Your dog's behaviour is conditioned by dedicated training from the outset of ownership. Here are five things all good owners can do for man’s best friend…
Seek professional help
Start by acknowledging that to be a good dog owner, you will need to spend a lot of time training your dog, or hire someone who can (so far, so much like childcare). If you’re finding home-training isn’t enough (and it can be a challenging thing to master), an obedience course can help to teach your dog some basic skills. A side effect of an obedience course is a stronger bond between you and your dog, which benefits you both. If you’re the owner of a rather anti-social pup, consider one-to-one sessions with a trainer. In the UK, look for trainers accredited with The Kennel Club Accreditation Scheme for Instructors in Dog Training and Canine Behaviour (KCAI).
Train – short and regular
For the best results, train your dog in short sessions that you regularly repeat, such as teaching your dog to sit, then teaching them to give you their paw. Do these repetitions during one 15 minute session every day, and by keeping to a strict timeframe, your dog is much more likely to stay attentive. The short frequency and high intensity of the training sessions will help reinforce what you want your dog to learn.
Use positive reinforcement
To teach your dog to do what you want her to do, it is important to reward her good behaviour as soon as she’s done it. So if you ask your dog to sit and she does, praise and pet her right away so that she knows that she did something good. Try to reward your dog whenever she does good things so that she knows that these are the behaviours you like.
Ignore bad behaviour
The best way to stop a dog’s bad behaviour is to ignore him. For example, if your dog wants to go for a walk and is jumping on you very excitedly, ignore him and wait until he stops. When he (finally) stands still, put him on a lead and take him for a walk. Repeat this routine every time you walk your dog to help him understand that you do not want him to jump. In time he will learn that jumping up and down does not lead to a walk, but standing still and behaving does.
"Look, if we all cooperate we get home quicker and back to sniffing the bin"
The best pet owner of all balances a rigorous training regime with an abundance of love, kisses and affection.
Hold your tongue
It may sound counterintuitive, but don’t ever shout at your dog if she does something wrong. Punishing her verbally won’t solve the problem and in some cases makes it even worse. Be assertive, calm and direct, say “no” loudly while staring at her in the eye. Move her away from whatever it is, or the area where she was misbehaving, and calm her down.
The best pet owner of all balances a rigorous training regime with an abundance of love, kisses and affection.
"Aw ,shucks"
