We all want a dog that we can take along with us to places and trust that they will be well behaved. Dogs are like kids – playing and wild fun has its place and time but you have to put in the, be consistent and have the patience of a saint and it will all pay off.
So what can you do to encourage positive behaviour in your dog? Here are some tips!
Positive Reinforcement
There are many kinds of training out there, but we believe that positive reinforcement is the way to go, especially for the long term. Instead of punishing your dog when they do something wrong or that you don’t like, reward them for doing something right instead. For example, if you don’t want your dog to go on couches, reward them with treats and praise when they are laying on the floor or on their bed.
Exercise
You can’t expect a dog to be well behaved indoors if they are burning with excess energy on the inside. They need that energy released before they can be expected to listen to you, especially younger or less trained dogs. Challenge them with things like scent training, learning new tricks or just a good old game of fetch. Your dog will be much happier overall and will be more open to listening to you.
Routine
We all like a routine of having our coffee/tea in the morning, reading a book before bed or really whatever brings calm to your day. Dogs are similar where they like being fed and walked at the same time each day. This provides them with stability and structure because they know what to expect and brings them their calm. A calm dog leads to a well-behaved dog.
Short Commands and Patience
Commands for your dog should be brief, ideally one word. You need to be consistent with the words you use and when you use them. This also requires a lot of patience. Patience is needed to allow your dog the time they need to fully understand what you want them to do, but also to create a positive and loving atmosphere for them to want to do what you’re asking.
