Dogs Behaving Badly...

What should you do when your best friend is just not listening? 


Well here's a few tips that can help you solve your problems or at least get you on the right path. Many dogs "act up" because they get something out of it. 


Here's an example:
You come home from a long day at work and your best buddy is overwhelmed with excitement when you come in the door. He boundless jumps all over you. For some owners this is a real problem where they can actually be injured and knocked over. 


So how would you go about teaching your beloved (and happy) pet to relax when you come home? 


A great place to start is by asking yourself "What would I want him to do instead?". Dogs can not just stop and do nothing. We have to take all that energy and excitement and direct it at another source. This is a great time to teach a good solid sit stay or even a "drop/down stay". One of my clients opted to teach her dog to go get a toy and bring it to her. This gave the dog a very specific job and a way to burn his energy. Another one of my clients decided to teach her dog to go to bed and wait for a few minutes so she could get her shoes and coat off. Once she was ready she would release the dog and he'd be allowed to offer a "hug". The choices are plentiful and can be as creative as you like. 


The key to stopping "bad" behaviour is replacing it with something more desirable. Many owners need help with this and it sure pays to have a trainer you can consult with. 

Catch the Good Stuff!

A key ingredient in living harmoniously with our dogs is rewarding the good behaviours. It's all too easy to ignore our dogs when they are sleeping, sitting politely or simply enjoying a good chew toy. Those are the moments to pay attention!

We know that reinforced behaviour is likely to repeat itself. A good example of this is the number of dogs who will readily "sit" for a cookie. They learned long ago that sit was expected and can't give it fast enough.

Now what about making that moment about lying down so you can watch your favourite tv show or cook dinner? A good way to integrate positive reinforcement right into your daily life is to keep a few tasty treats in ziplock containers out of Fido's reach but close enough for you to easily grab. The same goes for high value toys. If you see your furry friend being good then simply throw him a small tidbit or his favourite rope to chew. Chances are he'll do it again! 

This is extremely important for puppies and adolescent dogs who still need to learn the "house hold" rules. Help them out by pointing out what they're doing right and interrupting them when they make mistakes. You'll have a well behaved canine in no time!