Training a dog is no easy feat. However, it isn’t that difficult to teach your dog basic commands even though you aren’t a professional trainer. As long as you understand how your dog can learn, it wouldn’t be that hard to teach your furry companion a trick or two.
Truth be told, what’s more challenging is punishing bad behavior to make your pet understand that it did something wrong. In fact, most dog owners find it quite difficult to stop their pets from developing nasty habits without seeking professional help.
So if you’ve found yourself here searching for the best method in disciplining your dog without having to hire a trainer or result in violence, below are a couple of helpful tips to guide you in training your beloved pet.
1. Understand How Your Dog Learns
First things first, it’s essential to understand how dogs learn to train them properly. Usually, dogs are a lot like toddlers, which means they can understand most of the things you say, but not all. They also respond to the tone of your voice instead of the actual words you speak. Thus, it’s vital that you clearly express your emotions when talking to them.
Nonetheless, it is also critical that you don’t go overboard. It’s pretty normal to raise your voice a little when you catch them doing something wrong. However, it would be best to refrain from excessive screaming that makes dogs feel threatened and fearful.
2. Administer Punishment Immediately
According to dog trainers, it’s helpful to discipline or reward dogs for behavior no more than five seconds after an incident occurs. For example, if you catch your pet chewing on furniture, you mustn’t wait a few minutes before dishing out the consequence.
Dogs have a very short attention span. Hence, they will likely forget what they have done if you wait until later to administer punishment for bad behavior. Furthermore, this can make them a little confused as to why they are being punished in the first place.
3. Avoid Aversive Methods and Tools
There have been continuous debates about whether it is right to use aversive tools and methods to discipline dogs. Many argue that one must have a firm hand and dominant mind to eliminate unwanted dog behavior. Thus, according to them, it only fits that they administer harsh punishments to make dogs more submissive.
Unfortunately, this technique works for the wrong reasons. Instead of correcting bad behavior, they only instill fear and injuries to dogs. Thus, it would be wiser to steer clear of harsh scoldings and physical corrections, as these can result in behavioral problems in the long run.
Conclusion
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to punish bad behavior so harshly for dogs to understand that they have done something wrong. Instead, it would be helpful if you remain consistent in dishing out punishments for particular incidents. For instance, if your dog keeps on biting your couch, you can tell them “no biting” in a stern voice while refraining from giving them affection. Continue administering the same punishment as long as this type of behavior persists. In this way, they can easily recognize and remember that this type of treatment is related to a specific action.
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