When I first bought my pup Sherlock home way back in 2017 I had dreams and aspirations of how awesome it would be raising a dog.
Long summer walks, cozying by the fire in the evening, and building the ultimate bond that would stand the test of time.
If this is what you envisioned when you first bought your dog home then you’ll know that feeling all too well.
But unfortunately for some (myself included), it’s not always the fairytale ending we dream about.
A few months after I bought my dog Sherlock home the cracks started to show.
I started to notice that he was becoming overly aggressive whenever I had visitors in my home.
Not only that, but he’d constantly bark and lunge at strangers whenever I took him out for a walk.
It didn’t take long for the situation to become completely out of control. And I started to picture all of the worst-case scenarios of what would happen if he actually acted on his aggressive tendencies.
After a while, I stopped having friends over. I even had to start taking Sherlock for a walk at night to avoid any conflict with other people and dogs.
I was rough, and I was damn near miserable.
And I speak from personal experience when I say that no dog owner should ever have to experience this.
Now, I get it… raising a dog isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and there are going to be times when your dog tests your patience.
But if you’re reading this page, then chances are things have started to get a little out of hand. And you’re looking for a quick and effective solution to get your dog to be the best pooch you know they can be.
A dog that’s not only great around other people and animals. But a dog that listens and doesn’t have you wishing you’d bought a bunny rabbit instead.
So with that said, I’m not going to waste your time and give you a bunch of random tips and tricks to help you improve your dog’s behavior.
Instead, I want to give you something that’s going to solve your dog training problems for good.
A solution that doesn’t just mask the problems you’re experiencing with your dog. But a solution that actually gets to the root cause of why your dog misbehaves in the first place.
It’s a concept I discovered from one of Doggy Dan’s YouTube videos a number of years ago.
Rather than explain it myself, I think it would be much more beneficial for you to hear it from the man himself.
Click Here To Check Out The Dog Calming Code Article Dan Talks About In The Video
It might sound too good to be true, but this simple concept is the key to resolving ALL the problems you’re facing with your dog.
And the best part is it’s actually pretty easy to apply when you know what to do.
Anyway, I could talk all day about this but to make sure I don’t waste any more of your time, I think it would be much more beneficial for you to apply the techniques and see for yourself.
So if you want to learn more, I’d highly recommend checking Doggy Dan’s hugely popular training program The Dog Calming Code.
Watch the training, apply the techniques Dan recommends to your dog’s routine. And I’m confident you’ll see a HUGE improvement in your dog’s behavior over the coming days.
Here’s the link to take a look: Click Here To Check Out The Dog Calming Code & Discover How To Finally Stop Your Dogs Overexcited, Naughty Behavior…Even If You’ve Tried & Failed Before!
Dear fellow dog lover,
There are literally thousands of dog owners all over the world who are struggling right now with their dog’s behavior due to a lack of knowledge.
It’s actually very sad to think that all of this could have been avoided if owners had known some simple techniques and been given some of the secrets that the top dog trainers know and understand.
Unfortunately, because humans and dogs are biologically so different from each other, there are certain things that we do that can actually cause these problems rather than solve them.
Of course, we love our dogs, and we want the amazing relationships that other people have. But the reality is that our actions are actually often causing the dog problems we are experiencing… and it doesn’t have to be this way.
That’s right – if you had known what I am about to share with you early on when you first got your dog or puppy, then none of these issues that you are facing now would ever have started. You would instead be enjoying life with your amazing dog as we speak.
However, if things are not going well with your dog or puppy don’t feel that all is lost. There’s still hope that you can turn everything around and it’s actually easier than you think.
Even if you’ve tried everything you can think of, tried several dog trainers, and read lots of books, deep down you know that there is something missing.
You see the real problem is that we are not taught about how dogs think, so it’s a mystery to most people how we should work with them.
Instead, we’re stuck trying out tactics that we think make sense to humans without ever considering what it actually means to our dog.
The video below will explain some very important areas to focus on that will give your dog a completely different view of you, their owner, and get them to start listening to every single word you say.
Are you really ready to stop all those unwanted behaviors?
Are you ready to get your puppy or dog off on the right track and build that relationship you always dreamt of?
Then let’s get started… To take a free look at my complete dog training solution go ahead and click the link below
5 Ways To Train A Calm, Obedient Dog
#1 – Become The Pack Leader
Of all the things that are going to help you stop any unwanted behavior and develop the relationship with your dog that you have always dreamt of is understanding how to become the pack leader.
This is the fundamental principle of my dog training method, and must be in place to experience the full impact of my everyday tools and
techniques.
Dogs are pack animals, so they understand that there are leaders and followers in their pack, which includes you. Knowing how to communicate to your dog the clear message that you are the pack leader and you make all the decisions is not difficult however it is something that is not widely taught.
Without this basic foundation in place, you could spend the rest of your life trying to train your dog, reading books, going to different trainers, and wondering what is going wrong.
You may even think that your dog is stupid or deliberately trying to annoy you. When all along in your dogs mind you were simply not the pack leader and so they did not see why they should listen to you. Thus any training was really a waste of time.
Now before we get started it is really important that I emphasize that when I talk about being the pack leader I am talking about a loving leader, more like a parent to a child than a mean boss!
Using my method there is absolutely no place for shouting, hitting, kicking your dog, or causing any fear or pain.
In fact this method is so gentle and amazing that it is fully endorsed and used by the SPCA of New Zealand, so you can rest assured that everyone in the family is going to be happy to implement it.
So how does it actually work?
Well it’s all about thinking like a dog rather than a human – in a way it is sort of dog psychology.
Let me give you a quick example of what I am talking about and show you a quick glimpse through the eyes of a dog rather than our own.
One of the most common misconceptions is that an old bone (or any edible chew for that matter) lying around in the house or the garden has no meaning for your dog.
It’s just a treat that you, the loving owner, have given to your dog and they don’t want it…
Now your dog may not have touched it in months, or they may have buried it in the garden or down the back of the couch, and to us, it is rubbish, worthless and irrelevant.
In our human minds, it has no bearing at all on the dog behavioral issues that we are experiencing and so desperate to fix. Yet to your dog, this bone is their PROOF that they are the pack leader.
In their minds, since they control the food, which is one of, if not the most important resource in their world, they must be the
leader!
So in a nutshell, as long as that bone is lying around under their control, nothing that you do can convince them that you are their master. To them that bone is like the King’s crown, the treasure chest, and the golden goose all rolled into one.
Very often people are actually told by trainers who do not know any better to leave bones and food toys lying around to try to keep their dog content when they are left alone.
Now you will understand that whilst this all sounds very good in theory, if you think like a human, the truth of the matter is that to a dog this will cause you a lot more issues in the long run.
You could in fact be setting yourself up for a lot of trouble.
It’s amazing really that such a simple thing as leaving bones around for the dog can lead to such huge issues because they think they are the pack leader. And remember that this is just one tiny little example of the way your dog views things.
The good news is that is so easy to rectify – simply pick up the bones when your dog has finished eating them!
Easy.
So hopefully that gives you a good idea of what I mean when I say that to help a dog you have to think like a dog and stop expecting them to think like humans.
I have developed 5 Golden Rules to Becoming the Pack Leader which, when applied consistently, will remove as much as 95% of the problems you’re experiencing with your dog.
If you’d like to learn more about them, please click the link below, which shows you exactly how to become the pack leader without any fear or aggression:
#2 – Reading The Situation (The Energy Meter)
One of the most important tricks of the trade in dog training is learning to pick up on the very subtle message that your dog is giving you when you are working with them.
Dogs – just like humans – have emotions, however, they are unable to communicate the way we are used to. So when they are stressed, bored, frustrated, or scared they exhibit signs expressing these emotions but obviously can’t use spoken English.
This presents a problem for them if we simply ignore them and plow ahead regardless with our training.
Learning to read your dog means that you are able to adjust anything you do in training to suit their specific situation. Now this may sound quite straightforward forward yet one of the big issues that I have found with people’s training routines is that their dog is simply not coping with the situation.
When your dog becomes too excited, fearful, or focused, something happens that means that nothing that you do is going to work. Put very simply, you could say that the adrenalin kicks in.
Adrenalin is produced in your dog’s brain during stressful times leading to the fight-or-fght response that they have. Either they will try to run away or it’s time to stay and fight.
Neither of which are very helpful when you are trying to train your dog!
So one trick when working with your dog or puppy is to avoid this state no matter what.
And one way that helps is if you think of what I call an Energy Meter, which goes from 1 up to 10.
I call it the Energy Meter because when your dog is asleep they are down at level 1 and when the adrenalin kicks in they are up at around 8-10.
Now the problem is, in many situations, people are trying to train their dogs and alter their behavior when the dog’s energy level is up at around 6-8.
This is simply too high.
As soon as your dog gets a blast of adrenalin everything goes bang! Breathing rate increases, heart rate increases, muscles tighten and go to work overtime…
The leash goes tight and you are almost pulled over, their eyes are on stalks, they start barking and running around out of control.
If you are inside the house your dog could be barking madly at the window, barking or shaking under the bed…
The bottom line is that their behavior is not good. It has suddenly changed.
This is their fight or flight response kicking in. If your dog is not on a leash at this point then they are off and out of control.
As you can imagine, none of this is pleasant to watch.
So what happens next?
Well, we start to become frustrated, angry, and annoyed with the situation and our reactions simply make things worse. It is a viscous cycle and our training goes nowhere or backwards.
Understanding that you need to keep your dog well away from level 8 where the adrenalin kicks in is crucial.
And here is the secret…
When you take things slowly to start with, and your dog gets used to things at a slightly slower pace then the pay of later on is huge.
Learn to work with your dog in the calm zone from 1-5 and take things slowly to start with. If you are in this zone and your dog sees something that gets them excited they will be aware of it however they will only end up at say a level 6 or 7.
Since no adrenalin kicks in they will calm down really quick again for you – ready to carry on with your training.
If you are really serious about helping your dog, learning to read them in every situation, and setting them up to win in every situation then I recommend taking a look at my video series on the Energy Meter, which will help you do just that:
All of this is inside my video website which you can take a look at in the video below…
#3 – The Power Of Calm Energy (The Calm Freeze)
Nowadays it seems like everyone is talking about calm energy, but very few people actually have any advice on how to apply it to dogs. In this chapter, I want to tell you about one of the most talked about techniques you can use because people are stunned with how powerful this is when done correctly.
It’s called the Calm Freeze, but first let me put it into context by describing a scenario that many of you will have experienced where this technique is so useful.
You are calmly walking down the road with your dog or puppy when suddenly another dog comes into view and grabs their attention.
Immediately they become too excited, overly aggressive or maybe very fearful.
It is important to point out that every dog will respond differently. Yet the calm freeze technique will work with whatever emotional response your dog is experiencing.
On the energy meter your dog is heading rapidly up the scale and is at say, a 7. The adrenalin has not yet kicked in but we need to do something fast to calm them down and avoid a complete melt down.
Now usually what happens at this point is that we then mirror our dog and we too become highly energized, with a tug on the lead, quickly correcting our dog with a “leave it” command. To which our dog responds with more energy and barks or pulls even harder resulting in an increased response from ourselves and before we know it their adrenalin has kicked in and we might as well all go home to calm ourselves down.
So here is where the calm freeze technique comes into play.
At the point at which you detect an increase in your dog’s energy due to the sighting of another dog, calmly walk your dog a couple of yards away. Then with your back to the other dog as a distraction, crouch down and without a word take your hand palm up, under your
dog’s chin and lightly hold the collar.
Here are a couple of other important points to make sure that you are doing it correctly.
Firstly, you do it all in silence, no talking.
Secondly, you hold as lightly as possible, this is not about causing your dog pain.
And thirdly, you look away from your dog, down at the ground with a relaxed expression.
Your dog will read you like a book and will very likely be stunned into silence! Once they are calm then you simply loosen your grip and gently let go, stand up, and carry on walking, leaving them in that calm state of 2 or 3 on the energy scale.
Now if you try this and they take no notice of you then that is because they are the pack leader and not you. So it’s time to get the basics put in place first.
So you may be thinking, is that it?
And the answer is absolutely Yes!
But remember, the beauty of this technique and this whole method lies in its simplicity. You see our thoughts, our words, and our actions are all important.and when we align all three we become very powerful.
If you only shout the words “Calm Down” at your dog but you are still stressed and pulling aggressively on the lead your dog will not respond
calmly – they will reflect back your energy.
So by putting your own mind into a calm state, by staying silent, demonstrating a calm behavior by crouching down and turning away, your dog will understand your communication very clearly.
As they say, actions really do speak louder than words.
This is just one technique that when used in conjunction with all the other tools can be part of that magical moment when your dog starts to take notice of you. And the great thing about the calm freeze is that you can do it anywhere both inside and outside and it doesn’t require another piece of equipment. Just your hand and your dog’s collar.
There are so many situations where you can use the calm freeze with dramatic success such as when your dog is barking in the house at somebody outside or if your dog is shaking and scared of the freworks.
Now I have done my best to describe how to do this technique, but actually watching me do it will make it much more real. You’ll really ‘get it’.
Plus you’ll also be able to see for yourself how the dogs I apply it to respond.
To find out more about the Calm Freeze along with every other training technique click the link below…
#4 – Success Starts At Home (Time Out)
Sometimes the simplest things are the most powerful and it is so true of this dog training technique that I am about to share with you now.
It is such a simple tool and we all have it already set up in our homes ready to use. However, very few people actually use it properly.
So let me describe the situation where it can be used effectively.
Imagine for a moment that your dog jumps up on your new couch.
You shout very calmly “FIDO OFF” to which Fido obeys. However, a few seconds later he is back up on the couch staring straight at you.
“FIDO OFF” you reply in your now rather stressed voice.
Somehow you know that it is not working, however, there seem to be very few alternatives.
Over the course of the next few minutes, Fido succeeds in winding you up like a grandfather clock resulting in you shouting your head off at him and chasing him all over the room.
Sound familiar?
Well, the great news is that it doesn’t have to be that way, and here’s why.
One of the biggest reasons that dogs do not change their behavior is that we are actually training
them to continue the old patterns.
Let me explain.
Fido very likely did not actually want to sleep on the couch as much as he wanted some attention. And our technique
of shouting at him, getting frustrated, and chasing Fido around the room gave him all the attention he could have wished for and more!
Now when you become the pack leader your dog or puppy is going to be far more respectful of you. Put very simply they are not going to jump all over the couch knowing that you do not want them up there.
However when your dog thinks that they should be running the show you will run into more areas of contention than you could possible wish for.
So what is our alternative option for dealing with our dog when they jump up on the couch?
Here is the solution.
The first time they jump up, take them very calmly and place them on the floor without a word being spoken. If they jump up again you take
them by the collar and put them in Time Out. Close the door on them and walk away.
When they are quiet you can let them out, but make sure you ignore them.
It’s as simple as that.
Here are a couple of points to cover or some questions you may face.
Firstly, if you are concerned that you can’t catch your dog because they are too fast then carry on reading. In the next chapter, I’ll explain how to ensure that your dog no longer has the upper hand on you in the speed department!
Secondly, your time-out room needs to be safe and secure for your dog. Usually, a bathroom or toilet works well as they have few windows and are quite small.
Remember when your dog is in Time Out they are not supposed to be having fun, so sometimes outside in the garden is not the best option.
Thirdly, if your dog is barking you really want to wait until they stop before letting them out. If they are quiet then a couple of minutes is usually long enough first time round for them to think twice about doing it again.
The beauty of time out is that you no longer have to enter the cycle of becoming stressed, shouting, and frustrated. Because let’s face it, nobody enjoys shouting at their dog.
In fact shouting your dog’s name when they have done something wrong can quickly ruin your chances of them coming to you when you call them at the park.
Time Out can be used effectively for so many training issues you might face with your dog. It’s simply a better choice of deterring unwanted behaviors than physically becoming aggressive to your dog or shouting.
If you want to take a look at my complete puppy and dog training solution…click the link below…
#5 – Control The Environment (The Long Line & Short Line)
In the last section, we talked about Fido running rings around you in the home. I have seen it so many times and it is often quite funny to start with.
From little fufy white dogs to great big clumsy dogs, they have this knack of staying out of our reach when we want to grab them.
In this chapter I want to talk about the importance of controlling the environment when we are training our dogs. It is equally true when we are outside and we want to change a behavior or stop our dogs doing a certain thing.
If they are out of our control there is not a lot that we can do.
Have you ever heard the saying “there is no point in shutting the gate after the horse has bolted”?
Well this applies to dog training too.
Once your dog is off the leash and is refusing to come to you there is not a lot that you can do.
Similarly, inside the home, the dog that does not want to be caught will not be caught. Well at least not without a lot of effort.
So here is the simple tactic that all good dog trainers follow…
…Keep control of the environment.
What does this mean to you?
Well here are a couple of key tips.
Firstly, it means that outside at the park or the beach do not let your dog off the leash unless either…
- You have a good recall and you know that your dog will come back when you call them.
- Or leave a line on your dog so that you can catch them again easier.
The line could be anywhere from 2-30 meters long depending on your dog and the situation that you are facing. You attach it to your dog and then drop it on the ground.
Then when they get too far away you simply stand on it and train them to stay close by you.
Now you may be thinking, Oh no that’s not much fun! I don’t want my dog to be the only dog running around with a line attached to them for the rest of their life.
However, this is not forever!
Inside my site I show you a dog who is never let off leash because he runs away and in less than an hour we have him coming back to us every
single time off-leash.
However you will see that to start with I use a long line to make sure that I succeed and set him up to win.
Secondly, inside your home you also need to be able to catch your dog easily and calmly during training. Again, attach a short line to them when you are working with them or trying to stop an unwanted behavior and suddenly all the silly chasing games will stop.
Now I would not use their lead as this will be too heavy and the loop on the end can get caught up on things, rather a thin piece of string will do just fine.
The short line that you should use inside the house will only need to be a meter, or maybe two, long. You attach it to their collar and drop it on the floor. They then drag it around, most dogs will not even notice it’s there and suddenly the tables have turned.
Trying to catch your dog becomes the easiest thing in the world!
No more screaming, shouting, and chasing them.
Instead, you can calmly walk over towards them, stand on the line and before they even know it you have them under your control.
Again it is only a training tool, and not needed forever, only when they are in the learning phase.
Controlling the environment is a very important concept. It changes things from being out of your control to being under your control. Only then can you start training your dog!
Of course before any of this training takes place you need to have won your dogs mind and convinced them that you are the pack leader and that they are the follower rather than the other way around.
I cover all of this plus much more inside my online trainining program “The Dog Calming Code”…
#6 – Inside Every Dog Is A Great Dog
I believe that inside every dog is a good dog. And inside every good dog is a great dog.
It is a simple statement, but one that I’ve found to be true with every dog, every time.
Working with thousands of dogs all over the country I have seen the most difficult of situations turn around when we choose to understand our dogs rather than train them through force.
Becoming the pack leader in a kind and gentle way is an absolutely crucial part of this and it is those secrets that I hold close to my heart that I want to share with you.
It’s these secrets of becoming the pack leader that your dog is looking for. Without them in place, your dog will always see you as a follower and you will always struggle.
Whatever situation you are in, there is an answer and it is often so much simpler than you can imagine. Do not worry that your problem seems to be different from anything else you have seen, that your dog is older, or your issue only occurs when you are not home, or it appears to be random, or breed specifc.
The method that I would like to show you treats the cause of the problem, and when you do this the issue so often simply disappears all on its own.
If you are serious about sorting out your dogs behavioral issues and training your puppy up right from the start don’t be tempted to try some fancy gadget that will only backfire on you later on.
Learn that the real secret to success is YOU and having the skills and knowledge to get your dog to trust, respect, and love you for who you are.
When you become the best pack leader that you can be, they will choose to follow you.
There will be no more need for shouting and scaring your dog.
When you bought home your dog or puppy you had a certain relationship in mind. A wonderful, mutually beneficial relationship where things were not a strain and you could both just enjoy life to the max.
Keep focused on that because that is exactly what you can have if you choose to.
I hope that you have enjoyed this guide, and found the tools useful.
If you would like to take a free tour of my dog training video website which will show you exactly how to implement all of this and more, then go ahead and click the link below to get started…
Want A FREE Digital Copy Of The 5 Techniques Discussed In This Blog Post?
Then click here to grab yourself a FREE digital copy of “My Everyday Dog Training Tools”
My Everyday Dog Training Tools
Click Here To Grab Your Free Copy Of “My Everyday Dog Training Tools!
