The Puppy Torturer-or Why To Use a Crate
Dog and Puppy Training
Hi,
If you look up my business on Google you’ll find 60+ five star reviews.
Many of the reviews tell stories of dogs that were aggressive, disruptive, unruly, out of control, reactive and how we helped bring peace back into their homes with the training provided.
If you look on Amazon you’ll see positive reviews of my books, some saying my last book, “The Deadly Dog Training Myth,” was the best dog training book they have ever read.
We get cards, phone calls, and personal thank yous every day.
It’s a very rewarding job and I love working with dogs and their owners.
BUT… even with all this positive feedback I was once referred to as the….
….puppy torturer.
Can you imagine this?
Here’s what happened:
A few years ago a very nice dog owner came to me for help with house-training. She had a three-year old small terrier mix and had lived with this problem for the entire time they had the dog.
Half way through our lesson I offered to give her money back and provided a referral to another trainer.
The lesson was not going well and the dog owner was getting more and more upset with me.
I know it’s hard to believe, a lovable, harmless, fuzzy, fluff ball like me. Who could ever get upset with me?
But she was.
Why???
Did I recommend harsh training methods? Did I tell her to rub her dog’s nose in his urine? Did I handle her dog in a rough manner?
None of it!
I strongly recommended using a….
….crate!
She informed me her kids (KIDS) would never allow it! She has two teenage daughters and they would never allow little Sparky to spend any time in a crate.
Being highly skilled in the art of persuasion and behavior, I dropped the issue of using a crate for a few minutes and planned to work it back into the discussion later.
I used all my powers, all my skills, and after 45 minutes of making my case that Gerry Spence would have been proud of, she made it extremely clear she will NEVER use a crate.
She was clearly unimpressed with me as a dog trainer and human being.
That’s the way it goes sometimes in the rough and tumble world of dog training.
I found out through a friend of hers the family now refers to me as the puppy torturer.
Because I recommended using a crate.
Alright… the point of this story?
One of the best dog training quotes I’ve ever read comes from Robert Ringer:
“reality isn’t the way you wish things to be, nor the way they appear to be, but the way they actually are.”
Dog training requires us to manage your dog’s behavior (using a crate).
Dog training requires us to use negative consequences (punishment).
Dog training requires us to apply pressure (negative reinforcement).
Dog training requires us to teach life saving behaviors – come when called (positive reinforcement).
This is how dog training works, you can wish it was another way but anyone telling you anything different is being unethical and your dog could ultimately pay the price.
There will come a point when the family will finally get fed up with the dog peeing and pooping on the floor. Someone will fall slipping on a turd, step in a puddle of urine with socks on, or the smell will become so bad the dog has to go.
Or, as Robert Ringer advises, look at reality the way it is. Use a crate for three weeks, fix the housetraining problem, and everyone is happy.
Or ignore reality and blame the puppy torturer.
Anyway, if you are struggling with your dog and would like to meet with me personally, I always offer a first-time FREE Consultation.
Here’s where to go NEXT:
All the best,
Eric Letendre’s Dog Training School
1180 State Rd. Westport, MA.
774.319.6351