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Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens tells a story about a dog called Major.

Major is outside digging up the newly planted daisies. His owner calls "Major, come here" and nothing happens, so the call turns into a yell. When Major still doesn't come, the owner walks over, grabs his collar and smacks him. Major is a smart dog, and what he learns is that "come" means he's in trouble. So the next time he's called in for dinner, he runs the other way.

Dan's rule is to never use your recall word to discipline your dog or for any other negative reason. If you need him beside you for something he won't enjoy, give a firm "sit" and go and get him. "Come" should always mean good things.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

His book, Secrets to Dog Training, covers recall step by step, along with over 25 behavior problems. You can see it here (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

What word do you use to call your dog back, and does it ever get used when you're annoyed?

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Dan Stevens is a professional dog trainer, and his kid sister Jen learned the hard way what a dog's bad habits can cost.

Jen bought a German Shepherd called Aladdin and gave him the best of everything, from chew toys to constant cuddles. Even so, he jumped on everyone who came to the door, and she was forever telling him to get off the furniture. He barked so much during the day that the neighbors introduced themselves by threatening to call the pound.

Then one night on a walk, Aladdin bit a young college girl. Lawyers got involved, and because the girl was on a sports scholarship, Jen was ordered to pay her a full year of tuition and board. Jen had to sell her car and use the money she'd saved for a holiday in Europe.

When their uncle heard, he said, "You're either born the type of person a dog will answer to, or you aren't." Dan says the uncle was wrong. When Jen read Dan's book, Secrets to Dog Training, she realized she'd been training Aladdin the wrong way all along. Today Aladdin sits, rolls and fetches the newspaper, and he enjoys being around other dogs.

If a dog has bitten someone or seems dangerous, get in-person help from a professional as well.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

The book is here (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Do you agree with the uncle that some people are just born good with dogs?

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This is for anyone who has adopted a dog or is about to. It's a review from the Christensen family in Utah of the training book I'm sharing today:

"We got our dog Bazil a two year old English terrior from the pound about four months ago. Needless to say we had a lot of behavior changes to make."

They describe him marking all over the house, jumping on everyone and trying to get whatever he could off the kitchen counter. Then they wrote this:

"We're so grateful for the insight in the books and probably would not have our wonderfully fun dog Bazil had we not got the book, because never having had a dog before, we were ready to give up the first couple days. The Book saved us and Bazil too."

The book is Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. It covers over 25 behavior problems step by step, with photos, and it's written for all breeds and ages.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Take a look here (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Rescue owners, what surprised you most in your dog's first month at home?

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Laura Smiarowski in New York has four dogs, and each one has a different problem. This is what she wrote about getting help:

"Hiring a trainer would have been too expensive, $100 a session is a price we were given. With the books I downloaded from Secrets to Dog Training, we are looking up each dog's problem and addressing it. It's like having a trainer in your home 24/7."

Back in 2012, Dan Stevens wrote that dog trainers usually cost $50 an hour or more and need at least eight sessions. His book, Secrets to Dog Training, is a one-time $39.95 for the 256-page eBook, a 30-minute video program and the audio book, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Here's the link (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

If you've ever worked with a trainer, what's the one thing they taught you that really stuck?

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When two dogs share a home, small things like who gets greeted first can make a big difference.

Tahara Lo's mother's dog Molly came to stay for a week with Tahara's playful young beagle, Bernie, and Molly soon tired of all that energy. Tahara described what happened next in her review of Secrets to Dog Training:

"So I wrote to your site and was advised that by already treating Molly like the dominant dog (even though it was Bernie's house) Molly wouldn't have to take matters into her own paws. By greeting Molly first and feeding her first, both dogs would get the hint. And it's been working!"

The book by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens also has sections on two dogs in the house and on dogs that chase cats, each with a case study.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

You can find it here (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

How many pets share your home, and who's really in charge?

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A lot of puppies come home in December and January, and a puppy is learning from the moment he walks in the door.

Gisela's family in Australia got ready for their labradoodle puppy, Jem, by buying a training book before he arrived. This is what she wrote:

"We started Jem’s home training based on Secrets to Dog Training way before he started his formal training. There’s nothing new we learned from the pre-school class that we haven’t learned from your e-book first."

The book is Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. It starts with bringing a puppy home and crate training, then moves on to first commands such as Come, Sit and Down. It's a one-time $39.95 with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and the same page has a free 6 Day Course by email if you'd rather start there.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Here it is (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Is a new puppy joining anyone here this season? Tell me the name!

#ad Rubbing a puppy's nose in a mess teaches him nothing, according to professional dog trainer Dan Stevens.

Dan, who wrote Secrets to Dog Training, says the puppy usually doesn't even know you're trying to correct him, and punishing him that way frustrates him and slows his learning down. The best thing you can do is reward him for going in the right place.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

The book covers house training step by step, and a bonus eBook explains the direct method for outdoor dogs and the paper method for indoor dogs. It's a one-time $39.95 with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

#ad Your posture, eye contact and body language matter to your dog, says professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. Facial expression and posture are as important to dogs as they are to people.

Renee Gordon has a Papillon called Lord Byron. She wrote this after reading Dan's book, Secrets to Dog Training:

"The section on Dog Whispering has encouraged me to use a more controlled voice to which he responds much better. I've also started to pay more attention to the position of Lord Byron's ears, how his eyes look, and how he's holding his mouth to really give me insight into how he's feeling."

The book has guides to a dog's body language and signals, and to facial expressions and sounds, with photos.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

#ad Professional dog trainers rely on a handful of rules every day that most owners are never told.

Dan Stevens is a professional dog trainer, and in Secrets to Dog Training he wrote his system down step by step so everyday owners can do what professionals do. He describes some of its tips as ones he's "picked up from my years of experience, targeted at the areas I find dog owners struggle with the most".

One of them is to never give a command you can't back up straight away. Calling a dog while he's across the park chasing squirrels teaches him to ignore the word, because if he doesn't come, there's nothing you can do about it in that moment.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Over 220,000 dog owners have used the book. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Carousel, 8 slides:

Slide 1: New puppy? Five things to get right from day one

Slide 2: Use one word to call your puppy, and only ever use it for good things. If "come" ever means trouble, a smart dog stops coming.

Slide 3: Never give a command you can't back up straight away. Calling a puppy while he's chasing something across the park teaches him to ignore the word.

Slide 4: Don't rub his nose in a mess. He usually won't know why he's being corrected. Reward him for going in the right place instead.

Slide 5: Only correct a bad deed when you catch it in the act.

Slide 6: Your posture and eye contact matter. Facial expression and posture are as important to dogs as they are to people.

Slide 7: "I really think that anyone who is getting a puppy should get your book!" (Anna Kovalenko, New York, about Secrets to Dog Training)

Slide 8: Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. Link in bio. #ad

Caption: #ad Save this for anyone with a new puppy on the way. All five come from Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, which starts with bringing a puppy home and crate training, then goes on to first commands and over 25 behavior problems. It's a one-time $39.95 with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Carousel, 7 slides:

Slide 1: "You're either born the type of person a dog will answer to, or you aren't."

Slide 2: Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens' uncle said that. Dan says he was wrong. These are first-time owners, in their own words, from reviews of Dan's book.

Slide 3: "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." (Margaret Angus)

Slide 4: "Bello is the first dog I have had, so there was much I didn't know about dogs." "I was completely unaware that I had to go through doorways first; instead, I always let him go first." (Antonio Gull)

Slide 5: "I was a first time dog owner and very overwhelmed!" (Debby Karp)

Slide 6: "The training methods are kind and make sense to even first time dog owners like us." (John & Jackie Robson, Redcar, UK)

Slide 7: Secrets to Dog Training: 256 pages, step by step, with photos. Link in bio. #ad

Caption: #ad Dan Stevens' uncle thought you're either born good with dogs or you're not. Dan, a professional dog trainer, says anyone can learn it, and he wrote Secrets to Dog Training as a step-by-step guide to do just that. The slides are real words from first-time owners' reviews of the book.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens says his technique stops leash pulling in ten minutes or less."

Say: "Quick note: this is an ad, and I earn from the link in my bio."

Show: your own dog on a walk, or the product images from the Banners and Images page.

Say: "It's in his book, Secrets to Dog Training, and the 30-minute video that comes with it shows it on screen."

Say: "Jahn in New York has a seventy-five-pound dog called Max. Jahn wrote that Max was a real challenge on a leash, even for a friend who's a very strong man, and now he's a joy to walk."

On screen: "he has become a joy to walk" (Jahn Hargrave, New York)

Say: "The book is $39.95, one time, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad Dan Stevens says his technique stops leash pulling in ten minutes or less. It's in Secrets to Dog Training, which covers over 25 behavior problems step by step. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "This German Shepherd's bite cost his owner her car."

Say: "This is an ad, and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Jen's dog Aladdin jumped on visitors and barked so much the neighbors threatened to call the pound."

Say: "One night on a walk, he bit a college girl on a sports scholarship. Jen had to pay a full year of her tuition and board, so she sold her car."

Show: your own footage of a dog at a front door or on a walk.

Say: "Jen's brother is professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. After she read his book, Secrets to Dog Training, Aladdin learned to sit, roll and fetch the newspaper."

Say: "If a dog has bitten someone, get in-person help too. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens calls this the warning his kid sister Jen wishes she'd had. His book is Secrets to Dog Training. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you). If a dog has bitten someone or seems dangerous, get in-person help from a professional as well.

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "This is what $39.95 gets you in a dog training guide."

Say: "Heads up, this is an ad and I earn from the link in my bio."

Show: the product images from the Banners and Images page, one for each line.

Say: "Secrets to Dog Training is a 256-page eBook by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. It covers over 25 behavior problems step by step, with photos."

Say: "You also get a 30-minute video program and the audio book, plus the Secrets to Becoming the Alpha Dog eBook and four more bonus eBooks."

Say: "It's a one-time payment with instant access and a 60-day money-back guarantee. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad A 256-page eBook, a 30-minute video and the audio book, for one $39.95 payment, with 60 days to ask for a refund. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Puppy and dog training tips for everyday homes. The step-by-step guide I recommend is linked below (affiliate link).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "Calling a dog back while he's chasing a squirrel can teach him to ignore you."

Say: "That's an ad, by the way. I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens says never give a command you can't back up straight away. If he's across the park playing with another dog and doesn't come, there's nothing you can do about it in that moment, so he learns the word doesn't mean much."

Say: "Anna in New York used Dan's book with her puppy, and this is what she wrote."

On screen: "Now anytime I call my puppy to come, he rans as fast as he can, because he knows that he will get a lot of love for coming to me!!!" (Anna Kovalenko, New York)

Say: "The book is Secrets to Dog Training. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad Never give a command you can't back up straight away, says professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. Recall is covered step by step in his book, Secrets to Dog Training. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "This rescue spaniel barked at anyone wearing black."

Say: "Quick note, this is an ad and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Henry came to Neil and Marion in the UK through a Cocker Spaniel rescue. He jumped up at everybody and pulled on the lead, and he barked at friends and strangers, especially people in black clothes."

Say: "They had very little experience with dog training, so they got Secrets to Dog Training and took one issue at a time."

On screen: "an extremely well behaved and social dog that everybody loves" (Neil and Marion Upritchard, UK)

Say: "That's how they describe him now. The book is by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, and the link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad This rescue spaniel's family took his problems one issue at a time, with a step-by-step book. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "A trainer quoted this family $100 a session, and they have four dogs."

Say: "This is an ad, and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Laura in New York has four dogs, each with a different problem. She wrote that hiring a trainer would have been too expensive, so she uses Secrets to Dog Training to look up each dog's problem and work on it."

On screen: "It's like having a trainer in your home 24/7." (Laura Smiarowski, New York)

Say: "It's $39.95 one time for a 256-page eBook, a 30-minute video and the audio book, and you've got 60 days to ask for a refund. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad Laura has four dogs with four different problems, and she looks each one up in the same book. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "You're either born the type of person a dog will answer to, or you aren't."

Say: "This is an ad, and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "That's what Dan Stevens' uncle said after Dan's sister Jen had to sell her car because her German Shepherd bit someone. Dan, a professional dog trainer, says his uncle was wrong and that anyone can learn this."

Say: "One first-time owner, Margaret, wrote that they thought all you had to do was love a dog to bits and spoil him."

On screen: "Secrets to Dog Training taught me that this is not so, there is a lot more to it" (Margaret Angus)

Say: "If a dog has bitten someone, get in-person help as well. The book is Secrets to Dog Training, and the link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad Are some people just born good with dogs? A professional dog trainer says no. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you). If a dog has bitten someone or seems dangerous, get in-person help from a professional as well.

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "Who goes through the door first in your house, you or your dog?"

Say: "Quick note, this is an ad and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Antonio's dog Bello started barking at other male dogs, and once Antonio almost lost hold of the leash. After reading Secrets to Dog Training, he wrote that he realized the problem lay with him."

On screen: "I was completely unaware that I had to go through doorways first; instead, I always let him go first." (Antonio Gull)

Say: "Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, who wrote the book, says your posture and eye contact matter to your dog. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad An owner shares the doorway habit he never knew about until he read this book. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

Hook (say it in the first second and put it on screen): "Holidays are when a dog's door manners really get tested."

Say: "This is an ad, and I earn from the link in my bio."

Say: "Visitors are arriving and the front door keeps opening, and on fireworks nights there's even more going on. A dog who bolts out of the door can be gone in a second."

Say: "Secrets to Dog Training, by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, teaches the Wait command and has six simple techniques for dogs that jump up on people."

On screen: "He doesn’t immediately run out if the front door is open" (Cara McLean, Cambridge, UK, about her rescue German Shepherd, Jack)

Say: "That's from one owner's review. The link's in my bio."

Caption: #ad With visitors coming and going over the holidays, door manners are worth working on early. Link in bio (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

#ad Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens says the old nose-in-the-mess trick only frustrates a puppy and slows his learning. Reward the right spot instead. {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

#ad Leash pulling stopped in ten minutes or less: that's the claim professional trainer Dan Stevens makes for his technique, and his book's video shows it. {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

#ad $39.95 once gets you a 256-page eBook on over 25 dog behavior problems, a 30-minute video and the audio book, with 60 days to ask for a refund. {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

#ad A UK family rescued a German Shepherd, then got him a rescued Shepherd for company: "This time round we are armed with the right tools and life is a lot simpler." {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

#ad Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens wrote down "the secrets that top trainers use daily" step by step, so everyday owners can use them. Over 220,000 dog owners have used his book: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

1/7 #ad A German Shepherd's bite cost a young woman her car and her savings. Her brother is a professional dog trainer, and her story is the best warning I know about dog training myths. A thread:

2/7 Jen loved her dog Aladdin and spoiled him with toys and cuddles. Every visitor still got jumped on, and she was always ordering him off the furniture.

3/7 He barked through the day until the neighbors threatened to call the pound. By then Jen admitted she didn't really look forward to his company after work.

4/7 One night on a walk, Aladdin bit a young college girl, and it went to lawyers. The girl was on a sports scholarship, so Jen had to pay a full year of her tuition and board.

5/7 To pay it, she sold her car and used the savings meant for a holiday in Europe. Their uncle just nodded and said: "You're either born the type of person a dog will answer to, or you aren't."

6/7 Her brother, professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, thinks the uncle got it wrong. His book showed Jen she'd been training Aladdin the wrong way all along, and today Aladdin sits, rolls, fetches the newspaper and enjoys other dogs.

7/7 The book is Secrets to Dog Training. If a dog has bitten someone or seems dangerous, get in-person professional help too. {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Tips for first-time dog owners, and the professional trainer's book I recommend, linked below (affiliate link).

Title: New Puppy Training: What to Start on Day One

Description: #ad Bringing a puppy home soon? From professional dog trainer Dan Stevens: make your recall word mean only good things, reward the right toilet spot instead of punishing mistakes, and never give a command you can't back up straight away. His 256-page guide, Secrets to Dog Training, also covers crate training and over 25 behavior problems. Affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Boards: Puppy Training Tips; New Puppy Checklist; Dog Training at Home

Alt text: A young puppy sitting on a doormat inside an open back door, looking up at the camera.

Link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Image: a tall 2:3 photo (1000 x 1500 pixels) of your own dog, with the title in large type across the top.

Title: How One Professional Dog Trainer Stops Leash Pulling

Description: #ad Ten minutes or less is how long professional dog trainer Dan Stevens says his leash technique takes to stop the pulling, and the 30-minute video with his book Secrets to Dog Training shows it. John and Jackie Robson in the UK wrote about walks with Cassie: "No more tug of war all the way to the park; No more straining at the lead". Affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Boards: Dog Walking Tips; Leash Training; Dog Training Tips

Alt text: A dog trotting on a slack leash along a sunny park path.

Link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Image: a tall 2:3 photo (1000 x 1500 pixels) of your own dog, with the title in large type across the top.

Title: House Training a Puppy: Why Rubbing Its Nose in It Doesn't Work

Description: #ad Rubbing a puppy's nose in a mess teaches him nothing, says professional dog trainer Dan Stevens, because the puppy usually can't tell what he's being corrected for. Reward the right place instead. Dan's book Secrets to Dog Training covers house training, with a bonus eBook on the direct method for outdoor dogs and the paper method for indoor ones. Affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Boards: Puppy Potty Training; House Training Tips; New Puppy Tips

Alt text: A puppy sitting on a patch of grass beside an open back door.

Link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Image: a tall 2:3 photo (1000 x 1500 pixels) of your own dog, with the title in large type across the top.

Title: Why Some Dogs Run the Other Way When You Call "Come"

Description: #ad If a dog is ever called over to be scolded, "come" starts to mean trouble. Professional dog trainer Dan Stevens' rule is to never use your recall word for anything negative. If you need your dog for something he won't enjoy, give a firm sit and go to him. Recall is covered step by step in his book Secrets to Dog Training, along with over 25 behavior problems. Affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Boards: Dog Recall Training; Dog Training Tips; Dog Behavior

Alt text: A dog running across a grassy field towards the camera, ears flying.

Link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Image: a tall 2:3 photo (1000 x 1500 pixels) of your own dog, with the title in large type across the top.

Title: Two Dogs, or a Dog and a Cat? Keeping the Peace at Home

Description: #ad Carla J. Johnson rescued two German Shepherds without knowing anything about dog obedience, and one was "crazy about chasing cats and squirrels". After using Secrets to Dog Training by professional trainer Dan Stevens, she wrote, "my dogs are now following my commands and I am able to control them." It covers two-dog homes and cat chasers. Affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Boards: Multi Dog Household; Dogs and Cats; Dog Training Tips

Alt text: Two dogs lying side by side on a rug, with a cat curled up nearby.

Link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Image: a tall 2:3 photo (1000 x 1500 pixels) of your own dog, with the title in large type across the top.

#ad This video includes paid promotion. I'm an affiliate, so I may earn a commission if you buy through my link, at no extra cost to you.

Get Secrets to Dog Training here: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

In this video I go through Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens: what's inside, who it suits and what it costs. The book is Dan's system written down step by step, so ordinary owners can do what professionals do.

[Add one honest sentence about your own dog or your readers]

What you get:
- The 256-page eBook, covering over 25 behavior problems step by step with photos, from aggression and barking to house training and leash pulling
- A 30-minute video program
- The audio book
- The Secrets to Becoming the Alpha Dog eBook
- Four bonus eBooks: A Quick Guide to Dog Aggression, All The House Training Methods & Tricks, Dog Grooming Made Easy, and Tips On Security Training Your Dog
- Consultations in the members' forum

Price: $39.95 one time, as an instant download, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. At checkout you can add the Premium Online Video Series for $59.95 more, and there's a shipped 2-CD pack for $89.95 with free shipping if you'd rather have discs. The page also has a free 6 Day Course by email.

Over 220,000 dog owners have used Secrets to Dog Training.

If a dog has bitten someone or seems dangerous, get in-person help from a professional as well.

#ad The link to Secrets to Dog Training is here: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}} (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

It's $39.95 one time with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and you get instant access to the eBook, the 30-minute video program and the audio book.

Tell me your dog's age and the one habit you'd change first, and I'll answer what I can in the replies.

#ad Dan Stevens' uncle once said: "You're either born the type of person a dog will answer to, or you aren't." Dan is a professional dog trainer, and he says his uncle was wrong. What do you think?

Poll option 1: Some people are just born with it

Poll option 2: Anyone can learn it

Dan's book, Secrets to Dog Training, is here if you'd like a look (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

#ad When the school holidays end and the house goes quiet in the daytime, some dogs find their own ways to fill the hours, like chewing, digging or barking.

Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens covers each of those step by step, with case studies, for a one-time $39.95.

Do your dog's habits change when the kids go back to school? Tell me in the comments.

The book is here (affiliate link, so I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you): {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}

Frame 1: #ad (small, top corner). Text: "True or false: rubbing a puppy's nose in a mess teaches him not to do it again." Add a poll sticker: True / False.

Frame 2: Text: "False, says professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. The puppy usually doesn't know what he's being corrected for. Reward the right spot instead."

Frame 3: Text: "House training is covered step by step in his book, Secrets to Dog Training." Add a link sticker to {{AFFILIATE_LINK}} with the label "See the book".

Frame 1: #ad (small, top corner). Text: "$100 a session is a price we were given." (Laura, who has four dogs)

Frame 2: Text: "She uses Secrets to Dog Training to look up each dog's problem instead. It's a one-time $39.95, with 60 days to ask for a refund."

Frame 3: Text: "Have a look at what's inside." Add a link sticker to {{AFFILIATE_LINK}} with the label "See what's inside".

Frame 1: #ad (small, top corner). Text: "Rescue owners: what habit did your dog bring home with him?" Add a question sticker.

Frame 2: Text: "Once I got SoCo home, I realized that I may have gotten in over my head." (Audrey, who adopted a lab mix puppy from a shelter)

Frame 3: Text: "She started with the book's tips on housebreaking, becoming the alpha and basic obedience. It's Secrets to Dog Training by Dan Stevens." Add a link sticker to {{AFFILIATE_LINK}} with the label "See the book".

Title: What made recall finally work for your dog?

Post: I came across an idea about recall that seems worth sharing. A trainer describes a dog called Major who is digging up flowers and ignores "come". When his owner finally reaches him, the owner grabs and smacks him, and from then on "come" means trouble to Major, so he stops coming at all.

The rule that goes with it is to never use your recall word for anything negative, and never call when you can't follow through, like when he's mid-chase across a field. If you need him for something he won't enjoy, ask for a sit and go to him.

What finally made recall click for your dog? Did changing the word help?

Reply, only if someone asks and the rules allow links: "It's from Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. I'm an affiliate, so I'd earn a commission if you bought through my link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}"

Title: Rescue owners, what did the first month really look like?

Post: For anyone who's taken on a rescue, I'd love to hear what the first weeks were actually like. One owner in the UK took on a 2-year-old German Shepherd called Jack from a woman who couldn't cope with him. She wrote: "He was boisterous, aggressive, skittish and unresponsive". In the first month, by her own account, "we were a week from giving him up ourselves".

Months later she was still honest about it: "Jack still pulls on the lead he has good days and bad days but we are working on it".

What did your first month look like, and what helped most?

Reply, only if someone asks and the rules allow links: "Her story is from a review of Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. I'm an affiliate, so I'd earn a commission if you bought through my link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}"

Title: Small habits that changed how your dog responds to you?

Post: Two small things from other owners' reviews of a training book got me thinking. One owner wrote: "I was completely unaware that I had to go through doorways first; instead, I always let him go first." Another, with a Papillon called Lord Byron, started paying "more attention to the position of Lord Byron's ears, how his eyes look, and how he's holding his mouth".

Both are about how much dogs read our body language. Has a small change like that made a difference with your dog?

Reply, only if someone asks and the rules allow links: "Both are from reviews of Secrets to Dog Training by professional dog trainer Dan Stevens. I'm an affiliate, so I'd earn a commission if you bought through my link: {{AFFILIATE_LINK}}"

Dog training tips. Leash pulling help below (affiliate link)

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