The First Tips – Dog Training Manual
As a animal health professional with over a decade of experience, I have seen lots of animals – dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, horses, cow and even the odd snake (scared the life out of me!!). An animal that misbehaves in any species is not a pleasant animal to own. Certainly, the behaviour starts as cute little quirks or a ‘bit of personality’ and soon you have an animal that is running the show and has the whole household bowing to their commands – just as they like it!
Did you know one of the common reasons that dogs are surrended to shelters is for behaviour problems.. The cute ball of fluff has turned into a terror either barking, biting, scratching, whining, peeing and chewing everything in sight… Owners start out with great intentions with puppy crate training and puppy obedience training and/or looking at dog obedience courses and dog training for barking but the courses finish, the dog training manual gets put aside as life gets busy and consistency goes out the window or it just gets frustrating when nothing seems to work.
You must understand dogs and how they work to be able to train them.
1. Dogs are pack animals – they live in a group, they need a group to play and socialise with. So if it is just you and your dog – when you go out and it is by itself – it can be bored or scared and possibly anxious or destructive. This doesn’t mean you should never leave your dog alone but if the dog is by itself for 40+hrs /week, this can explain why the back yard has been dug up, the shoes chewed and there is a letter of complaint from the neighbours about the barking.
TIP #1 – activity or exercise every day is a MUST. Some dogs needs lots of exercise – they will get stir crazy being locked up all day and some dogs just need mental stimulation with activities &/or attention eg toys, radio, a Kong full of food or treats, throwing a ball in the back yard – something to keep them busy and distracted.
2. Every pack neads a leader – that leader MUST be YOU and NOT the dog! The dog should be at the bottom of the pack (eg your family), not above the kids or your partner. This can be a challenge if the kids are young or you/your partner is a big softie and lets the dog run the house.
TIP #2 – YOU must always go first eg out the door, through the doorway, sitting on the sofa, etc, etc. Make the dog wait and be last. You are asserting dominance and being the pack leader.
Remember a well behaved dog is a pleasure to take out and a pleasure to have at home, so pick that dog training manual, refresh that memory and they will love the attention (and all the rewards!)…
Aug 14, 2009 | 5 | Dog Training Manual
May 8th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Amazing, I found your site on google poking around for something completely unrelated- now I’m gonna need to go the old posts. Good bye free time today, but this was a really spectacular find.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:44 am
Canine training is beneficial and could be challenging with some dogs, but with some patience and lotsa tender love, your pal will be healthy and very happy. These are great tips posted by the author that all dog lovers need to go over – thank you.
June 26th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Great site you have. Congrats!
July 1st, 2010 at 11:39 am
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July 6th, 2010 at 4:57 am
Good post, thanks