The best way to stop behavior problems is to prevent them from ever developing.
If your aren't willing to work hard to
prevent and correct problems it may be best not to get a pet at all. Too many people get a young, boisterous puppy, and expect him to automatically be trained, or to train himself.
No matter what you do, a puppy is going to do disappointing things like chewing on valuable items, jumping up on guests or having an accident in the house. Some of this is to be
expected, just as it is to be expected with young children. If you are not ready to take the bad with the good
and accept a few mishaps, then a dog may not be for you. But if you are fully armed for the prospect of
unpleasantness, then you are ready to tackle a puppies behavior problems and mold him or her into a
wonderful companion and well-behaved citizen.
The Nature of Dogs
It is important to understand what makes a dog behave the way he does, before you ever get one. Once you
understand "dogness" you can better realize that his inappropriate behavior isn't meant to "get" you.
First of all, dogs are by nature pack animals; like wolves in the wild. This means that they live in a highly
socialized group that has its own order. Each pack is run by the pack leader, the alpha dog. All the other pack
members defer to the pack leader and obey his wishes. this explains much about a dog's behavior. A dog
is not a solitary animal. In fact, being by himself goes against the very nature of a dog. Members of a pack
sleep, eat and hunt together. They are a close knit community.
Pet dogs need a pack too, in this case, your family. A dog will generally listen to and seek to please the family
leaders, the mother, father, or whoever owns the dog. Because dogs are social animals, they can become
stressed, fearful and bored if left alone for long periods of time. This can lead to destructive behavior, not
because the dog is trying to get back at you for leaving him, but because he is frightened or bored, and
chewing is a natural way for a dog to relieve such stress.
Dogs are also den animals. this natural den impulse is why giving your dog his own crate to sleep in is such a
good idea. Rather than feeling trapped in the crate, the dog sees it as his own space; a little retreat where he
feels safe. If the crate is large enough for the dog to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably, he
should not urinate or defecate in it because dogs don't eliminate inside their dens. This makes using a crate
an ideal way to house train a dog.
Working With Dogs to Prevent and Correct Behavior Problems
You must realize that a dog is not a "spiteful" creature. Chewing is a perfectly normal behavior for a
dog, but is an inappropriate behavior when its done on items other than the dogs toys. You have to find a way
to channel inappropriate behaviors into proper ones. Although dogs will not eliminate in their dens, they have
a different perception of "den" than you do. You have to teach the dog that the den is the whole house. As
annoying as it may be to you, dogs learn that jumping on people is a great way to get attention; even if it is
negative. Once you understand that, its easier to correct a problem before it begins.
There are certain basics that will help you teach your dog appropriate behavior. First of all, its easier to
prevent a problem behavior than to correct one later. If you prevent a small puppy from jumping on you, he
will soon learn that this is not good behavior and give up. For chewing, teaching the dog to chew on
appropriate items, such as sturdy toys, before he learns to munch on the rug. Giving a puppy an old shoe to
chew will lead to them chewing on your good shoes; they can't tell the difference. Always praise the puppy for
chewing on the right things. Teach them what is right before you punish them for what is wrong
.
The magic rules for dog training:
1. Be firm (not harsh)
2. Be fair (the dog can't understand english, don't expect him to!)
3. Be consistent. ( Don't let the dog commit the behavior one time and punish him for it the next. (i.e.)Don't expect the dog to know the difference in jumping on you when you're wearing jeans or when you're dressed for the evening.)
Here are a few tips to follow to
help to stick to these rules and aid in your training.
Remember, training is not a time you set aside. Just because you are not in a training session does not
mean your dog is not paying attention and learning. You are always training your dog.
Never try to train your dog when you angry or frustrated.
Set obtainable goals for you and your dog. Start simple, before you go to more advanced training. Make
sure the dog knows what you want before you go further in your training.
Keep all lessons short and upbeat, ending each training session on a positive note.
Combine your everyday activities such as play, walks, and petting, with the commands you want the dog
to know. If you impress on your dog at an early stage that obeying is fun, they will rarely disappoint
you.
Teach proper behavior alternatives and praise the dog for doing right.
Correction must be done when the inappropriate behavior is exhibited, never correct a dog after the
fact.
The correction must be short. Don't hold a grudge against your dog. Make the correction and leave it at
that. The dog will not understand why you are mad at him all day for something he did earlier.
Don't Give Up!
Ask for help. Advice and guidance from people experienced in training can be a big help. Puppy classes
are invaluable for an early start on training.
House training
There are a few major rules that must be followed in order to successfully house train a dog. If you follow there guidelines you can look forward to
having a dog who never has accidents.
1. Go out with your puppy and praise him for eliminating in the proper place.
2. Take the puppy to the same
place and give a key phrase like "go now" or "hurry up". As soon as the puppy eliminates, praise him
enthusiastically. You don't need food as a reward, just praise.
3. Take the puppy out after he eats, drinks, sleeps and plays. (During play they may have to go more
frequently.) Give the puppy five minutes outside to "go", if he does not go, bring him back in and confine
him to his crate and try again a few minutes later (your goal should be to teach the puppy to go as soon as he goes outside - not 20 minutes later).
4. Watch his every move. You must catch him in the act of going indoors in order to correct him, if you give him unsupervised "run of the house", this won't be possible. If you
catch him simply startle him with a loud noise (clap your hands), then get him outside to his spot. Praise him if he
goes again outside.
5. Don't punish. Never rub their nose in the mess or strike him for having an accident. If an accident occurs while your not
watching it is your fault, for not paying attention.
6. Confine your puppy. Keep him in a crate or limit his area so you can watch him. Use a crate to confine
the pup when you aren't available to watch him. He will be less likely to go in his crate.
Chewing
The reasons pets do
destructive things can usually be traced back to the situation we put our pets in. Imagine finding yourself
alone all day, day in and day out with little or nothing to occupy your mind. Dogs relieve anxiety and
stress brought on by the long hours alone by chewing. Chewing is a natural outlet for a dog's stress, the
problem comes when the dog chooses to chew on furniture, clothing or anything else of value. As mentioned
before, you have to show your dog the right things to chew on. To do this, play a little game of fetch with a
chew toy to get the dog used to picking it up and chewing on it. Praise the dog for this proper behavior. When
the dog attempts to chew something you don't want him to, simply take it from him and give him a chew toy saying
"Get your toy". Play the fetch game with your dog repeating the command "Get your toy" until he responds
by getting the toy himself.
Dog proof your house! Don't leave socks, shoes, trash baskets in the puppies reach
Sometimes the wrong kinds of toys can exacerbate a chewing problem. Giving old socks, shoes, or discarded
clothing encourages destructive chewing. Choose toys that can't be dismantled but exercise the dogs head.
Hiding a cookie inside a rubber kong can keep a dog busy for hours.
Separation Anxiety
Dogs can be destructive if they are fearful of your leaving them. This is called "Separation Anxiety". You
must convince your dog that your coming and going are no big deal, no threat. Don't make leaving a
ritual you follow each time. The best thing is to never say good-bye. It can be hard, but for your dog's sake you
have to strive for this. Get up half an hour earlier than usual. Walk, feed and play with your dog just like
normal all you want, but in the last half hour before you leave, do not talk, pet or even look at your dog. Put him in his crate and treat
him like he does not exist. When its time to leave just walk out. In the half hour that you ignored your dog, he
settled down, relaxed and started to nap. Hopefully, he won't even notice your departure. Repeat this type of behavior when your returen. On your arrival home, walk calmly in and take the dog
out to potty. Calmly greet him, no big scenes. Very soon your dog will be secure in the knowledge that every time you leave you will return and that it's no big deal.
Leash Pulling
Dogs pull on the leash because they're striving to be the "Pack Leader" - the one who is always in front and you sets the pace. You must teach your puppy from the beginning that this is just not going to be the case. Walk your dog on a six foot leash, holding the leash
in both hands, do not wrap it around your hands. Hold the leash firmly and when you fell the slightest pressure
turn and walk the other way, giving a quick snap to the lead as you do so. Your dog will be surprised and run back to catch up with you. Praise him lavishly, and
keep walking. Most dogs will learn to keep a close eye on you after only a few about turns. Repeat these
steps as needed, until your dog learns to walk with you like a civilized animal.
Jumping Up
Pets generally consider jumping up as a means to satisfy their need for attention or play. From a very young
age, a puppy can find that jumping will be met with rewards (he jumps up, you reach down and pet him). Just remember one rule, jumping will soon
disappear if it is not rewarded. Simply be prepared when your puppy approaches you and bend down, firmly, but gently place him into a sitting position and praise him lavishly. Very quickly the puppy will stop jumping and start sitting and waiting for the praise. The whole family must be consistent in this or it will not be
affective.
To correct a dog who already has a bad habit of jumping up, you should physically push him away and say
"OFF". Physically put the dog in a sitting position and tell him to "sit". If you have to, push down on his
hindquarters and pull up on his collar until he sits. Now you can praise him and give him the attention he was
asking for by jumping up.
Barking
Remember a dog is going to bark, it is a natural means of expression and communication and should not be
unduly suppressed. However, some dogs do bark excessively, and it is helpful to teach them not to bark
unnecessarily. When a dog is barking unnecessarily, go to them and say "Quiet" while offering a treat. As
they sniff the treat, which will require them to stop barking, praise them quietly; saying "Good Quiet" then
give the treat. Talking in whispers will encourage a dog to listen.
Nipping
It is crucial to stop a dog from nipping right from the start, so he won't get the idea that it is ever acceptable.
Play biting is a normal for puppies. It is a natural behavior and necessary part of a puppies development. Play
biting is the means by which puppies develop bite inhibition. Although play biting may not feel good, puppies
do not mean serious harm. By receiving feedback they will eventually learn bite inhibition.
The best way to let the puppy know that play biting is not acceptable is to treat him as his mother would. Grab the top of his muzzle and placing
his lips against his teeth gently press till the puppy cries. When the puppy leaves do not follow him to apologize. Leaving is the response you are looking for.
If you have an older dog that nips or bites, you should seek the advise and training of a professional dog
trainer to handle this serious behavior problem.
There are a lot of methods for training dogs. These are the best ways I have found for dealing with these particular
behavior problems in the classes we teach. Just remember to be fair to the dog, they can not read minds, and they don't speak english. You need to show them
what is expected of them before you correct what they are doing wrong. And remember corrections after the
fact only tend to confuse the dog, if you find evidence of misbehavior do not call the dog to the site and punish
him, it will only serve to teach them not to come. If you were not paying attention to the dogs behavior then
you are the one at fault not the dog.
Please find an obedience class in your area. All dogs can benefit from even a puppy kindergarten class. Early
training will lead to easier training as they get older. All they want to do is please you, your job is to show
them how they can accomplish that task.
