Did you know that dogs are mentioned 44 times in the Bible?
Cats……zero.
Anyway, there is also some great advice for anyone looking for dog training help in the Bible.
Here it is:
Proverbs 20:18 “Get good advice and you will succeed.”
Well hot diggity. Dog training guidance from the Good Book.
The first three words are key: “Get good advice.”
Because we constantly get advice it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Take it from a guy that has bumbled around the desert like a lost puppy because of bad advice. I would never give advice on a whole host of subjects, but the one subject I can help you with is dog training.
Why?
Because I do not bow down to the politically correct agenda pushing most of the information on dog training today. I have zero interest in impressing anyone in my profession. I could care less what the APDT, Pet Professional Guild, PO’d. force free crowd thinks of me.
And believe me, they no likey The Amazing Dog Training Man.
The only thing I am interested in are results and helping you train your dog. Dog training that saves dogs lives, that helps them to become well behaved, happy members of the family.
The best advice you can ever get is this: Teach your dog the word “YES” and teach your dog the word “NO.”
Teach “YES” with a positive consequence. With your dog in front of you say the word “YES!” and give a treat. Repeat this over and over until your dog associates the word “YES” with a positive consequence.
You can now use this word to “mark” any behavior you’d like to see more of. Sit, down, stand, stay can be taught using the word “YES.” This is Classical Conditioning, also referred to as “learning by association.”
Once your dog understands the word “YES” you can then use Operant Conditioning, also know as “Learning by consequence.”
“YES” can only be used to teach and reinforce the behaviors you want. It cannot be used to stop or reduce the behaviors that are driving you nuts.
Behaviors like jumping, stealing meatloaf off the counter before dinner, barking and other unacceptable behaviors.
This requires using the word “NO.” When your dog is doing a behavior that is unacceptable you say “NO” and pair it with a negative consequence.
Once your dog is doing the acceptable behavior (walking past the meatloaf, keeping all four paws on the ground) YOU THEN switch back and use positive reinforcement (“YES!”) and reward your dog for doing the acceptable behavior.
And that, my spiritual friend is as the Bible states: “Good advice!”
On my Facebook page I have a video of a Rotti that went bat crap crazy around other dogs.
The owners were asked to leave a group obedience class. They called in the Big Dog (me) and within two lessons we got him walking within inches of other dogs.
I did it through a combination of “YES” and “NO.”
The video shows a happy, well behaved Rotti that is now controllable around other dogs.
Anyway, we go into this in more detail on The Dog Training Inner Circle. You can learn all about teaching “YES” and “NO.” Best part is that it’s only $1.00 to join and you can get started by going here NEXT:
Peace,
Eric
Eric
‘No’ is the most important word when training children and dogs. Our local dog obedience group forbids the use of the word; that is one reason why I didn’t stay there. (Another is their insistence that a ‘correction collar ‘ be worn at class.
I have learnt much more from your posts than ever taught at those type of places.
“No”, “Good Boy”, and “Stop” have been invaluable. I haven’t introduced “Yes” yet; I have been using “Good Boy” to reward. “Stop” prevented a accident with a motor car during a recall once; even though I had called “Come” he immediately stopped when I called “Stop” I’ll see if I can train myself to introduce “Yes” into our life.
Keep up the excellent work that you do.
Love you work.
Thanks Noel! I appreciate the kind words and for sharing.