Warren Eckstein
Encyclopedia
Warren Eckstein is a Jewish-American "pet psychologist", animal trainer
, animal rights activist, humorist, author, director of the Hugs & Kisses Animal Fund, and broadcaster in the United States
who hosts The Pet Show, a syndicated radio talk show
.
, Eckstein claims to have been around animals almost his entire life. He has said on multiple occasions that his first pet was a German Shepherd Dog
, which is a breed
Eckstein describes as being incredibly bright
. Some time after serving in the United States Air Force
Eckstein began a career in pet training, an education he mostly acquired by traveling throughout Europe
and Asia
. His profession quickly gave him international fame, and, eventually, an interrnational radio show, which he broadcasts out of both California & New York every Saturday. According to his website www.thepetshow.com he has trained and worked with more than 40,000 pets, including those of celebrities such as Rodney Dangerfield
, David Letterman
and former Vice Presidential Candidate
Geraldine Ferraro
, among others.
Eckstein created the Hugs & Kisses Animal Fund, a foundation which he dedicated to the memory of his first wife Fay, who succumbed to melanoma
in 1990 at the age of 36. The foundation's mission, as his website describes, "is to fund hundreds of small animal organizations across the United States, and to be a resource where other help is unavailable."
Eckstein currently lives in Santa Monica CA with his wife Denise and his two dogs: Cisko Kidd (Chihuahua
) and Skylar Blue (German Shepherd).
will want to avoid hearing. The device is used in certain situation when the dog(s) are exhibiting a behavior that their owner(s) deem unacceptable. He has lobbied on his show (and through other mediums) that those found guilty of extreme animal cruelty, such as slowly killing a pet, or pet mutilation
, should serve time in a correctional facility. Typically, his radio show consists of him answering caller questions on correcting their pet's behavior. Eckstein endearingly tells his listeners about a reverse animal training of sorts, meaning, as his show's second's hour opening states in his theme song: "Maybe it's YOU who needs to be trained instead."
Eckstein is usually critical of humans who practice dominance
with their dogs. He argues that the practice is usually taught incorrectly, and as a result a dog will interpret dominance as an acceptable behavior and will therefore try to dominate other humans and animals. Also, Eckstein is vehemently against onychectomy
, arguing that it is animal abuse.
As mentioned above, Eckstein believes that all pet behavioral problems can be corrected with a positive and healthy approach (with the exception of problems that are the causation of a serious/terminal illness
). He also uses his show to voice his criticisms and praises of laws that relate to animals and pets. An example of this would be when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
(in early November 2008) announced that he would like a state tax to be applied to veterinary services; this triggered Eckstein's activism immensely. He has since then used much of his radio time voicing his criticism and asking his audience for their opinions on the issue. He does not advocate letting cats be outdoors unless they are wearing a harness and leash
, for he believes the outdoors are dangerous for certain domestic animals. The humorist aspects of his shows are usually in the form of him mulling over issues such as what the political affiliation
of a pet might be, and almost all things associated with pet love.
Eckstein believes that pets go to Heaven
and will eventually reunite with their owners. When discussing the death of a pet he appears to be fond of the term "Rainbow Bridge
," which is a poetic term for animal Heaven.
Animal training
Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....
, animal rights activist, humorist, author, director of the Hugs & Kisses Animal Fund, and broadcaster in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who hosts The Pet Show, a syndicated radio talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
.
Biography
Born and raised in The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, Eckstein claims to have been around animals almost his entire life. He has said on multiple occasions that his first pet was a German Shepherd Dog
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
, which is a breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
Eckstein describes as being incredibly bright
Animal cognition
Animal cognition is the title given to the study of the mental capacities of non-human animals. It has developed out of comparative psychology, but has also been strongly influenced by the approach of ethology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary psychology...
. Some time after serving in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Eckstein began a career in pet training, an education he mostly acquired by traveling throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. His profession quickly gave him international fame, and, eventually, an interrnational radio show, which he broadcasts out of both California & New York every Saturday. According to his website www.thepetshow.com he has trained and worked with more than 40,000 pets, including those of celebrities such as Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
, David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and former Vice Presidential Candidate
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Anne Ferraro was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party....
, among others.
Eckstein created the Hugs & Kisses Animal Fund, a foundation which he dedicated to the memory of his first wife Fay, who succumbed to melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
in 1990 at the age of 36. The foundation's mission, as his website describes, "is to fund hundreds of small animal organizations across the United States, and to be a resource where other help is unavailable."
Eckstein currently lives in Santa Monica CA with his wife Denise and his two dogs: Cisko Kidd (Chihuahua
Chihuahua (dog)
The ' is the smallest breed of dog and is so named for the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. Chihuahuas come in a wide variety of sizes, head shapes, colors and coat lengths.-History:...
) and Skylar Blue (German Shepherd).
Radio show and beliefs
Eckstein is an animal rights activist. On his show he argues vehemently against physical violence on pets, especially as a means of correcting behavior. For unacceptable pet behavior he advocates what he calls "Hugs & Kisses," positive reinforcement; for dogs there are many situations where he advocates the use of an air horn, which is a device that emits a galling, but harmless sound that caninesCanidae
Canidae is the biological family of carnivorous and omnivorous mammals that includes wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs. A member of this family is called a canid . The Canidae family is divided into two tribes: Canini and Vulpini...
will want to avoid hearing. The device is used in certain situation when the dog(s) are exhibiting a behavior that their owner(s) deem unacceptable. He has lobbied on his show (and through other mediums) that those found guilty of extreme animal cruelty, such as slowly killing a pet, or pet mutilation
Mutilation
Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, usually without causing death.- Usage :...
, should serve time in a correctional facility. Typically, his radio show consists of him answering caller questions on correcting their pet's behavior. Eckstein endearingly tells his listeners about a reverse animal training of sorts, meaning, as his show's second's hour opening states in his theme song: "Maybe it's YOU who needs to be trained instead."
Eckstein is usually critical of humans who practice dominance
Alpha (biology)
In social animals, the alpha is the individual in the community with the highest rank. Where one male and one female fulfill this role, they are referred to as the alpha pair...
with their dogs. He argues that the practice is usually taught incorrectly, and as a result a dog will interpret dominance as an acceptable behavior and will therefore try to dominate other humans and animals. Also, Eckstein is vehemently against onychectomy
Onychectomy
Onychectomy, popularly known as declawing, is an operation to surgically remove an animal's claws by means of amputating all or part of the distal phalanx, or end bones, of the animal's toes. It is performed most often on household cats, though occasionally on other animals such as circus lions or...
, arguing that it is animal abuse.
As mentioned above, Eckstein believes that all pet behavioral problems can be corrected with a positive and healthy approach (with the exception of problems that are the causation of a serious/terminal illness
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
). He also uses his show to voice his criticisms and praises of laws that relate to animals and pets. An example of this would be when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
(in early November 2008) announced that he would like a state tax to be applied to veterinary services; this triggered Eckstein's activism immensely. He has since then used much of his radio time voicing his criticism and asking his audience for their opinions on the issue. He does not advocate letting cats be outdoors unless they are wearing a harness and leash
Leash
A leash is a rope or similar material attached to the neck or head of an animal for restraint or control...
, for he believes the outdoors are dangerous for certain domestic animals. The humorist aspects of his shows are usually in the form of him mulling over issues such as what the political affiliation
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
of a pet might be, and almost all things associated with pet love.
Eckstein believes that pets go to Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and will eventually reunite with their owners. When discussing the death of a pet he appears to be fond of the term "Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge (pets)
The Rainbow Bridge is the theme of a work of poetic prose written some time between 1980 and 1992, whose original creator is unknown.The theme is of a mythological place to which a pet goes upon its death, eventually to be reunited with its owner...
," which is a poetic term for animal Heaven.
Books
Books authored by Warren Eckstein include:- 1980: Yes, Dog, That's Right! (with Fay Eckstein) Alpine Pubns (ISBN 978-0931866036)
- 1984: Pet Aerobics: How to Solve Your Pets Behavior Problems, Improve Their Health, Lengthen Their Lives and Have Fun Doing It (with Fay Eckstein) Holt, Rinehart and WinstonHolt, Rinehart and WinstonHolt McDougal is an American publishing company, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, that specializes in textbooks for use in secondary schools. Holt, Rinehart and Winston was a division of Harcourt Education...
(ASIN: B001I4QRZO) - 1985: Understanding Your Pet: The Eckstein Method of Pet Therapy and Behavior Training (with Fay Eckstein) Henry Holt & Company (ISBN 978-0030006999)
- 1990: How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want (With Fay Eckstein) VillardVillard (imprint)Villard, also known as Villard Books, is a major publishing imprint of Random House, one of the largest publishing companies in the world. It was founded in 1983. Villard began as an independent imprint of Random House, and are currently an imprint of Ballantine Books, itself a subsidiary of Random...
(ISBN 978-0394579078) - 1990: The Illustrated Cat's Life Fawcett PublicationsFawcett PublicationsFawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett . At the age of 16, Fawcett ran away from home to join the Army, and the Spanish-American War took him to the Philippines. Back in Minnesota, he became a...
(ISBN 978-0449904664) - 1992: How to Get Your Dog to Do What You Want Ballantine BooksBallantine BooksBallantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
(ISBN 978-0449909560) - 1996: Understanding Your Pet Random HouseRandom HouseRandom House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
(ASIN: B001LNK0A0) - 1995: The Illustrated Dog's Life Fawcett PublicationsFawcett PublicationsFawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett . At the age of 16, Fawcett ran away from home to join the Army, and the Spanish-American War took him to the Philippines. Back in Minnesota, he became a...
(ISBN 978-0449906699) - 1998: Memoirs of a Pet Therapist: A Tail All Book (with Denise Madden), Fawcett PublicationsFawcett PublicationsFawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett . At the age of 16, Fawcett ran away from home to join the Army, and the Spanish-American War took him to the Philippines. Back in Minnesota, he became a...
(ISBN 978-0449911235)