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Tips on How to Train a Stubborn Puppy or an Adult Dog
Dog Training Secrets: Revealing What Works and What Doesn’t
by Kevin Salem “The Dog Prodigy”

Just by correcting these ten mistakes and misconceptions, you’ll automatically improve your chances of success to a level matching the top 1% of dog masterminds in the world. You may find this hard to believe, but even experienced trainers make some of these mistakes. Yes, I am referring to professionals who actually get paid to train people's dogs for a living.

If you truly want to cut down on your training time and see a REAL difference in your dog’s training response, busting these myths and correcting these mistakes will be your stepping stone in achieving amazing results!

Myth #1: Training Ruins a Dog’s Personality and Breaks His Spirit
Dog abuse does that, not proper training combined with dog psychology. When you catch your dog making a mistake, you need to correct it, not punish it. There is a big difference!
Hint: A sign of an abusive method is when you or your trainer is yelling, hitting or hanging your poor dog by his feet in order to make him listen or submit. Certain training tools such as the Choke Collar, Pinch Collar, Electronic Collar, a Head Halter or even a clicker can also be “misused” in the wrong hands. I once noticed a dog even being afraid of a clicker just because the trainer kept on clicking it next to the dog's ear and the poor dog kept on jumping back and cowering. That's why it made more sense to me to rely on my "voice" from the very beginning, instead of the sound of a nonsense clicker. Not to forget the hassle of RE-TRAINING a dog all over again to listen to my voice, instead of a click-click.

Myth #2: Train Your Dog with Treats and He Will Eventually Listen to You Just As Well, Even Without Any Goodies Forever and Ever After
Answer this: Would you still work for your company if all of the sudden they stop paying you? Then how could you possibly expect the same level of response from your poor dog? Once you stop giving it all those treats--that’s when you'll REALLY see his true command performance. You'll be disappointed to find out your dog going on strike barking at you which means, "Sorry mommy. NO Treats--equals NO RESPONSE!"

This is the biggest dog training scam in history. In fact, you can’t even refer to it as "training." It is pure bribery. You’ll need to have something else to fall back on once someone takes away your bag of Slim Jim. Where is your skill? Where is your technique? And where is the practicality behind this approach? Folks, there is nothing wrong with giving your dog treats once in a while, but it is best to do so at the very “end” of your training session and NOT before each command. That is being fair, smart AND practical. When you think about it, your dog should sit, stay or lie down because you said so and not because he's going to get a crispy bacon strip. Most of us were raised with this principal and turned out just fine. It is not much different when it comes to our dogs. Besides, wouldn’t you rather rely on your Love, Leadership, Praise and Technique, instead of Hot-Dogs, Cheese, Biscuit and Dried Liver?

Let’s not kid ourselves, it really doesn’t take much talent OR skill to constantly bribe a dog with treats and confuse it with dog training. If that is not bribery, what is? Everyone knows that bribery often gets you quick, but very short-lived results.

Myth #3: You'll Be Able to Solve Your Dog’s Bad Habits Which Bother You the Most in Your Home, by Joining an "Obedience" Class
If you really study this, you'll notice that the root cause of the majority of your dog’s annoying bad habits have originated from your living room, your backyard and around your neighborhood first. I am talking about bad habits such as: getting your dog housetrained, stop his jumping up on you and on your kids and control its constant play-biting. Maybe you need help to solve your dog’s stealing food off counters, bolting out your front door, pulling on leash or to manage his separation anxiety. Let’s not forget: terrorizing your cat, barking nonstop, fighting with your other dog and to teach your dog to behave politely around your guests. Every one of these issues is best solved in a private session. Think about it, how in the world can any dog expert no matter how qualified they may be, help you with these issues in a group class full of ten more owners who all have their own separate agendas to deal with?

Here is another main problem with group classes: they are NOT your typical daily routine! Ask yourself when was the last time you ran into ten owners desperately trying to make their dogs behave all at once? Hardly ever! You most likely run into one person at a time walking their dog, jogging with their dog, passing through the isle in a pet store, or maybe at the vet’s office. Now THAT, is what you call a real-life scenario! Let’s not forget about the dogs that bark excessively as you walk in your neighborhood, or the ones that constantly pull on their leashes, dragging their owners or even lunging at you and your dog.

So whether it is your dog behaving badly or others’, you’ll soon be disappointed to find group classes will not make you and your dog “street-smart.” In fact, what may happen is your dog obey marvelously in the class, but act like a complete idiot in your home, around your family, and around your guests again. I hate to say it, but you need to be prepared for those owners who are not as skilled or are not using their common sense. Most of these owners are completely clueless and act nervous and scared as you approach them with your doggie. So whether someone is walking, jogging, or being pulled by their dog, you need to be able to keep your pooch under your complete control no matter what the circumstances. Even when you are approached by a loose or a stray dog, your dog MUST obey your commands without losing its cool.

Group-class trainers no matter how brilliant they may be and no matter how hard they try to be helpful, CANNOT do much in this kind of setting. It is extremely difficult to get that one-on-one attention you and your dog truly deserve. And if you really think about it, even teaching your dog the obedience factor such as teaching it to walk on a Loose Leash, Stay, Lie Down and Come to You When Called are best taught in your home or in private. Again, this is because there are no minor or major distractions to stall your training progress.

News Flash: The majority of “group class trainers” keep this information hidden from you. Now, if you are smart enough to figure this out on your own, great. If not, they’ll ask you to drag your dog in their class for eight consecutive-weeks and keep on giving it treats just for being alive. Ask any dog owner who tried these weekly classes. They’ll admit that this is a very long, slow, boring and a nonproductive process that usually only one family member gets to participate. Not to forget putting up with dogs that are constantly lunging, barking, snapping, pulling, whining, growling... all this happening while are trying to multitask by paying attention to the trainer, and by desperately trying to remind your dog to sit. sit. sit!

There is nothing wrong with enrolling your dog in a local obedience class, but as long as it is AFTER you have solved all of his bad habits in your home. And as far as getting your dog socialized, or to get it to obey around different dogs, this too needs to happen in front of one or two dogs before joining a group of untrained dogs and novice owners. I found these classes are best place for polishing up on your technique. Again, I said polishing, not learning. 

Myth #4: You Can’t Really Teach a Young Pup Under Four Months Old. And If Your Dog Is a Few Years Old, You Are Totally Out of Luck!
From experience in working with dogs from nine week young to nine years old, I've noticed that no dog is ever too young or too old to learn the right from wrong. What is acceptable and what isn't. So it doesn’t really matter whether your dog is a stubborn grouch or a hyper pup. With the “Diverse Method,” all dogs can learn and follow your rules. You shouldn't have to tolerate bad habits such as peeing and pooping all over your house, jumping up on your guests, lunging, snapping, running around like a maniac, barking excessively, or knocking down your kids just because of your dog's age. Do you honestly believe that just because your dog happen to be too old or too young, that gives him the right to terrorize your guests, chase down cars, or attack any person he feels like? There is no excuse or age limit for ANY of these bad habits. I promise you with the "Diverse Method," and by working with the right expert, any of these unacceptable behaviors can be reduced and eventually eliminated.

Myth #5: Dog Parks Are the Best Place to Get Your Dog Socialized
Unfortunately, this is where your dog will either learn to bully or get bullied by other dogs. It gets worse. Your dog will most likely pick up many bad habits from "other dogs" that is hard to break even for the most experienced dog trainers. These include: barking excessively, chasing after dogs, tackling and nonstop humping one another. Your dog may also learn to mark inside your home. Some learn to guard toys or other objects from you and from other dogs. Let's not forget jumping up on people, growling, snapping and lunging at each other. The risk of your dog being bullied or attacked by much bigger and stronger dogs increases dramatically. If you happen to own a tough macho dog that has been undefeated, the day WILL come when he will meet his match causing a very nasty dog fight. Don't forget that not all of these dogs are going to be healthy, spayed/neutered or even fully vaccinated.

Besides, haven't you known of someone that didn’t like you, or even picked on you for no reason? It is not much different when it comes to dog parks. There will be that one dog that will pick on yours and even maul it for no reason, just because he felt like it. Sadly, this results in your dog losing total trust in you and becoming fearful or even aggressive toward certain breeds, or worse, sometimes toward ALL dogs for the rest of its life. There will be that one dog that could rub your "friendly pooch" the wrong way.

As you can see, taking your canine friend to dog parks is a gamble where the odds play strongly against you. You don’t need me to tell you that this is not a healthy or safe environment for your doggie.

Myth #6: Don’t Bother Giving Your Dog ANY Commands, Unless You Get His "Visual" Attention by Saying Watch Me First
Think about this: Would you rather have your dog look at you or actually “listen” to you? As a trainer I expect both from a dog. But if I really had to choose, I'm sure you too would agree that you rather have your dog LISTEN to you regardless of whether he makes any eye contact or not! Then do yourself and your doggie a favor and don’t slow down your training progress with that annoying, watch me… watch me… watch me command, that’s just nagging!!! (Poor men; now you know how we feel!) Watch what?? You are not even asking the poor dog to look at YOU. You actually want him to focus on the treat you are holding in your mouth or near your face. You probably didn't know this, but you only need your dog’s eyes glued to you if you want to prepare him for obedience competitions. Speaking from experience, most of you only care for a well -mannered and obedient pet, and not a super-trained dog that wins you bunch of titles, ribbons and trophies.

Myth #7: Since “NO” Doesn’t Seem to Get Your Dog’s Attention Anymore, Change it to “Eh”, “Eh-eh” or “Shht” Instead
You definitely want your dog to stop whatever he's doing the second he hears the word, “NO!” Now, even if you have been somewhat successful in getting your dog’s attention with strange terms such as: “Eh,” “Eh-eh,” or my favorite of all--“baaaah,” your friends, relatives, kids and your neighbors will laugh at you and have a hard time remembering it. Be honest! When your dog misbehaves in an emergency situation, it will be very awkward for you OR others to make funny noises. But saying or even yelling out "NO" comes naturally to everybody! So let's not sugarcoat things folks.

Obviously my man Cesar Millan is able to control dogs with, “Shhht” and it works great for him. But are you The Dog Whisperer? I didn’t think so! (Hey Cesar, You owe me one bud!) 

Myth #8: All Dogs Can Be Trained with the Same Training Tool
I really wish there was that "one magic tool" that worked on every dog, every-single-time. There isn't! This is because some dogs are just too smart, too strong, too big, too fast, too stubborn, too tough, too sensitive, too sneaky or even too unpredictable for their poor owners. So which training tools do top trainers swear by? The answer may surprise you, but they too rely on whatever tool that works best for them and their dogs. So why should it be any different with you? Be smart about this. If the training tool you are using at the moment doesn’t seem to get your dog’s full attention, try a different one. Your main focus should be getting results. Plain and simple! So why use something that doesn’t work or stops working when you need it to work the most?

You should take a step back and really ask yourself whether the tool of your choice is just as effective around hard-to-ignore distractions. I am referring to your typical daily distraction that is extremely hard to avoid. These include: other dogs, your visitors, your cat, the mail carrier or around perfect strangers. If not, then don't make a fool out of yourself by using a tool over and over again just because some trainer told you so, or the pet store cashier gave you dirty looks, or just because you read about it somewhere. Even if a certain tool seemed to be effective with your previous dog(s), it doesn't mean it could produce the same results with your “current dog.” Every dog and every owner is different.
For your dog's sake, please use what works, use it humanely, and despite what others tell you, just smile and tell them, "You don't know much about my dog. When he is distracted or focused on someone or something, this is the only thing that seems to get his attention." Be smart. Be Diverse!

Myth #9: Dogs Were Born to Please
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is actually more "you" pleasing your dog than the other way around. Let me explain: It’s obvious that your dog loves you dearly, but don't confuse that with “respect” or “compliance.” Think about it. If all dogs were truly PLEASERS, why in the world are there so many dog training books, dog trainers, dog behaviorists and even doggie shrinks? Don't you think if this myth were true that everybody would have a perfect dog with no bad habits? No matter what the circumstances, all dogs would listen to their owners and everybody would own a super-trained pooch. You'd hear neighbors shouting at each other, "Hi there, how's Roscoe doing ?" You'd hear, "He's pleasing me just like Lassie!" "How's Daisy down there?" The respond would be something like, "She's super! Just an obedient dog that obeys me left and right and makes my ten year old look dumb." Now do you STILL believe that dogs were born to please? I rest my case!!!

Myth #10: If You Send Your Dog Away to Be Trained, It Will Learn to Listen ONLY to the Trainer and "Still Disobey You" Just Like Before
Here’s how I will bust this myth once and for all! It's very difficult to argue with the fact that all the best-trained dogs in the world have been trained by an expert first. If you don't believe me, just think of the dogs for the blind, dogs for the handicapped, drug sniffing dogs, and even hunting and K-9 police dogs.

Doggie Boot Camp can be a wise choice especially when you travel out of town, have a busy schedule, are a mother-to-be, or you are in the process of moving or remodeling. Perhaps you are one of those owners who prefer that the “expert” do the hardest part for you, so all you have to do is the maintenance aspect of the training on your own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

You see, it all comes down to this: You need to be involved in your dog’s training regardless. It’s just that some prefer to be involved from the beginning to the end and some prefer to get involved AFTER the dog gets completely trained. I personally have found the second option to be a much smoother and less stressful process for everyone. This is because your dog goes to rehab and gets trained or even re-trained first. Then comes the hardest part--training YOU!

Now, for those "trainers" who are against Send Away Dog Training or believe it is not as effective, I can almost guarantee you that they have never tried to train ANY DOG without the owner's interaction. In fact, none of these trainers even owned a kennel, worked with someone who operates a kennel or a doggie daycare, and think they know what they’re talking about.
Well sorry, but they don’t. It will be hard for people to deny the huge improvement with their dog’s behavior and command response before picking it up from a boot camp. In my school, you'll see the eyebrow-raising and jaw-dropping results with your pooch right before your eyes! What's best about our boot camp is half of the battle and frustration is out of the way. And unlike the dogs, I never had to ask any owner to spend two weeks with me that way I can train "them" just as well as I trained their dog. At least not yet. People are usually much smarter and compliant than their dogs. Well, for the most part.
As far as the trainers who insist boarding and training a dog is not going to work. As I mentioned earlier, is obviously due to the fact that none of them even gave this strategy an honest chance. Think of it like trying Sushi. If you noticed the ones who say they hate Sushi, are usually those who never even tried it and probably never will. I've tried Sushi and love it. I also have trained hundreds of dogs with or without their owners’ initial involvement.
So unlike your typical dog trainer who only pushes you toward signing up for their group classes or don't offer private lessons, I offer both of these options! If you really think about it, going with board and train highly depends on your choice, your dog, your lifestyle, your circumstances and let’s not forget your budget.

About the Author:
Kevin Salem is considered to be one of the brightest minds in the world of dog training and one of the pioneers in his field. It’s hard to paint Kevin’s image with the same brush as others, as his unique way of thinking, writing, and training philosophy truly makes him distinct.

If you are a fan of Cesar Millan, it will be difficult not to fall in love with Kevin’s book.
Mr. Salem brings out the best of both worlds by combining dog psychology WITH dog training in which he introduces it as the “Diverse Method!” This way of training has been originated from traditional dog training and is perfected by modern dog psychology. With over two decades of experience working with different breeds of dogs, Kevin has successfully trained over 8,000 dogs worldwide.
Ever since he was young, he had a natural ability to relate to dogs earning his nickname,
“The Dog Prodigy!”
Kevin Salem is the head instructor for Sacramento’s Real-Life Dog Training & Canine Psychology Enterprises. He offers house calls not only throughout the US, but all around the world. His clients also ship their dog to his most popular program, the Doggie Boot Camp.

Contact: Kevin Salem
Please Visit Our Website
Phone: 800-485-DOGS
Email: Dogprodigy@gmail.com
Website: dogsecrets.com

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