Puppies are adorable, but if you don’t do puppy training naples, they can turn into your biggest nightmare. You can think of them as kids. Remember when you were peacefully grocery shopping, and then all of a sudden, there’s this kid crying non-stop, kicking the aisles, and screaming at his mother? Well, your puppy can be like that, but instead of crying, it could bark excessively, which can be very annoying, and instead of kicking, it might jump on guests and. Again, these unwanted behaviors can be corrected through training.
Dog training requires your involvement. The goal of the training is to get rid of unwanted dog behavior. In dog training, you have two options. You can train your dog at home by yourself, or you can hire a professional dog trainer. We recommend the latter. Professional dog trainers receive training and education to determine what strategies and methodologies will work well on your dog. Their techniques are based on science and research, so you can ensure that it’s safe for your dog.
The most effective way to change bad habits is to reward good behavior and to ignore bad behavior. If this is consistently practiced, eventually, your dog will be able to understand the message you’re trying to convey. However, for this method to work, you must let everyone in the household know about it. If one person caves in and rewards bad behavior, all your efforts will be for nothing because your puppy will think that doing it again will deserve a reward.
Let’s check out some of the common bad habits that you need to get rid of.
Barking at Guests
Dogs will instinctively bark at people they don’t know or faces they aren’t familiar with. To stop your dog from barking at guests, you can teach them the sit and stay commands or the down-stay position before you answer the door. In addition, some trainers recommend you give your guests some treats that they can give to your dog when they are calmly sitting. In this manner, your dog will begin to associate guests with rewards.
Jumping on Visitors
Dogs can get excited, and since they can’t run and hug visitors, unlike humans, they jump on them instead with their heavy paws. Let guests know that they shouldn’t give treats if the dog jumps on them but rather ignore them and turn their backs.
Licking Excessively
What are you going to do if you catch your dog licking excessively? Instead of yelling or screaming, redirect your dog’s attention to something else. For example, you could give them a treat or a toy to divert their attention.
Counter surfing
Dogs tend to counter surf. To avoid counter surfing, make sure you don’t leave food crumbs on the counter. Without crumbs, your dog will not counter surf. Simple.
Pushing Through Doors
It’s dangerous for dogs to push through doors. To avoid this from happening, you should place a leash on your dog before going out the door. It’s also essential to train your dog to sit and stay when you open the door and only call your dog when it’s already safe to walk through it.
Chewing
Chewing is part of your dog’s system. How do you stop this behavior? Since you can’t stop them from chewing, the best strategy is to provide your dog with chew-approved toys. The reason why chew toys are encouraged instead of old and broken sandals is so that your dog doesn’t associate them with your other possessions. The next time you forget to return your shoes in the shoebox, you’re not going to worry that your dog will chew on them.
Seeking for Attention
As mentioned earlier, dogs are like children, and they like to be acknowledged. They want your attention, and to get your attention; they usually exhibit attention-seeking behaviors. If you give in, your dog will think that their strategy worked, and they’ll keep doing it again and again. The best response for attention-seeking behaviors is to ignore your dog by turning your back on it. Only acknowledge when they are behaving.
Digging the Backyard
One of the ways dogs release their bottled-up energy is to run around and dig. Digging can destroy your garden’s landscape, and if you don’t correct this behavior, you’re going to have to fix the problem every time it happens. The best you can do is to allocate space for your dog where it can freely dig, or you can take them out for a walk to burn those excess energies.
Takeaway
Dog training is fun as long as you are committed to investing your time and energy in teaching your dog to behave appropriately. When you dedicate your time training your dog, you’ll reap the benefits.