There is a condition in dogs I am seeing more and more of.
This condition is serious and the more I see it the more I feel I should write about it but I know it will be taken the wrong way. Mostly because it flies in the face of most of the conventional wisdom you’ll read, watch or hear about dog training.
But as the Rollo May said:
“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it’s conformity.”
You see, the condition I see in dogs today is what I call…..
…..Bratty Dog Syndrome.
These are dogs that have been through two, sometimes three dog training classes. In the classes the instructor has informed the owners that ONLY positive reinforcement can be used to train.
That the word “NO” and negative consequences are never used. If you use the word “NO” or apply any type of punishment you are cruel, inhumane, outdated and mean.
When the innocent dog owners asks what they are supposed to do about their dog that is jumping, chewing, begging, barking and maybe even showing signs of aggression they are told they have to ignore, redirect and wait for the right behavior and by no means should they EVER use any kind of negative consequence to stop the behavior.
The dog owner now faces a lifetime of turning their back and “waiting” for the dog to stop jumping. They try and “redirect” the dog when he is attempting to steal a steak off the counter. The dog owner has to get up at 5:00AM to walk their dog and avoid all other dogs and people because their dog is reactive and barks or lunges at strange people and dogs on leash.
Everything on the counters in the house is pushed back as far as possible to prevent the dog from stealing. Baby gates are placed all over the house. Life becomes a constant struggle trying to keep one step ahead of the dog.
The dog has the upper hand and quickly trains the humans in the house. The dog becomes….
…..a brat.
Until…. I show up.
A big part of my business is showing up to a person’s home after they have been through two or three dog training classes with an “all positive” or “force free” trainer.
In the first lesson I show the dog owner how to teach NO and STOP behaviors.
A big part of dog training is learning how to stop behaviors. You stop a behavior by saying the word “NO” and applying a negative consequence.
Done correctly your dog will stop jumping, begging, chewing, barking or displaying any other annoying behavior in minutes.
Your dog can literally go from being a brat to being a great family pet you enjoy being around.
If your dog suffers from this syndrome and you’d like to finally learn how to STOP behaviors, slide on over to the Dog Training Inner Circle and learn how to teach your dog “NO!”
You’ll also learn how to teach your dog “YES” and much, much more.
Best part is it is only $1.00 to join.
Best,
Eric