How Well Do You “Really” Know Your Dog?
Is Your Dog Dominant or Just Stubborn? What is the Difference?  

Taken from the Book, "Hidden Secrets Behind Dog Training"
Revealing the Best & Worst Ways to Train Your Dog!

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 a close attention to these characteristics; your dog could easily become your boss and may even get aggressive with other dogs, your loved ones and don’t be surprised--eventually toward you.

You should be able to recognize these signs from the early start before they get worse. Now, if you happen to own a dog that is already somewhat persistent and even a bit dominant, the last thing you need to do is also spoil it rotten and let it get away with murder. You basically would be pouring gasoline on fire. Take kids for example, say a child is already brave, rebellious, physically strong, AND you go out of your way to spoil him/her rotten. You’ll definitely have your work cut out for you and could lose your sanity! Here we go.

Does Your Dog:

• Constantly jump up on you, on others, on kids, or chasing your cat regardless of how many times you tell him to stop? Do you always find that he will not settle down unless you physically have to restrain him? 
  
  
• Comes to you whenever he feels like? This is even more frustrating when your dog bolts out the door or happens to find itself off-leash and away from you. How about if your sees another dog, a squirrel, or a kid on skateboard?
  
  
• Refuse to stop barking, whimpering, scratching the door, throwing a tantrum inside the crate or when he demands to come in or be let out?
  
  
• Squeeze through door like a flying bullet and push you out of the way? How about crowding you, pushing and forcing you to back up and by stepping in your space every time you ask it to obey a command or when you are trying to reprimand him?
  
  
• Respond to commands only if you are holding a treat or happen to be eating something? Your dog is thinking, “Look lady, if you have something tasty, then we’ll talk.” These dogs will ignore your commands even if you have moist treats in your hand chasing them down the street. Especially in front of real-life distractions. Sometimes the owners make the mistake of giving their dogs treats regardless of whether the dog responds to their command or not. So in reality, the dog wins regardless!
  
  
• Demand your attention and rarely stop misbehaving when you tell him to? You’ll notice your dog jumping up on you, getting on your lap, nudging at your hands and he doesn’t care whether you are tired, not in the mood to play, or if you are holding a cup of hot coffee. He will jump up on you even when not invited. “Drop whatever you’re doing. I need to cuddle and need it RIGHT NOW!”―is what your dog is saying, if we could translate some doggie language.
  
  
• Keep on barking back at you when you reprimand him for begging for food, jumping up on you, or even play-biting at your hands and feet? Some of these dogs will even get on their hind legs and stand up to you to challenge your authority.
  
  
• Rarely obeys the commands that she already KNOWS and just won’t stay still. You most likely find yourself getting louder and louder, and end up forcing your dog into a sit or down position. Sometimes you have no choice but to grab your dog’s collar to make her mind or hugging her tightly trying to restrain her. Or you find yourself constantly tugging on her leash, or restraining her the entire time so she doesn’t embarrass you even more.
  
  
• Play-bite on the leash or at your hands? You might notice him getting on his hind legs and wrestle you by pushing down on the leash with his one paw or sometimes with both paws. (Boxers are famous for behaving this way. It’s fun to watch. They act as if they’ve gone possessed or something.)
  
  
• Jump up on you or throw himself on the ground, so you can’t make him do anything against his will? Large breeds and spoiled dogs do this on a regular basis. Sadly, the owners end up picking them up and carrying them like a baby. (Try carrying a Bullmastiff, Great Dane or a Saint Bernard! Good luck on that!)
  
  
• Hold the leash tightly in his mouth when you are in the middle of training or while walking him? In your dog’s mind, he is actually walking you! This might seem cute to you and others, but in reality, your dog sees you as the “dog” and he has—YOU—on a leash.
  
  
• Resist lying down for you? You might see your dog trying to compromise by giving you his paw, sitting, barking and even doing a rollover trick instead. Some of these dogs turn it in their favor and trick you by showing you their stomach and what’s even funnier, most of you end up giving them a belly rub eventually. 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 tummy, the more he will see you as an authority figure.
  
  An 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 your dog to lie down is a great way to establish leadership without being harsh or abusive. Try doing it WITHOUT a biscuit, holding your fingers as if you have a treat, pointing at the ground, bending over or slapping the floor. And good luck!
  
  
• Keep getting frustrated and wrap the leash around you? Does he lunge backward trying to get the leash out of your hands, or nip at your hands and feet? He might start to charge forward and makes noises as if he’s gone mad. All this drama and temper-tantrum so you will let him get to other dogs, cats, squirrels, kids, a neighbor or even a guest in your house. In a way, your dog’s trying anything possible to get you to let him have his way.
  
  
• Hump anything that moves or breathes? This is rarely sexual. Most humping behavior is a sign of dominance. Whether it’s a certain family member, one of your kids, your roommate, a harmless stuffed animal, your sofa, or even your poor guest, your dog is desperately trying to establish his dominance over them. He is letting them know that “he” is the one in charge here or at least in charge of “you.”

• Lean or push against you, or sit on your foot every time you ask her to sit? Sometimes this happens when a dog is scared or nervous. However if your dog does this every time you give her the sit command, even without any distractions, sudden noises, or for any other reason you can think of, you better believe that either she is trying to dominate you, or she’s insecure. Think of the neighborhood bully who loves to push around the weakest kid on the block. In this case it is YOU that’s being pushed around by your dog.
  
  
• Out of the blue, urinate or defecate in an inappropriate place? You know for a fact that your dog is completely housebroken. It’s been weeks or even months since his last accident. He was outside for hours or had access to the doggy door, and you know he’s NOT sick. 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 expects from you. Remember, stubborn and spoiled dogs don’t always care what is fair, rational or even realistic according to your standards. It could also be different issues such as: when you leave town, work longer hours, or some other change in your schedule. Perhaps you brought a new pet into your home, have a guest over or started a new relationship with someone else. It can also happen when you begin training your dog with a new attitude/new ground rules and your dog is very upset and retaliates to get back at you. Yes. Dogs are known to hold a grudge more than you might think. I deal with vindictive dogs all the time.

• Is a bit unpredictable when you grab him by his collar? Some of these dogs do back-flips and you can feel your fingers bending backward as you scream in agony. I have known trainers who have dislocated their fingers or injured their wrists while working with such dogs. Basically, your dog is fighting you. He’s saying, “NO WAY JOSE! You ain’t grabbing my collar! Let go, or I’ll do my psycho move on you.” These dogs may act fine one minutes but then in the next minute, they try to bite your finger off. Unless you are dealing with a scared or abused dog, which is very unlikely, your dog should let you grab his collar anywhere and anytime. This shows that he trusts you and that he truly “respects” you as a leader.

Don’t forget, these bad habits are known to 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 setting.” Trying to solve these problems in a group class is waste of your time and money.  The best you get out of a class session is a dog that behaves well at the group session, but still acts unruly for you and the rest of your family members at your home. Besides, it is very hard to be able to drag your whole family to class every Wednesday night at 7pm.

Get ready, because the chapter on red zone dogs goes into more detail on dominance and aggression tendencies.  The dogs will make the one’s we just talked about seem like bunch of pussycats.  

Written by International Master Trainer and Canine Psychologist, Kevin "The Dog Prodigy"

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Dedication
I dedicate this book to all true dog lovers around the world.
    My dedication especially goes to those who volunteer at shelters, the ASPCA,
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making a difference in the everyday lives of dogs.

These dogs may come with cold noses, but they definitely make up for it with
their warm hearts and their unconditional love.

--Kevin the " Dog Prodigy"

About the Author:

Kevin Salem is considered to be one of the brightest minds in the world of dog training and one of the pioneers in his field. It’s hard to paint Kevin’s image with the same brush as others, as his unique way of thinking, writing, and training philosophy truly makes him distinct.

If you are a fan of Cesar Millan, it will be difficult not to fall in love with Kevin’s book.
Mr. Salem brings out the best of both worlds by combining dog psychology WITH dog training in which he introduces it as the “Diverse Method!” This way of training has been originated from traditional dog training and is perfected by modern dog psychology. With over two decades of experience working with different breeds of dogs, Kevin has successfully trained over 8,000 dogs worldwide. Ever since he was young, he had a natural ability to relate to dogs earning his nickname, “The Dog Prodigy!”

Kevin Salem is the head instructor for Sacramento’s Real-Life Dog Training & Canine Psychology Enterprises. He offers house calls not only throughout the US, but all around the world. His clients also ship their dog to his most popular program, the Doggie Boot Camp.

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Here Are More Eye-opening and Thought-provoking Chapters of Our Book that Will Change the Way You Look at Your Your Dog, Your Trainer AND
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Correct Your Horrible Dog Training Mistakes!!!

Why Using Treats Gets You Quick, But Very Short-Lived Results

Aggrrrrrrresion: Serious Warning Signs Your Dog May Possess!

Strength and Weaknesses of Different Trainers Worth Reading!

Correct Your Top 10 Biggest Mistakes that Even "Trainers" Make!

A Complete List of Why Your Dog isn't Trained to Your Standard!

BOOK'S INTRO: So Many Titles, What's So Special About Ours?

How Kevin Salem Turned His Childhood Tragedy into Triumph!!!

You are welcome to post this chapter of Kevin's book on your personal or pet related web site. Our only requirement is that if you'll be kind enough to actually "link" it back to this site: Dog Secrets .com.

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All Rights Reserved for All Countries 2001-2008

No part of the contents, articles or quotes in this site shall be used or reproduced in any way,
including, but not limited to Internet forums and web logs without a written consent from
Kevin Salem. We use state of the art technology on a regular basis to 'crawl' all search engines
and directories for violators. Please don’t risk it. We WILL take full legal action against you.

You are welcome to post this chapter of Kevin's book on your personal or pet related web site. Our only requirement is that if you'll be kind enough to actually "link" it back to this site: Dog Secrets .com.

When you do this, please let us know as this automatically gets you a
FREE Signed Copy of Kevin's Book. NO JOKE. That is the least we can do :-)

!!! SCAM ALERT !!! BUYER BEWARE !!! CONSUMER ALERT !!!

Be on the lookout of trainers who just REFUSE to give you any references. You can bet your dog's life on it that this is a red flag. Think about it, if they are truly proud of their training method, delivered what they promised, and have the right work ethics with their clients, then they should have no problem giving you a few names. This is even more important if they DO NOT have any classes for you to observe.

Get at least five references, three recent and two from six months to a year ago. Do not fall for
"client confidentiality bologna." Push again and say, "Look. I am not asking for their last names, addresses or social for crying out loud. I just want the very best for my dog!" Even ask for their business license number.

( Check to see where they are and AREN'T allowed to train or board dogs.) Wouldn't you want to do business with someone who is professional, legal and legit? Your wallet, your dog and your precious time is depending on it. No matter how impressive their web sites seem or how convincing they may sound on the phone, don't skip this. You won't regret it. If someone's happy with you, then they won't mind bragging about you. Don't you already do this when it comes to good movies, good books and good restaurants?

If they say, "Well. I could give you my best friend or my sister's number as a reference to trick you." Just say, you'll take it. Let's see what your own family and friends say about you first. Do you see where I'm going with this? Once you get a few references, this is where you ask what you like and didn't like about them, their trainers, and whether the dog listens off-leash, without treats, from far away. How about around other dogs, cats, kids and your guests?

!!! Dog Secrets .com !!!
Where You See the Difference Between"Average" and "WOW"!!!

* Jaw-Dropping Video Clip * Testimonials *

* Boot Camp - Let Us Train Him For You! *

FAQ * Get Our Book *


NOTE: Our Board & Train Option Fills Up Very FAST !!!
Reserve the Starting Date of Your Choice as This is Our Most Popular Package!

Surprise/Refer Someone Else to This Site




All Rights Reserved for All Countries 2001-2008


No part of the contents, articles or quotes in this site shall be used or reproduced in any way,
including, but not limited to Internet forums and web logs without a written consent from
Kevin Salem.

We use state of the art technology on a regular basis to 'crawl' all search engines and directories for violators. Please don’t risk it. We WILL take full legal action against you.