dog training - dealing with problem puppy behaviors
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Dog training -
Dealing with
problem puppy
behaviors
Everyone who owns a puppy or dog will
eventually have to deal with
and correct less than desirable behaviors on the
part of their
companion animal. There are a number of
behaviors that should be
nipped in the bud, including:
Jumping up on people
This is one of those behaviors that many owners
inadvertently
encourage in their animals, since jumping up,
wagging his tail and the
like can be adorable in a young puppy. When
that puppy is older,
larger and heavier, however, this jumping up
behavior ceases to be
cute and begins to become annoying and even
dangerous.
A large, heavy dog jumping up on people can be
dangerous to young
children and even to some adults, since a large,
100 pound plus dog
can easily knock down a child or small adult. Since
you as the owner
are responsible for the behavior of your dog, it is
important to nip this
problem behavior in the bud.
The best time to do that, of course, is when the
puppy is still small and
easy to handle. When the puppy jumps up on
you or someone else,
gently place the puppy’s feet back on the floor.
When the dog remains
standing there, be sure to praise it extensively.
It is also important to give the puppy an
alternative to jumping up.
Puppies jump up on people to express their
enthusiasm, so it is
important to redirect this energy in a more
socially acceptable
direction. Try teaching the puppy to present his
paw instead of
jumping up.
When teaching the puppy to not jump up on people,
it is important to
be consistent. Consistency is important in any
training program, and
all members of the family must understand that
the puppy is not
permitted to jump on them.
Pulling, charging and tugging on the lead
One problem you definitely want to nip in the
bud is this one. It is
important that the puppy learn to respect the
collar and leash now,
when he is still small and light enough to handle.
Teaching this lesson
to a 10 pound puppy will be much easier than
teaching the same
lesson to a 150 pound dog.
Using a good strong body harness or head collar
can be a big help
when training a puppy not to pull, or to retrain a dog
that has already
learned to pull on the leash. When first fitting
a harness, it is
important to allow the puppy to walk around
wearing it, so that he can
get used to wearing it.
The first thing your puppy must learn, and the basis
of all subsequent
training, is teaching your dog to heel. Teaching
your dog to walk
quietly at your side on a loose lead is the basis of all
dog training, and
until your puppy has mastered this vital skill he will
be unable to move
onto more advanced training.
When walking with a puppy on a leash, it is
important to always keep
slack in the leash. If the puppy begins to pull
on the leash, the
handler should quickly change directions. The
puppy will then find
itself lagging behind instead of forging ahead. The
least will be loose
except for the split second it takes to change
directions. It is
important for the handler to use a quick tug of the
leash, followed by
an immediate loosening, when teaching this lesson.
When teaching the puppy to walk properly, it is
important to never
allow the puppy to pull you around, or to forge
ahead on the leash.
Allowing the puppy to pull you around will teach him
exactly the wrong
lesson.
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aining
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inedogtrainer