doggietips

This is the last section of this 3-part series. 

The desired performance from your dog can be achieved using rewards but to make it highly effective and disciplined you must also administer corrections.  Your dog must learn that if he does what is asked he will be rewarded, but for him to learn something well, he must also learn that if he doesn’t do what is asked he will be punished.  Your dog needs to know that he did something wrong but he also needs to know what that something was.  For example, your dog is playing in the park and runs off to chase a cat.  You call him to no avail, probably because he has not yet learn the “COME” command.  When he does return, you yell at him, grab him roughly by the collar and drag him home.    There’s a good chance that your dog connected your actions (anger, yelling, and dragging) with his coming back to you and not the fact that he ran off.  The last thing he did before you started yelling was to come back to you.  You might have just sabotaged the very important “COME” command.  This is a huge mistake many dog owners make and a big reason why punishment needs to be applied correctly for it to be effective. 

     Some dog owners will believe that their dog knows he did something wrong.  They might walk into the house and find a puddle on the floor or their new shoes ripped to pieces and think that their dog looks guilty.  He knows what he did.  The fact is he doesn’t.  The submissive look he’s giving you is a response to your posture.  You are angry.  You are raising your voice.  You are standing over your dog.  These are all obvious signs to your dog that you are angry with him.  You cannot punish your dog for something he did hours ago.  It just won’t work and it might create new problems.  The best thing to do here is to confine your dog when you are not at home.  More on that later. 

     A resounding “NO” is used to teach your dog that his behavior is unacceptable and that he will be punished.  But simply saying “NO” is not enough.  Like “GOOD”, your dog needs to make an association to give the word meaning.  Your dog needs to associate the word “NO” with something unpleasant to make the word effective.  It will not take long for your dog to make the association as long as you maintain the correct sequence.  The word “NO” is given first, followed by the punishment. So make sure you don’t move until after you say “NO”.     

     Punishment comes in all shapes in dog training.  Physical punishment in your dog training should never be used.  Physically punishing unacceptable behavior can lead to other problems like fear aggression.  Remember dogs do what feels good to them and avoid what doesn’t.  So saying “NO”, then removing yourself and the reward is a horrible thing to your dog.  That’s punishment enough.  The secret is to build up an alternative acceptable behavior at the same time.  The dog may steal food, jump on furniture or chew your good shoes.  These are examples of unacceptable behavior.  The moment you catch your dog, say “NO”, remove the desired object and offer an alternative.  When he accepts the alternative, reward him.  If you do not catch your dog in the act, do not do anything, as this might create new problems.  For example, if your dog is chewing on your shoes: Say “NO” sternly, remove the shoe and walk away.  Quickly give him an appropriate chew toy and reward him with praise or play.   

     There are some behaviors that cannot be eliminated by walking away and taking your treat with you although they may be suppressed for a while.  These are behaviors where your dog finds pleasure from doing them.  If the attraction is strong enough, then there’s a good chance your dog may never stop without a great deal of effort.  For example, if your dog digs in the trash.  You can hardly top the reward your dog gets when he rips the trash bag open and finds those tasty leftovers.  The best thing to do here is to remove the temptation.  You might put the trash out of his reach, or keep your dog in his kennel when you are not at home to supervise.  You want your dog to succeed so make sure he can always make good choices.  This helps to build his confidence which makes your dog the happiest dog on earth.

Thanks and give your dog a hug for me.

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