Does your dog refuse to sit or stay at your command and does it bother other people by jumping up and barking? This may be your dog's natural exuberance getting the better of him but when you are out in public, not only is it embarrassing for you, it can be frightening for people who are unsure of themselves around dogs. If you want to avoid these situations then you need to start getting your dog to change his behavior now.
In some respects dogs are like children and this means that they have to be taught how to be social beings without indulging in anti-social habits. If you are trying to get your dog to respond to your commands and behave in an acceptable manner, then you need to instigate regular training sessions. Training a dog to display acceptable behaviour is not easy if you are a first time owner. Some people take their dog to professional trainers once or twice a week but if your budget won't run to that then you have to fall back on your own resources.
Not quite, there are training books and manuals out there; some of which come as a complete package, that will take you through the training sessions one step at a time. Always remember with dogs that the way to instill the behaviour that you want is by repetition and reward ? losing your temper is counterproductive. If you get the right package and apply the right amounts of praise, patience and time you will soon have a well behaved and probably happier dog.
If you don't speak dog, that translates to ?Do you want to go out?? It's a phrase that every dog knows, every dog owner says, and is followed (generally speaking) by jumping for joy, wriggling with glee, and barking with boundless energy.
Keeping the subsequent time as much fun is usually more difficult. Most dogs are familiar with two kinds of ?going out.? There's going out to ?do your business,? which is its own art form and a subject for another day. The other is more fun, time-consuming, and depending on the dog, stressful in itself.
Every dog, regardless of age, size, breed or temperament can learn to walk nicely with her person. It does take some patience, some time, and a willingness to be more stubborn than your dog. If you refuse to be pulled along, eventually your dog will stop trying. Like toddlers who constantly test their boundaries, dogs will always try for a mile when they get an inch.
When you're teaching your dog to walk with you, don't count on getting anywhere. This is just a short exercise, not a way to get your fitness walk done for the day. You'll need about 10 minutes, a pocketful of treats for your dog, and a six-foot leash. Make the treats tiny ? you'll be giving a lot of them. Your dog should be wearing a flat collar or harness. You should be wearing comfortable shoes that give you excellent traction ? this is not the time for clogs!
Put your dog's leash on and head outside. Talk to your dog constantly ? you'll feel funny about it at first, especially if you live in a busy neighborhood, but you'll get over it. At least if you have a dog with you, people assume you're not talking to yourself.
Set out with a ?Stay with me!? or ?Watch me!? ? very positive and happy. If you're the most interesting thing around, your dog will pay more attention. Being the most interesting thing is easy if your dog is food-motivated. As soon as your dog looks at you ? give him a treat. Just for looking at you. It won't take long for Fido to figure out what a good thing he's got going.
Start walking at your normal pace. As soon as the leash tightens as your dog pulls away from you ? STOP! Don't say anything, don't tug on the leash, just stand still. As soon as your dog looks at you (trying to figure out what the heck's going on), give her a treat! Say ?Good Watch!.? When the leash is no longer taut ? continue walking, even if it's only one more step. When the leash tightens, stop. When the dog looks at you ? give him a treat!
Be sure your dog comes to you to get the cookie. This way we make sure the dog knows being with you is wonderful, the leash loosens up, and you have some slack to start walking again. Be prepared to stand there for a while ? it takes some dogs time to figure out what you want, and how to get what they want!
Eventually even the most stubborn dog will figure out that being with you gets her what she wants ? a nice long walk and cookies! As your dog learns the exercise, space out the treats randomly. Dogs are eternal optimists and will always hope a treat is forthcoming. As long as they get one sometimes, they'll hope forever.
Both Robert Thomson & Hope Saidel are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Robert Thomson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Desktop, Finances and Pets. Visit the internets number1 dog training secrets guide here for more information. Robert Thomson's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
Hope Saidel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dog Care, Pets and Dogs. Hope Saidel is the co-owner of , a bricks-and-mortar and online small dog shop featuring fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs. She has trained. Hope Saidel's top article generates over 1000 views. to your Favourites.