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Everything with dog training is related, and almost all bad behaviour can be eliminated with appropriate instruction.
Dog training and behaviour modification can be successful with just five minutes a day. All you need to do is decide what to improve on, make a list and ‘attack’ three issues a week.
If your dog jumps up, practice your instruction to ‘sit’. Here’s how to do it. When he jumps, give a ‘sit’ command – he cannot do both at the same time. This is called giving your dog an incompatible command or action.
Make a habit to sit your dog before feeding. It is good manners but you are also training ‘sit’ as a positive position with a very high reward – dinner!
Lets look at barking. Do you want to stop your dog barking? Really? What if there is an intruder? Still want your dog to stop barking?
When a dog barks constantly, we ignore it. Through lack of training we have negated a positive asset and turned it into a nuisance.
What is really needed is to teach discriminate barking, meaning to bark at things inside the boundary and not nuisance bark.
If your dog doesn’t come to you when called, it is potentially serious – perhaps even fatal if a snake or car is involved.
Every time you call your dog and he doesn’t come, you have proven to your dog that coming is optional.
Most people take their dog off the lead far too soon, you need your lead to ensure the ‘come’ command is obeyed.
Practice and praise your dog enthusiastically for almost every step he takes towards you. Praise for the journey, not the destination.
When making your wish list for improving your dog’s behaviour, choose things relevant to you, your family, and your lifestyle.
It is pointless ‘heeling’ for hours if you never want to compete in obedience trials. If you want to achieve manners and control, focus on those issues.
Practice loose leash walking so you and your family can take your dog for a walk without your arms being dragged out of their sockets. Perhaps this should be first on your list of ‘Training Required’.
One last thing – if your lead is tight you have lost control!
