20 Reasons Why Your "Dog" Doesn't Always Listen to You!
1- You are NOT in charge and your "dog" knows it
You have been the provider, the lover, the spoiler, the mommy, the daddy, the buddy, or just the observer, but definitely NOT the one in charge. You always came up with an excuse not to train the dog. So basically if your dog could talk, he'd be saying: ???Oh come on. Who gave you the idea that I should mind you now? Sit down, shut up, and give me that belly rub, along with that pig's ear to chew on, or else I will pee on your pillow tonight.???
2- You've had the wrong voice assumption
( Remember it's actually your tone and--NOT VOLUME )
Did you know that over ninety percent of dog trainers in the U.S. are females? So don't worry, you don't need to have your husband/boyfriend's tone of voice in order to get your dog to mind you. However if you give a command to your dog and it sounds something like: Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, Nooooooooooo or Dowwwwwwn. You are asking your dog and NOT telling it. Your command shouldn't sound like a nag, like a request, or even like a drill Sergeant. You have to meet somewhere in between. What's funnier is, I notice dog owners sound like Mickey Mouse when they are supposed to sound firm, and growl like Dracula when they are supposed to sound non-threatening and friendly. You shouldn't yell at your dog because dogs can hear 3-4 times better than us.
3- Your "dog" is spoiled rotten
Spoiled dogs, just like spoiled kids, don't listen to you or anyone else for that matter. They know for a fact that they are cute. Actually even the ugly ones think they are cute. These dogs know soon or later, either you won't follow through on what you just said, or, you better believe someone else who IS spoiling your dog, will come to the rescue. I guarantee you that someone else is going to be your spouse, or one of your kids. You should emphasize more on that balance which results in your dog remaining spoiled, but yet also be obedient.
4- You have a poor technique or following the wrong method
That's just it. You're totally clueless when it comes to getting results. Or you might do some things right here and there, but you do most of it all--WRONG. Just like anything else, it is not just practice that makes perfect. It is GOOD practice that makes perfect. It's not that important on how much you train your dog. It is HOW you train it that makes a huge difference. This book will explain and show you different ways to cut down on your training time and speed up results. Bottom line, you'll finally learn which training methods really work, and which will waste your time and make you look funny in front of your family, or worse--in front of your doggie.
You will learn to correct all of your mistakes, and I do mean ALL OF THEM. These are the mistakes that even trainers make and the poor owners are paying these folks to train their dogs for them. This is another reason their training does NOT come with any guarantees. They have that doubt in their method or worse doubt--themselves.
5- You've been brainwashed on the food-bribery concept
You don't even bother to ask your dog to do anything, unless you are holding a treat or if there are some types of goodies nearby. I call these dogs ???half trained??? dogs. Cookie trainers just ruin dogs with this theory. I used to be food-reward based trainer myself and have evolved for the better over the years.
Why your dog should sit? Because you said so! It's simple as that. Just like how we were raised, and how we should raise our kids. Not through bribe. It should be the same with our dogs. Depending on treats will not teach your dog any respect. It builds trust, love and affection, but never respect.
My book will teach you all the secrets on how to get your dog to mind you, without any yelling, hitting, or any abusive method. Don't get me wrong. You could use food once in a while as a reward, but very carefully and smartly and never ever as a bribe.
Now that is something 95% of other dog trainers, dog training books, and dog schools don't know, don't tell, or believe it or not, HIDE from you.
6- You are in charge for the most part, but your "dog" is STILL testing you
Even if you are in charge 80-90% of the time, you are still not in charge 100%. And trust me. That 10% still makes a huge difference on how much your dog minds you in general.
7- Your "dog" is naturally very stubborn, dominant, or alpha type
Sure your dog might be smart, but also extremely stubborn. This could also be a timid dog and not necessarily an alpha type. It can be a shy dog that is very fearful around people around dogs and may not even be a big, dominant, spoiled brat, or even aggressive for that matter. But you know that this dog is the king/queen of your house. Most people when they hear dominant, they always picture a Rottweiler that has a thick neck as big as my thigh. NO, I am referring to that Chihuahua, Pomeranian, or that Weiner dog for god's sake. Any breed, any age and certainly any size dog can run your life for you. I see it all the time. Sometimes you don't even know how stubborn your dog really is, until you start training it. This will be even more obvious, once you stop using treats with your dog.
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8- You have been misguided on how young or how old can you really start or stop training your "dog"
You think your dog is just too old or too young to change for the better. Perhaps you believe your dog has already trained you and been set his own ways. If your dog is five years old that is in need of training, this dog could easily live another 4-5 years. Now do you really want to wait that long? Don't you think your dog will most likely get even worse by then? Do you honestly want to put up with those annoying bad habits for few more years? Probably not!
For example, we accept pups in our school as young as 8 week old. To your surprise and other dog trainers skepticism, I can teach puppy that young to stop its constant:
Play-biting, Jumping Up, Whining, Barking, Leash training, and Control Excitement/fearful urination, as well as get it completely housetrained and crate trained. A dog that young believe it or not can also be taught to Sit, Lie Down, Come and even to Stay. Walking and heeling is the last thing on puppy owner's mind. Basically puppy owners call us more for puppy problem-solving. So if you can find a trainer that is knowledgeable in solving puppy behavior, you shouldn't have to put up with your dog's annoying bad habits for a few more weeks, let alone few more months.
9- Your poor "dog" is somewhat or completely confused
You are not consistent with your commands or with your training approach. Every word you use keeps on changing day by day. For example one day you say: Shush, NO, Knock it off, and the next day you say: Hey, Quiet, Shut Up, or It's Ok. So in a way your dog is thinking: ???You don't even know what you want. How should I????
10- You are using the wrong training tools or don't use ANY tools at all
The two most useless and annoying dog training tools ever created are: the retractable leash and the harness. I am certain that if your dog is unruly, it is because you are walking it with a retractable leash, or worse, the retractable leash is also hooked up to your dog's harness. Both of these tools offer no control to stop your dog's pulling or lunging toward other dogs, cats, kids, or joggers. In fact, your dog can pull you much better and more comfortably with these tools.
This could also be the use or MISUSE of training tools that are more famous among trainers. These include: The choke collar, pinch collar, gentle leader, electronic collar, or even a clicker. Certain tools do work, and certain ones do not. Some work for a while, then stop working. Some are not appropriate or even necessary for certain temperament of dogs. But none are as useless as the harness and that cool re-tractable leash. These tools get on dog trainers' last nerves. Be sure to read the chapter on worst training tools and you'll definitely get the entire story. By reading this book you ultimately learn, that it is your dog and your decision on which training tools work best on your dog and that's the beauty of the Diverse Method.
11- You don't know how to distraction-proof your "dog"
Whether it's your visitor, another dog, a cat, squirrels, joggers, or kids playing around, admit it, you have little or absolutely no control of your dog around these major daily distractions.
Life is full of distractions. Your dog should respond to you ANY PLACE, ANYTIME, and in front of ANY distraction. You should focus on building a solid foundation in private, and WITHOUT any distractions first and then gradually add on to different distractions. This is the only way to get your dog to obey you 100% of the time, even outdoors in real world situations.
I always notice dogs that were trained in group-class fashion act like stars in the class, but act like complete morons at home on a daily basis. Basically you and your pooch need to become street-smart. And if a trainer does not offer that, or if you CANNOT put it to work in a real world setting, then what is the point of training?
The majority of owners all they really learn from an eight week group class course is how their dog takes the treat gently from their hand. Wow. There goes another reason for little Timmie to start bribing the heck out of the dog even more. Do you see my point? Always look for a trainer that teaches PRACTICAL dog training. Group class trainers rarely emphasize on real life scenarios. It's even worse if their concept is to starve your dog prior joining the class and then give your dog treats just for being alive.
12- Your dog is not completely off-leash trained yet
You don't know how to get your dog to obey you off-leash and from a distance. Its even worse if you are one of those careless or should I say cocky owners who walk their dog without a leash. What if your dog's running loose chasing a cat, squirrel, a kid, or a jogger? You yell out: NO come. Or HEY get over here??? NOW. But your dog is thinking: ???What? Are you kidding me? You expect me to respond to you even from a distance and off-leash? Yeah right. I don't even listen to you across the room.???
Your dog should respond to you even from a distance, across the room, the yard, or even in your local park. This is just in case your dog IS loose, and there are unexpected distractions, she should STILL obey you.
Off leash basically means: total verbal control of your dog under any circumstances. This also applies to when you say: NO, Leave it, Off, Hush, Drop it, or Fetch it to your dog. Why? Because 99.9% of the time your dog isn't going to be hooked up to a leash.
That my dog loving friend is any dog owners' dream come true. Even though there is a leash law, almost nobody's dog is off-leash trained these days. If there is a leash law, then it's even better to own an off-leash trained dog. A-ha! You never looked at it that way, did you? Look for trainers who offer off-leash REAL WORLD scenario dog training. I am one of them, but definitely NOT the only one.
13- Your "dog" snaps or growls when he doesn't want to obey and even gets away with it
You touch your dog the wrong way, try to clip it's nail, brush him, or even if you try to move him off your lap or the couch, your dog growls, shows you some nice set of teeth, and really goes after you with a vengeance.
Your dog notices you backing away while you're yelling: ???HOLLY COW.. fine then. I guess I'll leave you alone.??? Again let's think doggie logic: ???Why change tactic? Whenever I FLIP OUT, my owners leave me the heck alone or give me what I want. Cool then that's how I'm going to act from now on when they mess with me.???
14- Your "dog" is sensitive, shy, or has been abused
This is when you should know how much to push, when to back down, what is acting, and what is real. Some dogs act as if you are killing them. Some don't and they really are very shy or scared. An experienced trainer or a behaviorist always can tell the difference. But when dogs get scared or nervous, just like us, they don't respond that well and who can blame them.
15- You have a wrong posture and don't know how much dogs can really read our body language like an open book
If you keep on training your dog by constantly bending down, kneeling down, slapping the floor, or bending over, you are doing it wrong. The only time you should really bend down is when you pet your dog, or when you work with a fearful dog.
Think about it. You don't walk up standing erect to a dog that is shaking like a leaf, hiding behind the couch with your hands on your waist do you? NO. You naturally bend down or squat down extending your arm, hoping the doggie will sniff your hand and not see you as a threat. Dogs are master in reading not only dogs' body language, but also humans. Bottom line, you must know exactly when and where you need to stand straight and when to break your back and my book will teach you exactly that.
16- You haven't practiced with your "dog" for weeks or even months
Make sure you use it. Don't lose it. You are one of those owners who knows exactly what to, how to do it, which training tool works best on your dog, why you should do it and seen some, if not great results on your own. Practicing here and there is better than nothing, but rarely good enough. Your dog's performance will not only get sloppy, but you'll soon notice your dog testing you all over again.
They are exactly like music instruments. Tune them, and be sure to know exactly how to tune them. Then make sure that they stay in tuned. They will not get themselves in tuned. I agree that it is very easy to procrastinate and if your dog could talk: He'd be saying: ???Not that nonsense again. How many times do I have to Sit, Down, Heel or Stay for you? You know that I know all these. Come on. It's been weeks or even months that you haven't asked me to do anything, so why now huh? Look I can shake. Isn't that enough? Why I need to prove myself again? Are you showing off again????
17- Your dog doesn't trust anybody, not me, not you, and not..
This is not necessarily the as same as being shy, scared, nervous or even sensitive. It's just the dog is still not sure about you. He's not sure whether to submit, fight, flee, or make friend with you. He is trying to read you. Are you loud, consistent, friendly, pushy, easygoing, fun, or a psycho? The dog is trying to get a feel about you. I always notice this with my board and train dogs.
As I am reading these dogs and evaluating them, they are reading me. Trust is a big issue for us and it's no different with dogs. You have to trust someone in order to accept him/her as your leader, or your friend. How do you build trust? Well, with fearful, shy and abused dogs you use yummy treats, right posture, right method, and the right judgement and with other dogs??? Come on.
You don't expect me to reveal all of my secrets in here do you? I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. There is so much to learn and not enough space to fit them all in #17. But you'll get there.
18- Your "dog" got bored
That's right. Dogs get bored too. If you make the training really long, boring and predictable, your dog will get bored and stop responding to you. Don't believe me? Try this. Just tell your dog to sit 15 times in a row. You'll see the more you make him do it, the slower he'll get, the less responsive he'll become and soon he'll try to walk away, bark at you, give you that dirty look, or maybe even snap at you.
If your dog could speak, he'd be saying: ???Come on now. I did it that many times and you know I did them. What else do you want from me? I know Sit, you know I know it, I know I know it, I don't want to Sit anymore. That's it. I am done. Finito.??? Yes they speak Spanish when they are really pissed.
19- Your poor "dog" doesn't feel well
This could be as minor as the weather being hot, cold, or when your dog is sick, had a surgery, got some stitches, or you found out your dog has some kind of a virus. Let's be fair here. Do YOU respond or even function well when you don't feel well? You might try to put yourself together, but it's not going to be the same. So make sure your dog is in no kind of physical or emotional pain, discomfort, and is in perfect health before you throw all these fancy commands at him.
20- You have the wrong attitude and your "dog" picks up on it
It doesn't really matter if your dog weighs just as much as you, or even outweighs you. You have to be more stubborn than your dog. It's not how tall, how short, or really how tough you are. It's your attitude.
I saw this comedian once who happened to be a very short man. He said: ???People don't always respect short people. He then continued, heck even short people don't respect short people, they just don't. We say don't judge a book by its cover, but we still can't help it.???
When you are only this strong, this tall, and this consistent, your dog will definitely sense, see, and feel it. Your dog is not dumb and will try to challenge you, and that's where the power of attitude comes in.
You might be surprise to know that Tom Cruise is actually a short person. Ask anyone who met him in person, or pay very close attention when you see him on the screen next to others. But the way he talks, walks, acts, and even fights, you'd swear that he can kick anybody's butt in only seconds.
People always guess me taller, lighter than my actual weight or they are just being kind (thank god for that), and fortunately or unfortunately, always guess me OLDER than my real age. What's funny is I do think of myself taller than my actual height and think of myself older than my real age. It really is because of your attitude, your energy, your posture and of course how you carry yourself and don't forget, how often you dye that hair.
You need to let your dog know, even though I am not as big, as tall, as strong, or as fast as you, you STILL have to listen to me. Having a positive attitude is a good start, but that still won't get your dog to obey you all the time. You need to know the actual SECRETS.
Here's another story on power of attitude:
I've been to thousands of families homes' and noticed something very interesting. I've noticed that out of 20 homes, only 2 to 3 of them the man is usually in charge. The rest have always been the women who call the shots. Talk about the alpha here. Think about it. These women are not tougher, taller, or even physically stronger than their husbands, but yet only one dirty look from her and the poor guy cringes in the corner with his tail between his leg. Sorry guys, but you know I'm right. At least that's what I've noticed in the U.S. And trust me, I've been around the world and seen lots of other cultures.
I loved this client of mine who I jokingly asked, so who wears the pants in her house? Her or her husband John? She answered: Oh Kev John definitely wears the pants in this house... I just tell him which pants to wear. Ha ha haaaa???
Get it?
Didn't I tell you that at least 10 of these reasons WILL apply to you and your dog?
Now can you think of any other reason which I've might have missed in here? I don't think so. Sure you can tell me that your dog is stupid, or he's mentally retarded, or he's been inbred.
All these reasons are the usual excuses of food reward trainers. I am serious. I've noticed food-bribery schools if their method don't work for you or your dog, they come up with absurd excuses.
If your dog is truly slow, or not that bright, so what? Don't we have slow people among us? Does that mean we have to give up on them and totally scratch them off our society?
You have to know what you are doing, and work your dog patiently, while making sure the rest members of your family can also make that rascal obey.
This way there will be no more headaches, no more arguments in your household and no more embarrassment around your visitors, friends, or the neighbors. If your dog truly has any mental imbalance, after a brain scan from a veterinarian, make your final decision.
I actually read fast as fuck
