New Bedford MA Dog Training Class Exposes Top 5 Dog Training Myths

I was teaching a dog training class in New Bedford and I taught the owners about the top 5 dog training myths.

There are many, many myths about dog training and behavior. Some of them have been floating around for years and have become fact to many people. Here are some of the most popular myths:

Tug O War is bad – Tug is good. Dogs love to play tug. As long as you play with some simple rules, tug is one of the best games you could ever play with your dog. You can use the game as a reward.

Never let the dog go through the door before you – This one always makes me laugh. The conventional wisdom from “TV experts” is that if the dog goes through the door before you the dog will learn to become Alpha. Complete lunacy. Your dog is excited.

They want to get outside because that is where the fun is. Now, you should still teach your dog to “wait” but it has nothing to do with being alpha.

You should always eat first – Another hysterical myth. The experts also inform us that if your dog eats before you do they will learn that they are higher in the pack.

It does not matter when your dog eats. Before, after, during, it does not matter. What does matter is you having your dog do a quick stay command before your dog gets his food. This will teach your dog that you are in control.

Never let your dog sleep on your bed – Why? Why not? Dogs are social animals. They tend to sleep very close to each other. I’ve let my dogs sleep on my beds, I allow them on the furniture. What is important is that your dog understands that you control the sleeping areas.

Alpha roll over – Single worst advice for dog owners. The alpha rollover is when you grab your dog by the neck and flip him on his back. Very dangerous, very confusing to the dog and a very bad technique to use on your dog.

There is so much confusion about leadership, alpha, etc. that I wrote the Canine Leadership Manual to clear up the confusion. It has all the simple steps you need to know to quickly teach your dog that you are the leader.

If you and your dog are ready to train check out the classes we start every month.

You can get all the details by going here NEXT:

Dog Training Class

All the best,

Eric