Correcting Improper Behavior
Dog owners and dog lovers alike love the positive quality of life that a four-legged friend can bring. Companionship, enjoyment and even compassion are some of the ways that dogs demonstrate their loyalty and affection. However, most people wish that their dogs could just learn not to be such jerks sometimes.
Where are their manners? No one wants to introduce new friends to their dog who will excitedly jump all over them and never leave them alone. Certainly, you could do without the food bowl being knocked out of your hand before you can even set it down on the floor. Even leash tugging is a unanimous annoyance and can even be a hazard, especially if the dog outweighs the owner.
Well, if this describes your pooch, there is no need to worry that you will have to live with this nuisance. Manners can easily be taught to both puppies that are just learning life and mature dogs that you may worry have started to settle in their ways. Here are the top three exercises to teach your pet manners.
Manners at Mealtime
Dog parents may have issues with their dogs’ manners regarding things like territorial behavior over the food bowl, eagerness that results in grabbing food too quickly, and a multitude of other poor behaviors at meal-time. If your pup guards his food, you may have to resort to supervising them while they eat, even getting on the floor.
Then dish out very small portions at a time from your hand. You have to let them know that you are the one giving them the food and they should be willing to share (even though you obviously don’t want kibble). Grabbing food to quickly should be remedied the simple “sit and stay” trained many times until the routine sinks in.
Manners on A Leash
Dog’s that tend to pull on their leashes as you are walking them need to be taught they are not the leader, but the follower. You are the pack leader and should always walk in front and steer which direction you want to go, not your dog.
The exercise for training leash behavior involves letting your dog know that you decide the pace. If fluffy starts to pull, just stop walking. Make him wait; he may even sit down.
Once the pulling has stopped, start walking again. Anytime your dog pulls, repeat this behavior. After some time, he will echo your pace and not try to control it. If your dog is stubborn, you may be in for some very long walks, but it will pay off in the end! Enlisting the help of an experienced dog walking service can help.
Manners around Others
Saying hello to new and old friends and family doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable experience for you, your pet, or the people you are greeting. Many dogs that bark and run to the door once they hear a knock or the doorbell are just excited.
Although this may be the case, this behavior can overstep another’s comfort zone boundaries. Rather than approaching it as aggressive, negative behavior (which will need to be addressed differently), these actions can be easily trained and corrected. One easy trick is to start introducing your pet slowly. You may need a leash for this.
Basically, if you are meeting a friend during a walk, for instance, have them come into view. Your dog may begin to get excited and start jumping or moving around excitedly. If they do this merely stop and wait until they calm down. Then begin your approach and then start getting too excited again, stop again and wait.
Do this so they know that they do not get the reward which is the greeting until they are calm. As with any exercise, this may take many tries to perfect. Once they reach your friend, discourage any jumping by having your friend ignore your dog and walk elsewhere until they can greet them without jumping or swarming.
Teaching man’s best friend manners doesn’t have to be an impossible task. With patience and repetition, anyone can succeed. Also, don’t be afraid of offering treats at the right times. Anytime your dog exhibits the behavior you are training, reward him. That positive reinforcement will hammer your point home that much more.
Now that you’ve learned some effective training tips for teaching your dog manners, it is time to try them out! Click here for more tips and tricks to find the best approach for your dog.
If you would like to take it a step further and ask for some in-person help, contact your dog sitting service. They can provide you with many resources to turn your pooch into the perfect lady or gentleman that you know they can be!