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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
Have you fallen under the spell of large limpid eyes and a saucy grin? Enchanted by the petite one with the grace of a ballet dancer and terrier –like qualities? Or were you taken by cute and goofy like appearance and personality of the larger breed of dog?
Did you find the constant demand for attention alarming? Did the barking and/or nipping shock you? Were you astounded by the immense curiosity and thirst for mischief?
Well, welcome to the world of dog ownership --- underneath their façade, lies a will of steel.
Wondering how to temper /mould the steel?
Well, it requires patience, persistence, and determination.
One can, turn the vagabond into a well-behaved loving puppy --you just have to follow the “golden rules.”
Burn up the energy
As several studies have shown, all canines have a personality that is in actuality a reflection of their energy levels. They are known to have short bursts of energy followed by rest periods.
In order for you to keep and maintain a balance in your dog’s life you will have to ensure that 50% of the dog’s interaction is exercise. And mind you exercise does not mean pottering around the house. Your Dog needs at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday to burn off its excess energies and this does not include “play” time.
You the pet owner/parent need to ensure that 25% of the 50% is training exercises. This does not mean just obedience school or short spurts of training done 2-3 times a day but obedience that is a part of daily life.
Practice “nothing in life is for free” and you will reap rewards. Your dog must learn to obey and earn his praise, petting, treats and so on. Never ever give in to the limpid/sorry looks. I am sure you are aware what happens when you “spoil a child.”
The balance 25% of the interaction should be affection. I am sure, that is as long as your dog is being good to you, if not, ignore him and go about your daily duties. And, if you only “pay attention” when he is bad – such as if he is jumping, barking, running with toilet paper in his mouth etc, you are giving him negative attention – In other words you will be teaching your dog how he can get your attention - that is by behaving badly!
Do try and pay attention when he is good – praise him, pet him, hug him – tell him what a good dog he is.
What is the best training method for your Dog?
What is the most popular training method in use today? The answer would be “positive reinforcement.” The concept “Nothing in life is free” is a successful way to live happily with your dog.
To start the program, you need to make a list of activities your dog loves to do. And, teach him basic puppy commands like: sit, down, stay, shake, speak, roll over, and so on.
Now, before you reward your dog with any “loving” activity like playing, petting, rubbing, or going for a walk, your dog must execute one of the commands well – no shirking no avoiding.
The rule you must remember is simple “No work. No Play.”
Here is how:
You:
Put his leash in place to go for a walk.
Feed him.
Play with him when you return from work.
Rub his belly or scratch his head while watching TV.
In turn he must:
Sit patiently until you attach his leash.
Must lie down and stay until you put his food bowl down.
Must sit and shake hands each time you throw a ball/toy for him to fetch.
Must lie down and roll over before being petted.
Once you have given a command he must obey, otherwise you should not give him what he wants –walk away and ignore him. And begin once again after a few minutes. Show persistence and patience and you will find that he will toe the line.
The benefits are:
Most dogs will acknowledge that you are the leader—the alpha. They will follow your lead. This helps establish control even over a dominant dog.
Even with affectionate/manipulative dogs this works, as you indicate you are no push over for a few licks/nudges/or limpid eyes.
Obeying commands helps build confidence in dogs and makes them feel very secure. This works because; dogs descend from pack animals that have a social structure and hierarchy. The hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict, and promote harmony as well as cooperation within a group. In order that the home environment remains a haven and a safe happy place for pets – it is important for you to assume the ‘alpha’ position. By you and your children practicing “Nothing in Life is for Free,” your dog learns that he, in hierarchy, ranks below you and the children.
Whether you are a first time dog owner or a seasoned veteran, your learning never stops as far as it comes to training your dog. Each and every dog presents different training challenges, and the more equipped you are to handle these training issues the more likely you are to prevent any permanent and long term future behavioral problems.
If you are serious about your dog, and want the very best for her/him, then you owe it to your best friend to get a copy of this FREE Dog Training Mini-Course. You can still get it from here:
http://dogtrainingmastery.com/Free_Dog_Training/dog-obedience-training.htm
About The Author Ray Coleiro is the author of the popular book "Dog Training Mastery - An Owner's Manual!" His main interest lies in promoting effective Canine Communication using solid Dog Psychology principles. To learn more about his proven Dog Training methods and life's work, you can visit http://dogtrainingmastery.com/Dog_Training/dog-training.htm
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