Creatures Of Habit Archives

The Simple, Step-by-step Technique for Leash Training A Dog

January 21, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

Dogs have probably been pulling on the leash since the first time someone thought it might be a good idea to loop a rope around one. They don’t like being restrained. So when you pull them back they instinctively pull the other way.

In most cases, the dog isn’t being dominant, or trying to make you mad. It’s just that there are so many interesting sights, sounds and smells to explore. He can’t wait to see what’s up ahead, so he pulls to get there faster.

And therein lies the secret to stopping your dog pulling. Start to teach your dog that, until he calms down and stops his pulling, he’s going nowhere. Here’s how;

Laying the Ground Rules

Dogs are creatures of habit so they are very observant when it comes to routines. You’ve probably noticed that, even before you pick up his lead, your dog is already getting himself worked up. I’m sure you’ve wondered how he knows what’s coming.

Most likely you have some pre-walk routine that you’re not even aware of, but that your dog has picked up on.

If you want to improve your dog’s behavior on the walk you should start right here. Don’t put up with any misbehavior. Specifically, don’t allow any boisterous behavior – barking, running, jumping up. Get him to calm down before attaching the lead. If he get’s out of hand, stop, get him to sit, then start over.

At first this can be very frustrating, but you need to be firm and consistent. It gets easier.

When the dog is calm, and you’ve attached the leash, leave the house right away. If the dog gets over-excited again, make him sit, and wait for him to calm, before proceeding.

The dog will likely want to relieve himself as soon as he’s outdoors. Allow him to do so. Once he’s done, control and limit the amount you allow him to sniff around and mark territory. Ideally you do not want to allow this at all for large sections of the walk. Allow him to explore only when you say so.

The Best Way to Stop Your Dog Pulling

If you want to stop your dog pulling, you need to stop pulling back. The way to control this behavior is to teach the dog that pulling has a negative rather than positive result. When he pulls, stop the walk and get him to sit. Only carry on with walking when he has calmed down.

At first, this will be incredibly trying. But dogs are quick learners and he’ll soon make the connection. In a short while he will understand that his walk gets interrupted every time he pulls.

Once he breaks the pulling habit start getting him to walk beside, instead of in front of you. This will also help to curb the inclination to pull, especially if a cat suddenly darts across his path!

It is also a good idea to take some of his favorite treats along while he is in training. Give a treat whenever he is walking calmly beside you and you’ll further re-enforce his good behavior.

To read more about dog training, dog care, dog health and other useful dog info drop in at dogsanddogtraining.com

When It Comes To Dog Training, There Is No Such Thing As A Perfect Dog

May 18, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

As any reputable trainer or dog training book will tell you, canine learning is based largely on repetition. When a behavior is repeated enough times, dogs develop habits, or conditioned responses. Assuming that those habits are positive ones such as eliminating outside, coming when called, lying down and staying when told, and others – you will have what you want: a trained dog. That’s because dogs are creatures of habit. Once you set up a routine of various signals and conditioned responses (sit, down, stay), the dog will do exactly what you tell him every time. Right? No exactly…

No conditioned response is infallible. Creatures with advanced brains can think. They can defy conditioning. They also can make mistakes. Think about two of your own conditioned responses. You have a habit of answering the telephone when it rings, but one day you decide not to take any calls. The telephone rings but you keep reading your book. You know what you usually do, but today you decide not to do it. You also have a habit of stopping your car at a red light. But one day you are tired or distracted and you roll through an intersection. Even the most experienced drivers sometimes make mistakes.

Similarity, there will be times when even the best-trained dog will either defy conditioning or make a mistake. Therefore you must avoid becoming complacent or overconfident about learned behavior. Do not rely on conditioned responses in potentially dangerous situations. For example, you should never unleash even the best-trained dog near a busy road. One mistake could result in injury or death to my dog.

Owners need to reinforce their dog’s conditioned responses. Certainly the more practice and proofing you do with a dog, the more reliable his response will be. Skilled human beings, from tennis pros to typists, need practice to stay in top form. This is because all learned skills need reinforcement.

When you feel you have achieved a well-trained dog, continue to practice obedience exercises once in a while. It can be fun for both you and the dog. Plus it reinforces the good behaviors you worked so hard to achieve. When you need to call on those skills in real situations, such as doing a stand-stay at the veterinarian’s office, you will be more confident that your dog will comply. Your dog will be more confident by doing something that is familiar – and for which he can earn your praise.

Setting Good Eating Habits

May 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

A dog’s eating habits are controlled by three things: its brain, its experiences, and its environment. The very first experiment in behavioral psychology was done by a scientist named Pavlov who taught dogs to get ready to eat when they heard a certain sound. Since that initial experiment, scientists have observed over and over how important the things happening around, and to, a dog are when it comes to affecting the dog’s eating habits.

Once, when dogs were wild, most of their daily activity was devoted to obtaining a meal. While the need for this activity has practically disappeared, mealtime still constitutes one of the most important events in a dog’s life. And, many of a dog’s behavioral responses are still linked to its eating routine.

Today’s dogs have become creatures of habit. They thrive on monotony and are most comfortable when things remain the same. Few dogs appreciate a sudden change in their sleeping quarters or the surprise of a new food in their bowl. The more that can be done to prevent change in a dog’s feeding program, the better it will be for both the dog and its owner. Regularity in feeding promotes good appetite, good digestion and regular eliminations. Therefore, the first general consideration to be made when feeding any dog should be the establishment of a regular feeding schedule and should stay that way without being altered.

Puppies have conventionally been fed small portions of their daily diet at frequent intervals during the day. The rationalization behind this is sound, but the frequency of feedings often is too high. Even newborn puppies do quite well when fed only four times daily. Some breeders even reduce this to three times daily, but unless your schedule absolutely prohibits it, a minimum of four feedings should be the limit. The feedings need not be separated exactly six hours apart, but it is desirable to space the feedings as evenly as possible throughout the 24-hour time period. For example, my own schedule usually works out best when I feed around 7:00 A.M., 12:00 Noon, 6:00 P.M., and 1:00 P.M. Yours may be different.

The frequency of feedings should not be reduced to three a day until the puppies are weaned. Whether you are feeding newborn puppies four times daily, or older puppies three times, once the pattern of feedings has been set, it should not be changed, but should occur at the same time every day.

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