Does Your Dog Need More Training?

Dogs are extremely obedient animals, even when they have a mind and personality of their own. Humans first domesticated them partly because of this fact, and it worked a treat coupled with how much we enjoy their company. And yet, there are a lot of dogs out there that misbehave from time to time, or a few times every single day, and usually it’s not their fault.

But a lot of people don’t realise this, and expect our beloved canine companions to learn how to sit patiently on their own. And whilst a very well trained and loving dog can help you find a lost member of your family, it doesn’t apply to every canine out there.

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Maybe Fido Barks a Lot

If your dog barks a lot it could be for a variety of reasons, so the first step is to make you know what causes you to bark. Maybe it’s the postman, maybe it’s people walking past the house outside, maybe it’s even you! Either way, it’s time to convince Fido out of his habit, and make sure he’s a lot calmer when it comes to meeting new people and having his home ‘invaded’, even if you live there!

When Fido gets going, try to distract him, or teach him a counter behavior to make sure he gets into another habit. Of course you don’t want your dog to stop barking completely, it’s both a warning sign and a way they communicate, but it doesn’t have to be excessive either. So next time he’s outside and goes off, choose to ignore him to show you don’t appreciate his way of getting your attention.

Spot Seems to Have Selective Hearing

If your dog ignores you, it’s probably because you’ve accidentally reinforced this behavior before now. So you need to learn to undo this, and start to communicate with Spot on her level. And by that, you’re going to have to become a lot more visual with your movements and commands, and don’t talk as much as you used to.

Reward Spot when she does listen to you, and try to keep your verbal commands to a minimum if she doesn’t.

You Think Fluffy Has More Potential...

Fluffy is a good dog, and you know for a fact their talents could be put to better use elsewhere. So it’s time to enter a training program; this could be for a dog show or something more heavy duty, like that of being seeing eye dog or a hearing animal. If you go through a program like certapet to get an official certificate out the other side, your dog is going to be a first class service animal, and you’re never going to be more proud. There’s always a strict criteria, and don’t get put out if Fluffy fails it, it’s for their own good!

When you train a dog, you need to be consistent in what you show, and firm but fair with your commands. A dog always learns from us!

Is Your Dog Playing Up?

Dogs are arguably the best pet there is. They’re loyal beyond belief, and want nothing more than to please their owners. But do they know what is needed to please their owners? Not really. Sometimes a dog's excitement and lack of training can get the better of them, and it can be taken as the dog misbehaving. This can escalate so much so that the owner feels like giving up all hope, when in fact a few simple changes can make the world of difference. So, if you feel like you have a dog that is a bit disobedient, here’s what you can do to make sure they become the perfect pooch.

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Misbehaving On The Lead


There are two main ways that a dog can misbehave whilst on the lead, and when they do it can be an absolute nightmare to have to walk them. But a lot of dogs just actually hate being on a lead, which sort of creates more of a problem as you know they need to be on a lead for their safety! So, the first way they can do so aggression to other dogs whilst on the lead. 

Often it’s the fact that they’re on the lead that is causing what might look like aggression, when really all they want to do is play. Rather than keeping them on the lead around other dogs, let them off and let them interact, it’s the only way they’re going to learn that vital socialization. If you know you’ve had troubles with other dogs before, and the aggression is genuine, then you can read articles on how to stop on lead dog aggression to see if you can find any advice that might work for you. As a last resort, you could try taking them to doggy training. 

This will allow them to have that interaction with other dogs in a controlled environment, and it is often easier for them to learn through methods like that. The second way they can be a pain on the lead is through pulling. When you’ve got a big dog that is pulling you things can go wrong very quickly. What you can do is use treats and gently tugging the dog to a halt to stop the pulling. Every time they pull, bring them to a stop by pulling on the lead, but not too sharply. Then reward. Repeat the process and hopefully the pulling should stop!


Misbehaving In The Home

Misbehaving in the home can sometimes be more of a pain than when they’re on a walk. The main way they can misbehave is by tearing up your belongings whilst you’re gone. Now, there are some sprays that won’t smell bad to you, but will put a dog off things like furniture. There’s always the option of trying that. But most of the time dogs do it due to seperation issues. 

So, you could always make it a routine of yours to go home half way through the day to either feed them, spend some time with them, or just talk them for a walk to get them out the house. Sometimes this is the best option so that they aren’t alone all day.