me to get to the cat. Long story short, here I was screaming
from the top of my lungs and about to rub all that meat in his
face, but that dog kept ignoring me AND my mouth-watering meatballs.
Well, he finally managed to get out of his collar
and took off after that cat like a flying bullet. I was chasing
after the dog, screaming profanity, and throwing meatballs at
the cat and at my client's dog.
My Wake Up Call that Day: Even
my mom’s tasty meatballs couldn't stop that dog from chasing
after some cat. I didn’t know whether dogs understood profanity,
but I now know for sure that even if they do, they definitely
don't respond to it. And finally, outdoor cats are much faster
and more agile than any dog out there.
Now, you are probably asking
yourself..
Why Then Do the "Majority"
of Trainers and Books Recommend Treats?
This is a fair question. But sadly, the “majority”
are rarely right about everything.
Here’s how I will prove my point: 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 or
commuting everywhere. You guessed it. Most of us give the majority
of our time to machines.
The majority of people aren't nice, polite or driven. The majority
of the news is negative news. And, let's face it. The majority
of us don’t always 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 haven't been always right throughout
history. 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.
So, just because the “majority”
of dog trainers, dog books or dog schools recommend using treats
for every command, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the
right or smart thing to do.
!!!
THAT'S JUST BULLS&#T! KEVIN !!!
Using Treats Have Been Scientifically Proven!
Yawn... please. Save me your Pavlov and Skinner theory. I'm sick
of hearing and reading about this in all treat users' web sites
and those bribery books that they keep publishing worldwide. Give
me a break. Here's something very important that they never mentioned
about these tests:
All of these studies have been done in a "controlled setting."
None, not even one, have been done out in a real world. And I
will bet my life on it that none were done around any of your
guests, other dogs, a squirrel or your poor mailman. Am I missing
something?
Be my guest. Ring that bell, wave the beef jerky or roll them
meatballs all day long towards your dog, but as soon as he spots
a squirrel, another dog, or finds himself loose and away from
you, it's game over. What can your science and your cripsy bacon
do for you there?
As Sara Palin would say, "There is my scientific proof for
ya!" Wink. Best of all, I didn’t have to starve any
poor dogs or pay a bunch of scientists to prove my point.
Sorry. But some things in life are just common sense.
REALITY CHECK:
Would you still work for your company if they stopped
paying you? Then how can you expect the same from your dog? And
when you really think about it, your dog should sit, stay or lie
down because of your love and leadership, not because of some
cut-up hot dogs. It’s the same mentality and principles
as how "we" were raised. We followed directions out
of respect to our parents and the fact that they were the "provider."
Again, I said, the provider--NOT the "briber."
Your dog should respond to you because you are the provider
and the leader. But-
I'm Not Easily Fooled. They Even Fooled
"ME" Once!
Millions of dog owners around the world get scammed by this concept.
Here’s their bait: To draw you in, they totally stay away
from the term “bribery” at all cost. They are being
very sneaky about this and instead refer to it as “reward-based
training,” “positive reinforcement,” or my favorite
of all, the “gentle approach.” Wow. Positive AND gentle?
Man, who can top that?
This reminds me of a priest or a pastor who preaches, “Be
positive and gentle, my child.” If these cookie trainers
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 hateful. Maybe if we don’t
rely on bunch of cookies to train, then we must be suicidal, alcoholics
and bunch of drug addicts who beat dogs senseless. Hey, after
all we are negative, right?
Look, no matter how stubborn or difficult your dog may be, he
is smarter than you give him credit for and can learn to respond
to your commands through love, leadership, praise and a "Diverse
Method." How is this not common sense?
I am scratching my head trying to understand why
so many different organizations 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 hope you’ll end up with long-term
and solid 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?

!!! Don’t
Just Prove it to Me! Prove it to Yourself !!!
Can You Honestly Stop ANY Dog From:
* Losing focus around your visitors
or other dogs
* Jumping up and mouthing on you and
the kids
* Chasing after cats, cars, squirrels
or deer
* Barking nonstop at the mail carrier…
All by holding a dried liver treat in front of its nose?
I'm sure many of you would agree that most of my list falls under
typical 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.
If you are one of those owners who believe that all dogs are born
to please, then why are you relying on treats in the first place?
You need to be able to get your dog to focus and respond to you
with or without any treats.
I always believed a dog that only listens
to you when you are holding a treat or even pretending to hold
some sort of food is obviously half-trained.
You’ll find the following bullets extremely thought-provoking.
And unless you’ve had some Botox treatments, they may even
raise an eyebrow.
Accept These Flaws When You Rely Heavily
on Treats:
* Your dog will only listen to you
when you are actually “holding” a treat.
* You will gain your dog’s
love, but rarely his respect. Hint: You want both.
* You will spoil your dog even more.
Spoiled dogs are prone to turn on dogs and people.
* You won’t always have a pouch
of hot dogs or your clicker with you 24/7.
* You are unknowingly making your
dog more dominant and aggressive.
* You’ll end up holding your
fingers together hoping to trick your smart dog.
* You’ll soon notice that even
the best treats don’t do much around visitors and other
dogs.
* Your dog could get sick, fat or
have explosive diarrhea from so many tidbits.
* You’ll confuse and disappoint
your doggie when you finally stop using treats.
* Your dog will figure out that he
HAS a choice and take his sweet time in obeying.
* You are told to have your dog look
at you first. This always stalls your training.
* Your dog may not care for treats
or even worse, totally go nuts once he sees them.
* Your dog will obey based on what
“type of treats” you have in your hand/in your pouch.
* Your dog will learn to beg at the
table or even worse, get in a habit of counter surfing.
* You’ll make your dog so demanding,
that he’ll keep on barking, jumping, whimpering and nudging
at your hands until you toss him some yummy treats or whatever
you happen to be munching on.
As you can see, bribery ruins your dog’s true potential.
Here's another undeniable fact:
Using Treats Only Gives You
the "Illusion" of a Trained Dog
You'll find the following convincing and humorous!
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 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 all
the time.
Still NOT
Convinced?!
WOW! You
MUST BE Another Cookie-Trainer!
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are. I Have Some Treats For Ya!!!
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, that even 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: Relying heavily
on treats to teach a dog isn’t healthy or natural. Just
imagine if you tried to teach your kid how to read this way. Every
time that he read or spelled a word correctly, you rewarded him
with Kit Kats, Twinkies or cookies. After all, you want to be
positive, don’t you? As an expert, I can reassure you that
dogs, just like our kids, can learn to respond through positive
reinforcement. But positive reinforcement doesn’t always
require “bribery” reinforcement.
FACT: Treat-trainers
advise you to not feed your dog prior the training, and only 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 the dogs and myself all these years.
FACT: Cookie trainers
make statements such as: “Nothing in life is free,”
or “You wouldn’t work for free, so why should your
dog?” Wait a minute. Let’s think this through for
a moment. Folks, we provide lots of free things for our lovely
dogs. Here’s the 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?
Oh, what the heck. Here's more: 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 multiple dogs, even a free companion.
As you can see, your dog may not live that long, but definitely
has it made!
FACT: You might
assume that you can treat-train the dog and then expect her to
respond to your commands at the same level, even when the goodies
are out of the picture. But your poor dog might assume that you’ve
probably lost your mind or 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.
FACT: As you read
earlier, using food as a bribe rarely teaches your dog the respect
factor. Sure, it 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: Spoiled dogs
steal food from your plate, your kids’ hands, and even from
perfect strangers all the time. Remember, you’ve been giving
your dog treats just for being cute or just for looking at you.
So he’s just snatching what he automatically sees as his.
And it doesn’t matter if you never ever gave him any human
food before. Food is food to him. So instead of waiting for treats
on “your terms,” your dog is taking matters into its
own paws.
The Mystery Behind Switching Your Dog's Food
The other major reason your dog steals food from counters or
from everyone is due to the fact he is sick of the same brand
you've been feeding him all along. Think about it. Wouldn't YOU
want to try something different if someone forced you to eat the
same food for weeks, months or even years? And if you complained,
you were told, “Hey, your doctor or your breeder told me
to never change it or else you’ll have major diarrhea.”
So despite what you’ve heard, read or assumed, you should
give your poor dog different brand that meet your standard or
budget, and leave it at that. I always switch my dog's food every
three months. To avoid loose stools, gradually mix the new brand
with the old food over a period of five to seven days. Once you
mix the new with the old, don’t be surprised if you see
your dog start to cherry-pick, leaving the kibbles from the previous
brand in the bowl. Hey, it happens and how much more proof do
you need? I even follow this rule with my kitties and they thank
me with those loud purrs every night.
FACT: The majority
of the dogs that have been trained with the bribery method only
respond to what type of treats you are using. So 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, “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 that steak, woman.” Is this obedience
training or some kind of negotiation with your dog?
FACT: Unless you
are into competition training and demanding 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 food-reward based trainers claim. And even
they know this, but will never admit to it. Then why even
try opening that can of worms in the first place? You will have
to retrain your dog all over again to listen to “you,”
and not because you are going to lure it with some goodies. In
a way, it requires a “complete re-adjustment” of your
technique and your dog’s perception.
FACT: As you read
earlier, spoiled dogs have a natural tendency to become dominant
and demanding with everyone. This often results in bullying and
in some cases, aggressive tendencies toward people and other pets.
They'll show dominance toward other dogs, you, and even your kids.
In fact, if your dog guards his bones, toys, rawhides, pig’s
ear or his food dish from you, I'm betting that you are either
doing lots of treat-bribery, or have done so in the past.
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, and 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 our daily lives. Now, “commands”
on the other hand are a very important factor of our daily lives.
In fact, that’s why we call them commands! They
are NOT referred to as the “sit trick,” the “down
trick,” or the “stay trick.”
Your dog might disappoint you when he refuses to perform those
cool tricks you practiced so hard at, but I’m sure you’ll
be furious when he flat out ignores you when he’s running
down the street acting like an idiot as a car heads straight for
him. Now unless that agility class taught your dog to jump over
moving cars, then I rest my case.
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 simply means: If your dog doesn’t listen to you, it
will not get any treats! So most dogs love having this option,
which explains why treat trained dogs always take their sweet
time responding out in real life situations. (Remember the meatball
story earlier.) Some of you make the mistake of giving your dog
the treats regardless of whether he listens or not.
Just imagine taking a class and not study or do any of the homework,
yet still get an A+ from your teacher. Is that productive? You
only accomplish three things, nothing, zip, nada!
In order to make their kids behave, some parents 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 or even adults do.
Say you have two dogs and you trained one with treats and the
other with lots of physical and verbal praise. Which would most
likely beg for food at the table or even dare to steal food from
counters or from 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? Or, which would
more likely turn against you or talk back to you?
In conclusion, dogs that have been trained through love, praise
and a "Diverse Method" rarely turn on you or others.
This is because they love AND respect you. That’s right.
I said respect, not fear.
Their Solution: Just
Ignore All of Your Dog's Bad Behavior!
Food reward-based trainers plain refuse or just never mastered
the technique to correct a dog for misbehaving. So instead they
recommend that you do your best to catch your dog doing something
"good" instead. Yes, you read that correctly! Catch
your dog in the middle of good behavior and hope and pray to God
that he doesn’t make any mistakes. Give me a break.
You can’t even teach a highly intelligent human with this
approach, let alone an animal.
Just imagine a teacher who never points out any of your mistakes.
Would you be able to learn much? Take driving, for example. Would
you be able to walk away, alive and well, with not even one scratch
on your car if you didn’t learn to do it correctly? (Hey,
you almost killed that pedestrian, but let's just keep going.
There are plenty more.)
Besides, I don’t even catch ME doing something good every
minute, every day. How can I expect this from poor Boomer? (I
know. I never cared much for Spot, Fido or Rover.) So bad habits
like jumping up, barking constantly, growling, lunging at dogs,
and chasing the poor cat should all be ignored? Isn’t that
the same as doing nothing? Then why did you bother to hire a trainer
or read a book that advised you to kick back and just do nothing?
Sorry. But ignoring, in my book, is the same as not doing anything!
Comparing Newlyweds to Positive Training:
If you really think about it, positive reinforcement is a lot
like newlyweds. They're all lovey-dovey in the beginning and 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. And for some strange reason, you hear
Marvin Gaye playing in the background wherever they go.
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!” And… WAKE UP!
Folks, we all know 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 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, giving your dog treats for just
about every little thing. But as time goes by, you keep cutting
down on the treats and eventually stop them all 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!
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 or even natural? I see it more as deceptive.
Wouldn’t you? Not you, you treat trainer! I am talking to
others who want their dogs to listen because they said so, not
because of some cut up hot dogs.

My Challenge to All Clicker and Head Halter Trainers!
I am a very competitive person and I don’t get in any race
unless I think I can win, and win really BIG! I guess it’s
the Aries in me. So I challenge any treat-trainer and clicker-trainer
out there who claims they can train or rehabilitate ANY dog just
by using a bag of treats, a flat collar, and a head halter. Oh,
what the heck. I'll even let you use that clicker. Happy now?
This test will have to eventually move to a real-life
scenario. You guessed it. I am talking about testing it around
other dogs, cats, kids on bikes or skateboards and different people.
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 initially. 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 ability
to the test.
You are more than welcome to starve the poor dogs before you
bribe them nonstop with your organic treats. I will make sure
to follow the same guidelines but without any starvation, any
treats or any drugs.
Here's where it gets even more interesting:
I’ve had this challenge on my web site for almost ten years
now. To this day, I never had one cookie trainer step up to prove
me wrong.
If you happen to be that first person, contact me and I can make
all the arrangements. The media will cover the event so we can
get some publicity for the shelter. This also should help get
these newly trained dogs adopted right away. And with the cameras
rolling, 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 borrow 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 know nothing
about. That’s when you really HAVE TO rely on your
technique, experience, instinct, reading the dog, as well as finding
the proper tool that is the best fit for that dog and that owner.
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.
2) You got lucky with a dog that is not stubborn, a natural pleaser.
What other reason can you possibly think of?
Usually only those who compete in obedience competitions get
to this level. These folks train their dogs diligently for two
to three hours throughout the day. I’ll be lucky if I can
get my clients to practice twenty minutes a day. People are just
too busy, and 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 very little 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 a 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 even more sad and
pathetic. 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, to try a different treat, 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 and 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 that you
can truly rely on, especially when it comes to those hard-to-avoid
distractions that we all eventually will have to face at one point
or another.
I also know some of you will be skeptical and prefer to learn
from your own mistakes. And I truly admire you for that. After
all, that is how “I” discovered the truths, which
inspired me to write this book. After all, 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. I wish
someone had, which is part of the reason this book took a decade
to finish. (I still cannot believe it. I started working on it
the middle of the year 2000.)
..........................................................................................
Never rely on just positive or negative reinforcement.
Be smart and always follow a “Diverse Reinforcement.”
I'm sure you'll agree that, just like people, positive doesn't
always work on everyone and neither does negative.
......................................................
Let's face it, everything comes with its pros and
cons. So if you still love to work with your cookie trainer, ask
him or her to explain the possible flaws behind their method.
Hey, if they are honest, experienced and fully educated,
they should tell you something. Wouldn't you agree?
You’ll soon realize that once you stop giving
your dog treats and start expecting him to obey you as before,
he’ll go on strike, barking at you,
“Sorry, Mommy. NO TREATS? NO RESPONSE!”
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.
2. Your Dog - Why and how your dog thinks and responds in different
scenarios.
3. Your Method – Unravel the strengths and weaknesses of
different techniques.
4. Your Tools – Which training tools work and which eventually
stop working.
5. Your Trainer - Their philosophy, expertise, expectations and
limitations.
6. The Dog Training Industry – How to use the system to
your advantage.
It took ten years of hard work, intense research, and studying
thousands of cases
to write this book.
My Mission:
To Find All the Reasons Why Dogs Didn't Thrive to Their Fullest
Potential.
I was shocked to find that the "real cause" had very
little to do with the dogs' age, breed,
size, intelligence, history, or even personality, but had everything
to do with the
“human element.”
Dog owners and even dog trainers from all around the globe were
skillfully misled, influenced and even brainwashed. Sadly, all
this had a tremendous affect on their beliefs, attitude, technique,
drive, sense of hope, creativity, and of course--their level of
success.
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"
Master Dog Trainer / Author
About the Author:
Kevin Salem is considered to be a prominent philosopher and one
of the brightest minds in the world of dog training. It’s
hard to paint Kevin’s image with the same brush as others,
as his unique way of "Diverse Method" and philosophy,
makes him very distinct.
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!
Correct Your 10 Worst Mistakes and Get Eyebrow Raising Results!
You'll be shocked to find that even "top trainers"
make some of these mistakes.
What Grade Would
Your Dog Give YOU? (Funny and Eye-Opening)
Don't just prove it to us, prove it to yourself that your dog
sees YOU as the boss.
Why Can't You Get Your Dog to Respond Around "Other"
Dogs?
As soon as your dog spots another dog, he barks, lunges,
growls or... learn why!
99%
Sweet - 1% Cujo!!! When Nice, Smart Dogs Get Down Vicious!
Face it, it's scary to have that doubt or fear of your dog one
day really causing...
20 Reasons
Why Your Doesn't Listen When it Matters the MOST!
Easy-to-miss causes of why your dog flat out ignores you around
distractions.
When and Why You Should Doubt Your Technique or Your Trainer!
Seven signs to look for in identifying the strengths & weaknesses
of your method!
Dumb
Trainers - Smart Dogs!!!
Most Dog Schools WILL Fail You!
97% of trainers and dog classes can't deliver real results. How
many will you try?
Inside the Mind of Veterinarians and Their Staff (Dog Etiquettes!)
All vets and vet techs are dying for you to master these proven
tips. Learn how.
Turning
a Childhood Tragedy into Triumph! - Kevin's Sad Story!!
Everybody has a story, a cause, or a reason of why they do what
they.
Read Kevin's touching and remarkable 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"
!!! Dog Secrets
.com !!!
Where You See the Difference Between"Average"
and "WOW"!!!
* Jaw-Dropping Video
Clips * Testimonials *
* Boot Camp - Train My Dog For Me! *
FAQ

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