If you are looking for the greatest gold-mine of easy to use "change your dog's behavior" advice ever crammed into a newsletter series then read on!
Also, make sure that you check out our 100% authentic testimonials from people who have bought Secrets to Dog Training and find out the massive difference it has made to their owner-dog relationship!
"My husband and I have a very spoilt 3 year old Border Collie/ Retriever. At about 18 months old, he developed a severe case of fear based aggression towards his own territory, other dogs, strangers, anybody that comes to close to me, even people he knows, he even growled and lunged at the local vet, whom Casper knows. He has growled and lunged at a teenager walking too close to me. He seems to have a comfort zone around him, anybody coming closer than that look out.
He has earned himself quite a reputation around town for being a vicious dog, which is unfortunate, as at home he is a very placid, big softie that we can do anything with. He has made a real spectacle of himself in the past, when out on a lead with me, in the car etc. which is sad, as that is all most people see of him, a dog that looks threatenening and menacing, which he does. It is not very nice to have to say, when out walking with your dog, when people want to come up and talk to you and the dog to have to say keep your distance, don't come near the dog. By this time Casper is usually growling and they don't come close anyway, which is a shame as Casper does look very cuddly and pattable. Having never owned a dog, we thought all you had to do was to love them to bits, and spoil them, and that was it. Secrets to Dog Training taught me that this is not so, there is a lot more to it. He failed miserably at Dog Training School, by this time we were getting desperate, when I ran across Secrets to Dog Training on the internet. Secrets to Dog Training has been invaluable in helping us gain control of Casper, by showing him that we are the boss, and he doesn't have to feel threatened, or feel he has to protect us, as he obviously lacks the confidence to do so. That is our job. We realise we have never been the pack leaders, and that we haven't done him any favours by giving in to him and spoiling him, treating him like a baby etc.. By applying the principles outlined in Secrets to Dog Training to Casper, he has improved out of sight, he still has a way to go, but now we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Even from the feedback from around town, people have seen the improvement in him, and wonder how we have accomplished this.
I have recommended Secrets to Dog Training to several people, as they can see the improvement in Casper, even the dog school had to admit that he had improved since he was there, they gave him up as a lost cause, even suggesting putting him down.. I am very grateful to Secrets to Dog Training. Casper is getting to be a pleasure to take out for a walk, not the nightmare he used to be, I used to dread taking him out. Thanks to Secrets to Dog Training, I am gaining my confidence with him, and this in turn makes him feel better. Thank you Secrets to Dog Training."
-- Margaret Angus and Casper (New Zealand)
Hi Daniel,
Our puppy is 17 months old and we got her when she was 13 months. We are her third home as she was abused and the breeder took her back. We have no idea what happened to her in terms of the abuse but she has several issues we are working on.
She is a miniature schnauzer and is gentle and loving and very protective of my husband and me. She has serious issues with people but loves (LOVES) to play with other dogs and does so really well.
We are teaching her that we are the alpha dog as per your on-line book (which was very helpful) and we have seen amazing results in just a few days. She seems much calmer and at peace. She listens to me more now when we are off leash and she actually will follow me on the path versus always having to lead.
Our major concern is her problems with people. This is improving but she still has a tendency to nip or bite. For example, my sister will play with her and they are having fun and all of a sudden she turned and bit her drawing blood. Another example is my mom will sit with her and give her treats but if she tries to pet her, she snaps at her. She is like this with most people. We have advised people to ignore her and we will see how that goes. We have her on a gentle lead and that works well. She tends to pull but I am stopping when she does and she will come back to me. She is very stubborn (is the breed after all) and so this will take time but it is improving.
Do you have any suggestions on how we can work with her to control this biting and snapping? We never let her out of our sight and we advise people not to touch her.
Thank you!
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thank you for your email, it was very well detailed and explained your issues well.
First of all, I think perhaps the best bet for you and your puppy will be taking time and patience, as abused dog's always take longer to adjust to their surroundings and overcome their fears.
One technique to help her overcome her fear aggression may be to fit her with a muzzle and then expose her to as many strange people as possible. Most dogs hate wearing muzzles, so make sure you have her used to it before she meets anyone. Fit it on her and then take her for a walk to distract her, this way she will not associate the muzzle with negative events, or strange people with wearing a muzzle.
She will soon learn this way that, although she has had bad experiences before, no real harm will come to her now. At the same time no one is at risk of being bitten while she receives her "exposure training". It is also important that you communicate with her what is unacceptable behavior. Sometimes people are too sympathetic to reprimand an abused dog, you can still be assertive with her without being aggressive. If she tries to bite/snap, growl at her and certainly keep up the good work with the "Alpha dog" training too.
Kind regards,
Daniel Stevens and the Secrets to Dog Training Team
"Secrets to Dog Training - STOP Dog Behavior Problems!"
I've been a professional dog trainer for well over 20 years, and in that time I've helped thousands of dog owners just like you to get the friendly, well behaved, slipper fetching, best pal they always wanted.
But it didn't start out that way. I've always loved dogs, some things never change. But when I first started my professional dog training career I relied on the so-called 'best practices' when it came to dog behavior training. It was only when I heard people tell me over and over again that they just weren't seeing results that I started to question the old accepted wisdom. So I started a journey, a quest to search out the best, most effective, techniques, tips, and tricks that really work.
And that's how I came up with Secrets to Dog Training. Year after year I found new techniques that achieved the results I wanted. Eventually I had a whole book worth of great resources: Secrets to Dog training...
So, if you want to:
Then Secrets to Dog Training is just what you've been looking for!
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