Sooooo…
…every once in awhile I get a complaint.
YES!
You read that correct. Your friend, your hero, your pal The Amazing Dog Training Man gets a (GASP)… complaint.
I actually got a complaint about one of the dog training videos that I have posted on YouTube. With almost 300 videos and 12 million views you are bound to get some complaints. You can check out my YouTube channel here:
Amazing Dog Training Man’s YouTube Channel
Anyway, the person did not agree with me and was very upset. She actually wrote: “I hate you Mr. Amazing Dog Training Man!”
Can you believe it?
Me, a lovable, harmless fluffball.
It happens, and really was no big deal but here is where it gets interesting. This person found my phone number and started calling to complain… over a video!
She started calling every couple of days until I started to recognize the number and I began to ignore the calls.
Which got me thinking.
I’m doing the very same thing dogs do to their owners. They ignore them when they call.
You see, one of the most important commands to teach your dog is the recall (come when called) command.
Teaching a dog to come when called is easy… unless the dog has made a negative association with the owner.
Let me break it down for you.
Your dog is running around having a good time, sniffing the ground, chasing birds, and so on. Then you call your dog.
He comes racing to you. You reach down and put him on leash. In that split second your dog will learn to ignore you. What just happened is unintentional punishment. You punished your dog without knowing it. Your dog was having fun, playing around and you took away his fun and freedom in an instant.
Unintentional and intentional punishment work the same way, kind of like gravity. You can jump off the roof or trip, either way you’re going down.
Your dog will remember the next time you call and is going to ignore you the same way I am ignoring the phone calls I am getting from the complainer.
Which is why I spend so much time going over the recall command in my classes. With the warm weather here it is a great time to be outside spending time with your dog.
And if you think your dog could use some help learning the recall command, you’re in luck because I am starting a class on June 11th in Acushnet at Diamond in the Ruff. If you want in I need to hear from you because space is limited.
You can call and reserve your spot by calling 774-310-6351.