Why You Should Never Give Your Dog a Bone and Other Secrets of the World’s Healthiest, Happiest, and Most Well-Behaved Dogs

By Ben Settle

Did you know you should never give your dog a bone?

Or that you can get your dog to enjoy going to the vet simply by massaging his ears, gums, and toes?

Or that you can use an ordinary stereo to quickly and easily stop your dog's barking?

These are just a few of the dozens of secrets found in Why You Should Never Give Your Dog A Bone.

Secrets that can extend your dog's life, almost "disease proof" his body... and make him completely obedient to your commands -- even if he stubbornly resists your efforts now.

Secrets such as:

• How to pay little or nothing for your dog's vet bills and medications.
• Why eating the healthiest dog foods can actually make your dog sick.
• A simple 10-minute game that quickly eliminates most dog behavior problems.
• A secret way to use your TV set to house train your new puppy in as little as two weeks.
• Why yelling at your dog when she misbehaves actually makes her more likely to misbehave in the future.
• How turning off your cell phone in the summer time can help prevent your dog from getting heat exhaustion.
• How to arrange it so you know when your new puppy will have to go out and "do her business" before she even does!
• How to almost completely eliminate your dog's farting.
• How to change your dog's diet without causing her diarrhea, stomach problems or any discomfort whatsoever.
• Five common foods which are fine and dandy for humans... but deadly poison to your dog.
• Why one of the best times to check your dog's hearing is when you (or someone in your house) comes down with a cold.
• How to use a simple $1 tool (found in almost any hardware shop) to instantly train your dog not to be afraid of fireworks, thunder and other loud noises!
• Four so-called "safe" dog toys you should avoid like the plague if you don't want your dog to lose her teeth or get violently sick.
• A list of ordinary houseplants that are extremely poisonous to your dog!
• And much more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MakeRight Publishing
• Release date: Feb 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311137036

Book preview

Chapter 1

Why Some Dogs Snap, Bite And Act Aggressively... And How You Can Immediately Teach Them Not To Do It Anymore

If your dog snaps, bites and acts aggressive, you may be tempted to think you have a bad dog.

And while it’s true there really are vicious dogs out there, yours may not necessarily be one just because they misbehave.

In fact, I’d bet you dollars to donuts your dog is far from being a bad dog.

How can I be so sure?

Well, let’s put it this way.

I have a buddy who owns several dogs. He’s been a dog lover his whole life. There’s nothing else in the world this guy likes to talk about more than dogs.

And yet, for some reason, he had a dog (a breed not known for being aggressive) that was behaving aggressively.

His dog was always biting, snapping and getting testy with him. Usually at weird times... and always for no reason at all.

Plus, to make matters worse, this dog was extremely stubborn. So stubborn it was a miracle on the level of fishes and loaves of bread if this dog ever did anything it was told.

However, this didn’t bother my friend at all.

Like I said, he knows a thing or two about dogs. And even though he had more than a few people suggest he get rid of the dog (or worse), my friend refused.

In fact, he not only kept the dog, but that dog is now, just a few years later, the best trained and most obedient dog he’s ever had.

What did he do?

Nothing special really.

Again, he just knows dogs.

And in this case he knew his over-aggressive, stubborn and snappy dog – while smart and extremely intelligent – had what’s called a dominant personality.

What does that mean?

Well, in a pack of wild dogs, one dog will always rise up as the dominant animal and crown himself leader of the pack.

And the other dogs in the pack will submit to that leader.

The leader demands it.

If someone in the pack gets out of line, the leader will attack the troublemaker and either make him submit... or kill him.

And guess what?

This pack-animal instinct is in every dog – both domestic and wild.

And while domestic dogs don’t normally take this trait to the extremes wild dogs do, it’s still in them.

You cannot breed it out of a dog’s line and you cannot fully suppress it with training.

As it turned out, my friend’s dog considered himself to be the leader of the pack. He thought he was the master of the house and my friend existed to subordinate himself to the dog, not the other way around.

Before I tell you the ways my friend says to deal with this problem, let me first say there are some dogs that really do need to be taken to a professional trainer. Especially if they are biting people and acting violent.

But if your dog is basically just stubborn, insubordinate, and a little testy, then here are a few simple ways to deal with the problem:

Get him neutered.

If you have a female dog, get her spayed.

Why?

Besides the fact it almost eliminates many dangerous (and expensive-to-fix) health problems – such as certain cancers – in your dog, it also makes them less likely to bite, be aggressive towards both people and animals, or want to run away to seek out a mate.

And don’t worry. It’s never too late to sterilize your dog. Nor does it make them lazy, fat or stupid – as some myths suggest.

Exercise.

Talk to enough dog handlers and sooner or later you will almost certainly hear...

A tired dog is a good dog!

It’s true.

If your dog is always acting up, he probably just needs to be exercised.

Exactly what kind of exercise (and how much) depends on the breed.

But you will find tuckering your dog out in a good, healthy fashion is one of the best ways to keep them under control and on their best behavior.

Just bear in mind not all exercises are good for all dogs – as certain dogs have been genetically hard wired for certain types of work.

However, one universal type of exercise that tends to work for most dogs is playing a simple 10-minute game of fetch.

Reason why is because it engages a dog physically and mentally – which both tires them out and gets rid of their boredom, too.

This alone can sometimes eliminate a lot of behavior problems.

Alter your tone of voice.

This may seem over simplified, but altering your tonalities – even if you don’t change your actual words – can completely change the behavior of your dog.

Why?

Because sounds have an incredibly powerful effect on both people and animals alike.

In chapter 4 we’ll talk more about this. And you’ll see scientific studies that will change the way you look at noise and your dog forever.

But for now, realize you can work wonders with just the tone of your voice when it comes to a testy, stubborn and disobedient dog.

The key is to use a low – yet calm and authoritative – voice when giving him or her a command.

Do not – I repeat, do not – get angry or lose your temper. Just look him in the eye (very important) when you give a command in a low (not loud) voice.

You see, your dog needs to be put in his place. He needs to know you are the leader of the pack and call the shots. You cannot do this if he hears anger, fear or hesitation in your voice, or if you lose your temper.

Think about it:

If you lose your temper, he effectively just controlled you by controlling your reaction. And he knows it. In some ways... he expects it from you. Because, well, he considers himself the leader and you the follower.

And so, if you want to put him in his place and realize who the real top dog is, then you have to take control of your own emotions.

Now, before we move on, please remember the above are basic solutions to a common problem.

If your dog is vicious, angry and mean – especially if it’s to the point where you are afraid of him or what he’ll do to others – take him to a professional dog handler and veterinarian.

There could be deeper problems going on. And you and your family could be in danger if you don’t get to the bottom of it.

Chapter 2

How to Get 100% Free Professional Dog Training Lessons!

How would you like to get dog training lessons 100% free?

Not just the basics... but also advanced lessons you can use for any dog you own for the rest of your life?

Lessons that would probably normally cost you an arm and a leg... and maybe even require you to travel great distances or spend a lot of time you don’t have?

Then look no further than your nearest dog shelter.

Here’s why:

Dog shelters are (most of the time) run by very good people.

People who not only love dogs... but are also well-trained and up-to-snuff on the latest dog training tactics and techniques.

And if you go to your local shelters and volunteer (even if it’s just to walk dogs a few times per week) you will (many times) find the people there will generously share their knowledge with you.

For example:

When I go and walk dogs at the local shelter, I sometimes get to talking to one of the attendants there.

Invariably, one thing leads to another and all the sudden I’m asking questions about dogs and they’re happily answering my questions.

I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge dog shelter operators possess. Knowledge that would normally require lots of studying and reading to learn on my own.

Why would they do this – especially free?

Again, most dog shelter workers (that I’ve met, at least) love dogs, too.

They want you to be a good dog owner.

They want you to be happy and content with your dog.

Believe me – dog shelter operators see first-hand what happens to dogs who are not with happy and content dog owners. These dogs often end up abandoned, sold to some idiot who mistreats them or taken to the pound.

The last thing they want is for you to decide not to keep your dog simply because you are frustrated and confused about how to train him or her.

And so, if you have a question about your dog, never hesitate to call up your local dog shelter or just go in and ask someone there.

You can also consider volunteering at your local dog shelter, too.

Then it’d be almost impossible not to get experience and knowledge with a wide variety of dog problems, issues and breeds.

By the way, we’ll talk more about how to save on vet bills later – but this same concept applies to vets, too.

Whenever you go to your vet, you might as well ask any other questions you have. Especially questions about preventative care.

Just like dog shelter operators, your vet (assuming you have a good one) doesn’t want to see your dog in pain or suffering any more than you do.

You can learn all kinds of helpful things by chatting with a good vet. And if they can help you by answering your questions they usually will.

Anyway, these are great ways to learn about dog training, health and behavior issues without going broke.

Try them yourself and see.

You have nothing to lose... and a whole