As anyone with a small fur ball knows life with puppies can be very trying at times. From soggy slippers to wet presents on the living room rug, your new bundle of fun can be quite a handful. To keep life with puppy as stress free as possible you should learn the basics of training. The best way to do this outside of paying exorbitant prices for obedience school is to get help from someone who has done it.
Stop Aggressive Behavior
Nothing is worse than having a beautiful animal that all your friends adore, who scratches, paws or worse yet bites your company! Aggressive behavior is one that will lead to property destruction. An aggressive hyperactive animal will destroy in short order your yard, flowerbeds, doors and basically anything they can get their teeth or paws on. In addition, the monetary loss may not end there, a dog that nips or outright bites another person in your yard can leave you liable for damages and even end in the euthanization of your pet. Therefore, you see aggressive behavior can never be tolerated. With that being said let me also, say there are two things you must not do to stem this behavior.
1.Never hit or physically punish your dog
2.Never scream or scold your dog
These actions will not work and in reality may make the problems worse. Instead, learn how your dog communicates. Dogs are distant descendants of the wolf. Wolves are pack animals and in this pack, there is one boss, the alpha male. You will want to get the training that allows you to be the alpha member of your home.
Behavior Control Through Training
Many times aggression is your dogs’ misplaced attempt to get your attention. A good training program can stem these and other behaviors. When you train your pet to sit, stay or fetch you are doing more than creating playtime. You are instilling in him the basics for a hierarchy. Let me explain, by teaching him to sit on command you establish yourself as the head of the household. Moreover, as the head your lead must be followed. This goes along with the idea of becoming the alpha male. Control is essential to stemming bad behavior. Most people do not take the time to learn how to train their pets because they are afraid it will be difficult or take a lot of time. This is not necessarily true, when you find the correct method to teach him it is a piece of cake. Take the time to learn how to teach your dog the fundamentals and become the pet guru on your block, because once others see your success they will want to know all your secrets.
Learn From the Best
Now that you have decided to learn how to teach your dog, what do you do? For starters, do not go to your grocer or your hairdresser. There are many well-meaning people out there who will give you well-meaning advice; however, that is all it is, advice. To have a truly rewarding impact on your dog you will need to learn from someone who has been successful at it. I mean you wouldn’t go to the baker to learn to sew would you? Of course not! Find a professional from the field to give you lessons on how and what to train your dog. A good program should be well rounded, ie… every aspect of dog training should be covered. From potty training to cute tricks like shaking hands should be covered. Now that you know what, why and how, get out there and make life wonderful for you and your pet.
