In life you can accept what the norm is and go with the flow, or you can decide to do things differently. I feel that the dog and puppy training world needs a real shake up. There are so many accepted practices and beliefs that don’t really make any sense and need to be put into perspective. All of this is based on my experience of working with thousands of dogs… and this is what I’ve learnt from them. This is what I’ve seen and what they’ve shown me.
For a full explanation of each of the 10 biggest dog training myths check out the podcast. Here’s a taster of what’s included… But first, if you'd like a FREE report covering more dog training myths, click here:
Myth No.1: Dog training takes lots of time
– Sadly some people spend years trying to get their dogs under control. However when you know what to do, dog training is simple, fun, straight forward and you can have a different dog often in just a matter of days…
Myth No.2: Dogs will only have one pack leader in the home
– Wrong. Dogs are happy to have more than one pack leader. If you are a family with many people in the home you really want your dog to respect everyone, not just one person.
Myth No.3 Attending puppy school is imperative
– Not so. There are thousands of people who attend puppy school and end up with serious behavioral issues. Many puppy schools do not provide the important information owners need such as how to establish yourself as the pack leader. Too much focus is put on learning a ‘sit’ and a ‘down!’ Socializing is an important aspect of puppy training however it can be achieved in many different ways for free.
Myth No.4: Quality dog training is expensive
– Not so. Most dog and puppy training is expensive for what you actually get. At the end of the training people seem to have learnt very little. When you know where to go you can get excellent information at a fraction of the cost.
For a complete solution to dog training have a look at my Online Dog Training resource. Or, if you have a puppy, check out my Puppy Coach training program!
Myth No.5: You can train a dog using only positive reinforcement
– No, but it sounds good. Very few dogs are just so perfectly behaved from puppy through to being an adult dog that they only need positive encouragement. Like children, most dogs also need to be guided, redirected, stopped, and sometimes shown that some behaviors are unacceptable.
Myth No.6: You should never use food treats
– Nope. Food treats have their place in dog training and great dog trainers know when and how to use them. Using food treats with a dog or puppy is just like rewarding your children for excellent behavior and it goes a long way to reinforcing that behavior.
Myth No.7: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
– Oh yes you can! Many of the dogs that I work with are around a year old. A smaller percentage of them are much older, around 10 years old, and they can all change their behavior. Of course prevention is better than cure, but it’s never too late when you understand what’s going on.
Myth No.8: Hard work and practice is all you need
– Nope. Sometimes hard work and lots of practice is not enough. You need to actually change what you’re doing and try something else. The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result. If it’s not working, you have to try a different approach.
Myth No.9: Little dogs are easier to train than big dogs
– Not always! Sometimes bigger dogs are calmer and easier, and sometimes little dogs are incredibly difficult. Of course the opposite can also be true. Just like with people, you can’t generalize all big people as being a certain way and all little people being another!
Myth No.10: Most dogs causing trouble are stupid
– Oh no they are not! In fact very often the dogs that cause trouble are the really clever, intelligent dogs who would naturally become the pack leaders in the wild. Dogs who challenge you are usually not that impressed with your performance and actions and are looking for you to step up to the mark!
To step up to the mark and become the amazing pack leader that your dog is waiting for join my program, The Dog Calming Code. (Or, get started with setting a solid foundation for your new puppy with my Puppy Coach training program.)
Have a great training day, and as always, love your dog ☺
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11 Responses
Absolutely love your methods. They make so much sense. One of my pups refuses to get in the car for any reason. As a puppy he constantly got carsick and never out grew it. Fortunately we have a vet that does wellness checks at the house, but if emergency care is needed there’s no way to get him into the vehicle. Any suggestions on how to get over this? He is my alpha male, 30 lbs smaller than his brother and about a year older.
Hi Jeanette, when dogs get car sick it can builds a negative association with the car that often requires patience and practice to overcome. There are some natural remedies that you can try to help alleviate the symptoms as well as looking at where your dog is positioned in the car……the rear of a car is often quite bouncy! Something you can try is to desensitise your dog to car trips by practicing really, really short trips….maybe even just up the road and back. The aim is to end the journey before your dig starts to feel unwell. If your dog refuses to even get into the car then this is where your practice will start. Use high value treats, have your dog on-leash and work on just trying to get them to hop in and out of the car to start with. Hope that helps! My membership website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com does cover this issue, maybe take a quick look….we have a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
Do you have ideas for an anixious dog who has got so nervous she will only walk around the block
Hi Kim,
The big, wide world can be a very scary place for some dogs. If you think about it, anything that’s man-made is totally alien to our dogs and often these things can be terrifying….to such an extent that some dogs would prefer to never leave the house! You can certainly help build your dog’s confidence, in fact we have resources on our membership website to help owners with this issue. Knowing why the behaviour occurs is really important, but even more so knowing how to respond correctly is the key factor in overcoming anxiety. We have a$1 trial for 3 days…on my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com.…maybe take a quick look…all the best Doggy Dan
Hi Dan,
I am a trainer myself and enjoy reading your stuff and find it a great resource! Just wanted to say thanks!
Steve
Hi Steve, you are more than welcome…Good to hear of other trainers using the material 🙂 all the best, Dan
Great as usually
Thanks Dan for all these tips
Greetings from Colombia South America
PD I own 5 giant schnauzers
If you have any recommendations…I’d be grateful
You are welcome Carlos, love to meet your 5 Giant Schnauzers….they must take some feeding!
If it is training tips and help you are after then check out my dog training video website http://theonlinedogtrainer.com
– I think you will be very pleasantly surprised 🙂
Dan
I aways find your reads interesting. you came and visited us a few years back. There had been slight improvment but still very difficult in some ways. keep posting we live in hope.
Hi Kimberly,
Thanks for your kind words.
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things”…One of my favourite quotes from “Shawshank Redemption” Let me know if I can help with anything….Dan
Hi Kimberly, love to help out if I can, would you like access to http://theonlinedogtrainer.com so that you can refresh some of the training and ask questions in the Forum? Always happy to help out if I can, regards Dan