If you have a dog that has obedience problems it can be quite stressful for
both of you. Proper dog training will improve the relationship you have with your
dog. We will deal with some of the more common dog problems. Dog owners feel
frustrated and embarrassed when dealing with dogs that have bad habits. Once
you deal with teaching your dog to listen to your commands the both of you can
put your energy into a fulfilling relationship.
STOP YOUR DOG FROM JUMPING UP
The dog that jumps is a universal problem that can be cured if you understand what is motivating that behavior. The most common problem is a dog that jumps to greet someone. This is usually caused by being excited. Dogs have an inbred instinct to jump. They lick each others faces as a greeting and jump over their siblings as puppies to get to their mother. The jumping behavior may also be reinforced by the dog owner himself. When greeting your jumping dog you, praise him, feed him, walk him or play with him, you are only reinforcing the jumping behavior.
The second reason for jumping may be establishing dominance. Dogs rest their head or paws on the shoulder of a dog they want to dominate. They then exert downward pressure (this is known as teeing off). A dog will also do this to people but because of our size it is more difficult to do. It is important that you see this behavior in the broader context. If they don’t listen to you, they may have decided not to recognize you as the superior one in the pack hierarchy. If a dog has bad behavior and doesn’t listen it may be a sign of Alpha dog. Some dog owners don’t mind if their dog jumps up to greet them. The last thing we want to do is convince our dog that they have no reason to get excited to see us. But when the same dog jumps on others, it can be awkward and even dangerous.
Lay down the rules. During greeting put your hand or hands in front of you and hold still. With repetition a well trained dog will be able to respond quickly to this gesture.When the dog begins to learn the behavior, then you can add a verbal command like “down” to the gesture. It will take a puppy longer to learn this command. Don’t be overly enthusiastic when greeting a puppy that jumps. Also don’t push the puppy away as they will think you are playing. When you push a puppy away, they will push back instinctively. Patience is the key word. Dogs learn through repitition. Another good way to teach your dog not to jump is to turn your back and ignore him. You then calmly ask him to sit. When he has calmed down the greet the dog. If he starts jumping again, repeat the process. Once your dog has learned the behavior of not jumping and remains calm, it is best to greet him on his level. Squat or kneel and open your palms toward the dog. This is none threatening and puts you on the same level as the dog.
If you have established yourself as the dominant member of the pack, your dog should never be allowed to position himself in front of you when you open a door to visitors. If the behavior continues then you need training to establish yourself as the Alpha dog. If all the dog training still has not helped then a final solution is exercise. A tired dog has less energy and is better behaved. Whether its a long walk or a vigorous game of fetch,exercise is good for both of you!
STOP YOUR DOG FROM JUMPING UP
The dog that jumps is a universal problem that can be cured if you understand what is motivating that behavior. The most common problem is a dog that jumps to greet someone. This is usually caused by being excited. Dogs have an inbred instinct to jump. They lick each others faces as a greeting and jump over their siblings as puppies to get to their mother. The jumping behavior may also be reinforced by the dog owner himself. When greeting your jumping dog you, praise him, feed him, walk him or play with him, you are only reinforcing the jumping behavior.
The second reason for jumping may be establishing dominance. Dogs rest their head or paws on the shoulder of a dog they want to dominate. They then exert downward pressure (this is known as teeing off). A dog will also do this to people but because of our size it is more difficult to do. It is important that you see this behavior in the broader context. If they don’t listen to you, they may have decided not to recognize you as the superior one in the pack hierarchy. If a dog has bad behavior and doesn’t listen it may be a sign of Alpha dog. Some dog owners don’t mind if their dog jumps up to greet them. The last thing we want to do is convince our dog that they have no reason to get excited to see us. But when the same dog jumps on others, it can be awkward and even dangerous.
Lay down the rules. During greeting put your hand or hands in front of you and hold still. With repetition a well trained dog will be able to respond quickly to this gesture.When the dog begins to learn the behavior, then you can add a verbal command like “down” to the gesture. It will take a puppy longer to learn this command. Don’t be overly enthusiastic when greeting a puppy that jumps. Also don’t push the puppy away as they will think you are playing. When you push a puppy away, they will push back instinctively. Patience is the key word. Dogs learn through repitition. Another good way to teach your dog not to jump is to turn your back and ignore him. You then calmly ask him to sit. When he has calmed down the greet the dog. If he starts jumping again, repeat the process. Once your dog has learned the behavior of not jumping and remains calm, it is best to greet him on his level. Squat or kneel and open your palms toward the dog. This is none threatening and puts you on the same level as the dog.
If you have established yourself as the dominant member of the pack, your dog should never be allowed to position himself in front of you when you open a door to visitors. If the behavior continues then you need training to establish yourself as the Alpha dog. If all the dog training still has not helped then a final solution is exercise. A tired dog has less energy and is better behaved. Whether its a long walk or a vigorous game of fetch,exercise is good for both of you!