Our dogs behave in ways that work for them. In other words, they will continue to do what leads to things they want or enjoy. In many cases, misbehavior in dogs is simply a result of our misuse of daily interactions with them. Every interaction you have with your dog is a training and learning opportunity that informs them how to behave in the future.
A simple, easy trick is to maximize every interaction you already have with your dog. This is training without adding hours to your already busy schedule. Think about all the things your dog likes, loves, and enjoys. Then, emphasize providing these rewards to your dog throughout the day dependent upon good behavior. For example, many owners already know to have their dog Sit and Stay before the food bowl is placed in front of them. Your dog should also Sit and Stay before his leash is attached for a walk, the door is opened to let him outside, his toy is thrown for chasing or offered for tugging, etc. There are a variety of rewarding events you provide your dog with throughout the day, and each of these can be turned into a quick training event simply by having your dog perform some response in exchange for obtaining the rewarding event or item. Remember from last week's post - even looking at your dog can be enough to reward "bad" behavior!
Most of us would like our dogs to be calm. Train them to be calm by providing rewards only after they are behaving calmly. If your dog does not know how to engage in calm behaviors, such as Sit or Lie Down on command, you must teach these behaviors first, as described by your Dr. Woof animal behavior consultant. Then, use these commands throughout the day BEFORE providing a reward to your dog. If your dog leaps on you, mouths at you, nudges your hand, or barks at you, and you then provide attention, his food bowl, his leash, or his toy, you are teaching your dog that pestering behavior produces good things. This can create a dog who continues to engage in challenging behavior to obtain other things in life. In extreme cases, such pushy behavior lapses into aggressive behavior. Once aggressive behavior has been established, it can be difficult to treat.
Here is a list of possible rewarding events in your dog’s life for which he should be calm before getting:
His food bowl is placed on the floor
His water bowl is refilled and placed on the floor (if he was looking for water at the time)
His leash is snapped on to his collar in preparation for a walk
The door is opened to let him out
The crate door is opened to let him out
He approaches you for petting (before you reach out to pet, have him Sit)
He approaches you with a toy in his mouth (before you tug with him, have him Sit)
He approaches you and you are holding his ball (before you throw it, have him Sit)
You go to the cookie jar or toss a piece of food scrap
You unleash his collar for off leash play/running around
What other events or things in your dog’s life are some of his favorite things? How can you use these as rewards for calm behavior?
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