Thank you!
Last week I asked for suggestions for my new dog training TV show I’ll be starting soon. I was flooded with emails. I am still reading them and having my crack staff sort and compile the response.
Thanks to everyone that took the time to write. I really appreciate it!
Anyway, many of them were funny and I had to share this one:
“I have two pomeranian/jrt crosses, which when first brought home were two tiny, fluffy, cheeky, balls of fuzzy wuzz who I couldn’t correct sternly out of fear of giving them heart failure – and can you blame me? Their cute little mugs!
4 years later I find myself with two self-entitled, disobedient ratbags who know they have their mama wrapped around their pawpaws and do nothing past giving paw for their dinner. They play house members off each other – running and diving onto someone’s lap when another tries to put them out. Barking is a serious problem, prompting complaints from neighbours.
Make no mistake – these dogs are well treated. Almost TOO well treated.
I would like to know how to handle the small dog that thinks it is a member of British royalty, please.
In exchange I will torment all my animals pals with tales of your new (and past!) ventures
Thanks in advance, and best of luck!”
Ais
When I read, “two self-entitled, disobedient ratbags,” I laughed out loud. I know EXACTLY the kind of dogs she is dealing with because I see them all the time.
And let me share a little something with you. If you find yourself with a self-entitled, disobedient ratbag, I’d like to share this with you.
Not many others will have the guts to share this but I will because I only want the best for you and your dog. The only thing I want are results.
Anyway, if you have a disobedient ratbag on your hands, it is probably……NOT YOUR FAULT!
You read that correctly. You see, the dogs described above are common. I do see them all the time and the owner has tried. They have scoured the internet. They read the books, watched the TeeVee shows, talked and maybe even hired the “experts.”
But they did not get the results they wanted. Know why? It’s simple. The overwhelming majority of advice you’ll get today will TELL you, not recommend, not suggest, they TELL you that you can only use positive methods.
That using any form of negative consequence is abuse, mean, cruel, that the trainer is NOT using scientific methods and is an old school brute.
On the other hand, I have seen plenty of people hire a trainer that did not know how to use negative consequences properly. They use the old PSSST two finger jab to the neck. Or maybe the old fashioned “alpha” roll over or maybe recommended pinning the dog to the ground.
Yeah, try pinning a 85lb. out of control boxer in the middle of the kitchen with your Great Aunt Gilbert standing there watching.
So it brings us back to the continuing reason for so many dog problems. It all goes back to…
…confusion.
The cure for your confusion is simple. You need a balanced, level headed approach to training. You need someone who can show you how to teach “YES” to reward and reinforce behaviors you want more of (stay, come, down, etc.) And at the same time, show you how to teach your dog “NO” to reduce and stop behaviors you never want to see again (stealing ham sandwiches off the counter, jumping on Great Aunt Gilbert, chewing on your favorite pair of shoes.)
You can wish and pray for “all positive” methods to work but you better learn to live with self-entitled, disobedient ratbags. Or you can step away from the dark side and start getting the results you’ve always wanted for just $1.00!
Here’s where to go NEXT:
All the best,
Eric