BAD BEHAVIOR
There's a popular
saying among dog trainers: "There's no such thing as a bad dog."
While that may be true, any trainer will admit that there are dogs
with very bad habits. Simply put, behavior is a way of acting and
reacting. When a dog acts or reacts to a situation in a way that has
a negative impact on her owner or others, the behavior is considered
to be "bad." Yet, to the dog, it's just what she does. Eliminating a
bad behavior requires training to give the dog a new behavior, or
habit.
One of the most
common bad behaviors is jumping up on people. This habit is
established when a dog is a puppy. Puppies jump at their mother to
get her attention so she will feed them. Dog owners find it adorable
that their puppy works so hard to get their attention as she jumps.
The naive owners come down to the dog's level or pick the puppy up,
not realizing they have just rewarded the dog for jumping and
barking. Unfortunately, behavior that is cute in a puppy often
becomes annoying in an adult dog.
Large dogs that jump
on people for attention easily knock down and accidentally injure
children and older people. Small dogs have less ability to injure
someone, but usually dirty clothes and snag stockings. In both
cases, while you might not mind your dog jumping up on you, other
people probably don't feel the same way.
Training your dog to
sit to be petted is the easiest way to break the jumping habit. To
help her develop the "sit for attention" habit, you must ignore her
when she jumps on you. You might turn your back or simply walk away.
If she follows you, turn quickly and tell her to sit. If she does,
pet and praise her. You can reinforce this behavior by having her
sit before you put her food bowl down. Every time she sits, she gets
a reward of either attention or food. Every time she jumps she gets
nothing.
Another unpopular
behavior is chewing. Destructive chewing is most often an indication
your dog is bored. If your dog chews up the couch cushions or
destroys a wicker chair while you are at work, it is probably
because she had nothing else to do. If you look up from a book or
television to find your dog chewing on your favorite shoes, realize
that she is releasing pent-up energy. Give your dog the chance to
exercise her body and brain. Plenty of physical exercise will tire
her out so that she naps while you relax.
Pet supply stores
carry a variety of toys that provide mental stimulation-doggie
puzzles to keep your pooch busy while you're away. Also, if your dog
is a chewer, make sure you give her chewing toys of her own. It is
never a good idea to give your dog an old shoe or sock to chew on;
she can't tell the difference between your favorites and your
discards and they all smell like you.
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