So, you want your dog to behave. To stop jumping up on people at the front door, to stop getting up on the couch when you’re at work, to stop peeing on the rug, to stop barking like a maniac. To actually listen to you when you tell him to do something.
Dog training seems like it should be easy, and a lot of people are surprised to find that they can’t get the results they want on their own. Some owners just don’t have a lot of experience with dogs; others that are more experienced find themselves with a dog that’s different from those they’ve had before. I hear from clients all the time that they’ve trained their dogs in the past with no problems, but THIS one just doesn’t listen. Not all dogs are the same, so they won’t all respond to the same training methods.
Most people find that they need some professional help with their dog at some point. Some need help with everything, others just with getting a reliable response to obedience commands or for help with housebreaking issues or other behavior problems.
A customized dog training program is the best way to make the most of your relationship with your dog and to fix those little problems that are driving you crazy, but there are also things you can do today to improve your dog’s behavior and response to you. Below are some do’s and don’ts that will help you to get started on your path to a new, improved dog!
DON’T reinforce bad behavior. This sounds simple, but, surprisingly, most dog owners do it without realizing it. If your dog is barking at you when you’re on the telephone and you pet him to quiet him down, he may quiet down for the moment, but since you’ve “praised” him for barking, he might just start doing it every time you’re on the phone in the future. If you’ve missed puppy while you were at work all day and you give him a big hug when he jumps up on you at the door, he’ll do it again and again – to you, the kids, grandma, and the UPS guy. We don’t want your dog to have a good time doing bad things!
DO reinforce good behaviors – when he greets you at the door by sitting, when he’s chewing on his bone or toy, when he’s lying calmly at your feet, when he comes to you when you call him. Give him love and attention when he’s doing something that you want him to repeat in the future.
DON’T assume that your dog “knows he’s doing something wrong.” He probably doesn’t. Most of the things we consider behavior problems are normal instinctive behaviors that are acceptable in the canine world but not in ours. Your dog looks “guilty” when you correct him because he can tell that you’re mad at him, not necessarily because he knows WHY you’re mad.
DO take the time to teach your dog the rules. Your dog needs to understand what is allowed and what is not. Showing or telling him once won’t do it – a consistent approach and lots of repetition will do the trick. Be patient!
DON’T fuss over your dog when leaving the house or coming home. It’s hard to resist apologizing to puppy for going to work (and begging him not to have an accident, eat the couch, etc.), and even harder to resist giving hugs and kisses the second you get home, but these simple acts can cause a lot of trouble for you and your dog. Making your comings and goings the high point of your dog’s day can cause him to be anxious while you’re away and can cause or aggravate stress related owner-absent behavioral problems such as destructive chewing, barking/whining, scratching doors and house soiling. It also conditions your dog to believe that it’s party time when somebody comes in the door, which can lead to unwanted greeting behaviors (jumping up, barking, submissive urination, etc.).
DO make arrivals and departures very low-key. You don’t need to ignore your dog completely – when you leave, just say a quick goodbye in a normal tone of voice and go. When you come home, say a quick hello (no petting or playing yet) and go open the mail, change your clothes, start cooking dinner, whatever. After a few minutes, when your dog has calmed down, go pet him and say hello. At this point, feed him, walk him, or do whatever you normally do when you get home.
DO get your dog used to being alone by leaving for short periods and gradually increasing to several hours. Remember, puppies under six months have limited control of their bladders and bowels – if you have to be gone for more than a few hours at a time, it might be a good idea to have a neighbor or a dog walker come in to walk puppy so he has a chance to “do his thing” in the appropriate place.
DON’T let your untrained dog or puppy have the run of the house. If he’s not housebroken or if he’s destructive, leaving him unsupervised in the house will just get him in the habit of being naughty, since nobody’s there to correct him or to show him the appropriate behavior.
DO confine your dog to a safe area if you’re not around to watch him. This can be a crate, a small puppy-proofed room or an outside dog run (weather permitting). The area should prevent your dog from making training mistakes – if he’s chewing through the cabinets and digging a hole through the floor, the kitchen isn’t right for your dog! Remember, confining alone will not train your dog. The confinement phase is temporary and should be used in conjunction with an appropriate training program.
DON’T make the mistake of thinking that dog training can be achieved through correction and yelling. Dog training is about making a relationship with your dog through patient communication of your desires. Yelling rarely clarifies the communication and often undermines the trust your dog needs to have in you. If you want your dog to try to please you, interact with him in a positive manner so that he has something to work for.
DO be sure to make training fun for your dog and use plenty of praise, treats and play to show him that listening to his owner is fun! Good training is about building a cooperative relationship between owner and dog, not about scaring your dog into submission. Your dog shouldn’t be expected to want to please you if he doesn’t get anything out of it when he does. Training methods that build your dog’s confidence and teach him to look to you for direction work best. Your dog needs to like and trust you in order to accept your guidance.
DON’T correct your dog for anything unless you catch him in the act. If you come home and correct him for the couch he ate 6 hours earlier, he won’t associate the correction with the dirty deed. Even worse, he may associate it with your home-coming, which will cause him to be more anxious while you’re away, worsening the problem.
DO use discipline consistently in conjunction with rewards for good behavior so your dog will understand what’s acceptable and what’s not. Correcting your dog at the moment he’s doing something wrong will allow your dog to connect the negative experience of getting a correction with the behavior you’re trying to eliminate.
DO ask your trainer for acceptable disciplinary techniques that are appropriate for your dog’s temperament and behavior.
DON’T assume that your dog gets enough exercise by running around the house, or being out in the back yard. He doesn’t.
DO make sure your dog gets sufficient exercise. Exercise has a positive impact on most behavior problems and makes your dog calmer and easier to live with. Be sure your dog exercises every day (walking, hiking, running, playing fetch, playing with dog friends, swimming, etc.).
“About a year ago, my girlfriend and I decided to get a dog. Though we made sure to read a few books before adopting, nothing prepared us for the real-life experience of dealing with a dog that had behavioral issues. We rescued “Rocco,” a 6-month-old lab/terrier mix from a SoCal-based shelter, because he seemed like a sweet dog (despite the fact that one of the workers at the shelter told us that, because Rocco had a certain look about him, he feared the dog might “turn on us”–true story).
Upon bringing him home, we quickly discovered a different side to Rocco. He growled at us, he bit when we tried playing with him and we really didn’t know what to do. I’m about 5’11”,weigh 250 lbs and am at the gym about 4 days a week, but have to admit that I was a little afraid of this small animal who was snarling at me in my living room.
Fortunately, a coworker recommended Rebecca, saying that she had done an amazing job of helping him with his dogs. After just a few invaluable training sessions at our home, Rebecca helped us to turn Rocco into a different dog. She corrected his aggressive behavior and her keen insight and knowledge gave us the ability to maintain his calm demeanor and correct him with confidence when he misbehaved. In addition, she’s always been available via email or phone whenever we had a question (housebreaking issues, Rocco’s diet, general health concerns, etc).
Twelve months later, Rocco is a happy and beautifully behaved dog. He never growls at us or tries to bite us–ever. Wherever we take him, people comment about what a good dog he is. We owe that to Rebecca. And a year after those initial sessions, we still have her come to the house for training – not to correct any behavioral issues, but to help teach Rocco fun new tricks. He’s turned out to be pretty amazing. And so is Rebecca.”
—MMoses, Sherman Oaks, CA
Want to be sure you’re doing everything you can to help your puppy have a peaceful night? Buy Rebecca’s e-book, Puppy Sleep Training – The Exhausted Puppy Owner’s Nighttime Survival Guide! Puppy Sleep Training is available on Amazon.com for immediate download. No Kindle required… you can view it on your computer, tablet or smart phone by downloading the free Kindle reading app HERE!