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Dog Behavior Problems - Getting A Dog To Behave |
Written by Andrew Braithwaite
Wednesday, 05 March 2008
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Your dog may be your best friend, but just like your human friends he
or she can embarrass you in public - you can actually train your dog to
behave, you might not be so lucky with your human friends. A well
trained dog usually means a happy owner and a contented animal. Does your dog refuse to sit or stay at your command and does it bother other people by jumping up and barking? This may be your dog's natural exuberance getting the better of him but when you are out in public, not only is it embarrassing for you, it can be frightening for people who are unsure of themselves around dogs. If you want to avoid these situations then you need to start getting your dog to change his behavior now. In some respects dogs are like children and this means that they have to be taught how to be social beings without indulging in anti-social habits. If you are trying to get your dog to respond to your commands and behave in an acceptable manner, then you need to instigate regular training sessions. Training a dog to display acceptable behaviour is not easy if you are a first time owner. Some people take their dog to professional trainers once or twice a week but if your budget won't run to that then you have to fall back on your own resources. Not quite, there are training books and manuals out there; some of which come as a complete package, that will take you through the training sessions one step at a time. Always remember with dogs that the way to instil the behaviour that you want is by repetition and reward - losing your temper is counterproductive. If you get the right package and apply the right amounts of praise, patience and time you will soon have a well behaved and probably happier dog. Sit Stay Fetch is the No. 1 dog training and behavior product on the net and has been for over 2 years. The 186 page book is broken down into different sections, each one dealing with a different aspect of dog ownership. Each section is broken down into 5 or 6 subsections and a review of that particular section. The review is particularly nice as it condenses the important aspects of each section onto one page for easy reference. That's not to say that skipping to the end of each section is the best way to utilize this book. There is a wealth of information contained in each section as well as case studies for particular doggy problems (aggression, barking, chewing, leaping on furniture, leaping on people, etc.) The initial chapters are mainly for people considering a dog or who have recently obtained a puppy. These chapters focus on aspects such as choosing a breed, responsible ownership, canine growth stages, and choosing your vet. The third chapter is where the dog training begins. The types of training are outlined as well as some secrets to training a dog. Crate training is also discussed in this area as well. For people who already have dogs, the first three chapters don't really provide a lot of pertinent information; however, for someone looking to get a dog, these chapters are invaluable. The fourth chapter gives insight into how dogs use their senses and how their body language gives an insight into their feelings and attitudes. I found it interesting that you can dog's are very expressive and their moods are often overlooked by their owners. This chapter also covers how dogs communicate with one another as well as the similarities between wolves and dogs. Of the remaining chapters, two are devoted to dog problems, two are devoted to teaching commands, and one deals with the positives and negatives of dog whispering. The two chapters dealing with problems are two of the longest chapters in the book. The first chapter on dog problems deals with behaviors such as aggression, biting, chewing, digging, and barking. Case studies are provided with many of the issues to show why a dog may be exhibiting these problems. The second chapter on dog problems deals with allergies, fleas, chasing cars, and jumping on people. Again, relevant examples are provided with each section to further illustrate the issue at hand. The chapters dealing with dog commands are divided into basic or starting commands and advanced commands. Some of the basic commands include "Come", "Sit", "Down", "Heel", and "Stand." These commands are provided in an easy to follow method and can be implemented fairly quickly with some practice. What I liked is that there's a training schedule provided to assist with training the dog. The advanced commands section covers "Catch," "Fetch", "Shake", and "Rollover." Based on my experience, some of these commands are more difficult than others to train a dog on and it's not recommended that teaching these commands begins until the dog is over 6 months old and has mastered the basic commands from the earlier chapter. Sit Stay Fetch is a good product that touches on a lot of overlooked aspects of owning a dog. Even some less than common problems are discussed and recommendations are given on how to address these problems. I found this book to be laid out in a logical manner with the training aspects occupying a majority of the pages, but with other areas such as body language and sense getting a good deal of coverage as well. The author also does a good job of supporting the product by providing a free newsletter that contains more tips for solving dog problems. Granted, you do not need to read every chapter in order to address a particular problem, but it is nice to see that a just about every common dog problem is addressed. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
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