It doesn’t really matter whether your dog is a puppy or an adult, big or tiny, spoiled or abused, if you don’t pay close attention to these characteristics, your dog will soon start bossing you around, as well as your other dog, and not to forget, your poor kids. It is wise to be able to recognize these signs from the beginning before they get worse. And if you happen to own a dog that is already somewhat persistent and even a bit dominant, the last thing you need is to also spoil it and let it get away with murder. You basically would be pouring gasoline on fire. Take kids for example. Say a child is already a bit brave, rebellious,
strong, AND you go out of your way to spoil him rotten. You’ll
have your work cut out for you and could lose your sanity! See
which of these behaviors reminds you of your lovely pooch. You Are Definitely Getting a Fat "F" if Your Dog... * Constantly jumps up on you, your guests, your kids, and regardless of how many times you tell him, "NO", "Down", "Off" or "NO Jumping", he acts as if you are speaking a totally different language or became invisible. * Play-bites nonstop at your hands and feet while you're walking or training it. You may even see him get on his hind legs to wrestle you by mouthing and pushing down on the leash with his paws. * Embarrasses you around your guests. In fact, you always find yourself physically restraining your dog, and end up putting him outside, locking him in a crate or another room. * Responds to commands only if you are holding his favorite treat or happen to be munching on something. Your dog is thinking, “Look Mommy, if you have something tasty, I might listen. If not, don't even bother.” * Comes to you only when “he” is ready. Or, does your dog bolt out the front door the first chance he gets? Things definitely get more exciting when he spots a person, another dog, or a cat. * Refuses to stop his barking, whimpering, scratching the door or throwing a tantrum to get his way. How about demanding to come in or out whenever he feels like? * Squeezes through the door like a flying bullet and pushes you out of the way. How about crowding, pushing you to back up by stepping into your space when you ask her to obey a command or when you are trying to reprimand her? * Urinates and defecates the minute you let him in. Maybe your dog was out in the backyard for hours or you took it for a long walk and he STILL peed or pooped in his favorite spot. It's even worse when you catch him in the middle of peeing on your carpet and you scream, clap or yell out his name to stop--not does he not even budge--but he goes as far as giving you the bird while puffing on that Cuban cigar and adjusting his shades. * Bites at your ankles and at the leash while bouncing back and forth, barking and growling the second he lays an eye on another dog, a cat or even a person. Basically, the dog’s trying anything so you hopefully will cut him loose. * Rarely obeys the commands that she already KNOWS and just won’t stay still around tempting distractions. You most likely find yourself getting louder and louder, and end up pushing your dog into a sit command. Sometimes you have no choice but to grab your dog’s collar to make her mind or hug her tightly to restrain her. You may even have to keep jerking on her leash, or restraining her the entire time so she doesn’t embarrass you even more. * Throws himself on the ground, playing the dead fish game so you can’t make him do anything against his will. Stubborn and spoiled dogs do this all the time regardless of their size or age. Some of you make the mistake of picking up and carrying your dog like a baby. (Try carrying a Bull Mastiff, Great Dane or Saint Bernard!) * Likes to sit on top of the couch or right next to your head and shoulder area. Obviously I am referring to smaller breeds. But even those big dogs that choose to lay or stand on top of the tables, indicate that they see themselves on top of the world. * All of a sudden grabs the leash tightly in his jaw when you are in the middle of training or reprimanding him and won’t let go that easily. In your dog’s mind, he is actually trying to control and correct YOU! This might seem cute to some of you, but in reality, your dog sees you as the “dog” and is walking you. How cute. * Leans and even pushes against you, or sits on your foot every time you ask him to sit. Sometimes this happens when a dog is scared or nervous. However, if your dog does this every time you give him the sit command, and there are no distractions, sudden noises, or any other reason you can think that your dog might be terrified, you better believe that it is to dominate you. Only a few dogs do this because they're insecure. Remember the neighborhood bully who loves to push around the weakest kid on the block? In this case, it is YOU who's being pushed around by your dog. * Humps any person or dog that he encounters. This is rarely sexual. Most humpings are due to establishing dominance. Your dog doesn’t really care whether it is a guest, one of you kids, a roommate, or even a harmless stuffed animal, he is basically dying to assert his dominance. Whether your dog is humping your leg, your kid, your spouse, anothor dog or even a poor visitor, you better believe that he definitely sees himself in charge in that room and at that moment. * Out of the blue, urinates or defecates to get even with you. You know for a fact that your dog is completely housebroken and isn’t sick. In fact, it’s been weeks or even months since his last accident. He was outside for hours and also had access to the doggy door. Does it seem as if he did it just to upset you? This normally happens when you don’t give your dog the attention he demands from you. Remember, stubborn and spoiled dogs aren't fair or rational. The reason for this unexplainable urination could be because you left town for a few days, are working longer hours, or brought a new pet into your home. Sometimes, even a guest or starting a new relationship will trigger this kind of behavior. Ironically, it can also happen when you start training your dog with a new attitude and new ground rules. Basically, your dog is upset at you and retaliates. Yes, dogs are known to hold a grudge. I deal with vindictive dogs all the time. * Resists lying down for you. You might see your dog trying to compromise by giving you her paw, sitting, barking or doing a rollover trick instead. Some dogs turn it in their favor and trick you by showing you their tummy. What’s even funnier is that most of you end up giving them a belly rub instead. Remember, it’s a down command! Not a “let me scratch your belly” command. You probably didn’t know this, but the more you can get your dog to lie down flat on his stomach, the more he will see you as an authority figure. * Doesn’t like to be restrained by his collar. Some of these dogs do back-flips and you can feel your fingers bending backward as you scream in agony. I've known trainers who have dislocated their fingers and injured their wrists while training such dogs. It’s obvious that your dog is doing eveything possible so you leave him alone and don’t you dare grab or confine him in any way. In his own way, he’s telling you, “NO WAY, JOSE!
You ain’t grabbing my collar! Let go, or I’ll do my
psycho move on you.” These are the dogs that may act fine
one minute, but in the next, they try to bite off your finger.
Unless you are dealing with a scared or abused dog, which is very
unlikely, your dog should let you grab him by the collar anywhere
and anytime. This shows that he trusts and respects you. Interesting Fact About the Down Command: If you tell ten dogs to sit for you, eight out of the ten might do it. But if you ask a group of a hundred dogs to do “a down,” you’ll be lucky if you can get five out of the hundred to obey. Getting a dog to lie down is a great way to establish your leadership without being harsh or abusive. Try doing it with NO biscuits, holding your fingers as if you have a treat, pointing at the ground, bending over or slapping the floor. And good luck. You’ll definitely have fun with that one! Don’t forget, these bad habits usually stay the same or even get worse as time goes by. To tackle them effectively, you’ll most likely need the help of an expert in a private session. Trying to solve these problems in a group class is a waste of your time and money. Get ready, because the chapter on “Red Zone Dogs” goes into more detail on dominance and aggressive tendencies. These dogs will make the ones that I just talked about seem like a bunch of pussycats. 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! 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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