Habits Of Your Dog That Could Be Changed Through Training

Humans usually find dog behavior, such as licking and jumping, rude. But these are common among dogs. So, you must remember these things when you are training your dog. Do not make them feel inadequate for demonstrating problematic behavior. Teach them how to behave politely and reinforce such behavior with rewards.

Dog Behavior Training: 12 Tips to Changing your Dogs Habit

1. Barking at Visitors

If you want to ensure that your dog would not bark at visitors, you need to redirect them to a down-stay or sit-stay position before you answer the door. Give the visitor a fair number of treats they can offer your dog once they are sitting and quiet. This way, they would be able to associate welcoming visitors with yummy treats and polite behavior.

2. Jumping at guests 

Ask your dog to sit before they greet anybody. Keep treats with yourself and reward them when they stay seated. Ensure your guests ignore your dog until they sit on the floor or their fours. Ask your guests to turn their backs and leave if your dog jumps at them.

3. Licking excessively 

If your dog is licking more than it usually does, redirect them to something else or get up and walk away. If you give them a treat or toy when they stop licking you, it can work wonders.

4. Sitting on furniture 

If you snuggle with your little one on the sofa, there is nothing wrong with it. However, you must ensure that all your family members adhere to the same boundaries. Decide at the very beginning the limits that you would follow in these cases and stick with them so that you can train your dog consistently.

5. Pushing through doors 

If your dog bolts through doors, it is a rather dangerous habit. So, always keep their leash on before going close the door. Train them when they are puppies to sit and stay with you while you open the door. Invite them to go through it when you both are ready for the same.

It is a good practice to establish if you can train them to wait after they walk through the door. This way, they would pause before they act and wait for you to provide the instructions.

6. Chewing 

Provide your dog with many chew toys that are approved and safe for them to sink their teeth. Chewing is a usual activity for a dog, but you can redirect such behavior and thus save your favorite shoes.

For that, you have to keep those items out of their reach. Make sure that the chew toys we talked about are available for them.

If your dog finds a positive solution to chewing, reward them for it. Yet another tip that you can try in this case is to have them work out for half an hour each day.

This way, they would have an excellent physical outlet. If you can add a puzzle toy to each such session, you would also be giving them the mental stimulation they need.

7. Seeking attention 

Is your dog too attention-seeking? In that case, turn your back on them and do not acknowledge them till the time they behave more acceptably.

8. Digging up the yard 

Dogs love to get their paws dirty to bury food or create a cool place where they can lie in the summer. If this becomes an issue, earmark a specific area where you can allow them to dig. Encourage them to use just that area whenever they are in the mood for some digging.

If you have limited space in your yard, make sure that you keep an eye on your little one’s outings. In these cases, you could also distract them with activities and toys to discourage them from digging. If they are digging, take them on a walk for 30 minutes each.

Walking will help burn off a lot of their energy.

9. Being aggressive 

For most dogs, aggression is not a common trait, and, as such, this kind of behavior must have an underlying reason. If you see your dog lunging, biting, or snapping at other people or dogs, get help from a veterinary behaviorist. Ensure you are getting them checked by trainers certified by the veterinarian board.

10. Being afraid 

If your dog is well-bred, trained, and socialized correctly, it must not be afraid in most situations. Any dog can become afraid in situations they find strange or new. So, if your dog is showing aggression or refusing treats in such cases, get in touch with a veterinary behaviorist.

11. Meeting other dogs 

If your dog is meeting another dog, make sure they are not on a leash, as it would cause confusion between the dogs and impede their body language. Would you like to socialize with your pup? In that case, find a supervised playtime that they can attend with other puppies.

You can take them to a dog park where they get to be off-leash and meet other polite dogs. If you encounter another dog on the sidewalk, you must ask your dog to sit before introducing them to the other.

12. Stealing from countertops 

Apart from these, stealing things off countertops is a crucial problem with some dogs. So, make sure that there is nothing on the countertop. This way, they would learn that frequenting the counter is a worthless idea. It is one method that always works. If you cannot supervise your dog, crate them.

Conclusion 

So, now that you know the effective ways to train your dog, ensure that you have the positive reinforcement reward that your dog likes the most.