Getting a new dog is a wonderful milestone, and an opportunity for your family to learn to love a new family canine member as if it were another child. There are so many things that you can get from the relationship you have with your pooch. However, dogs require education just like humans.
In order to ensure that they’re happy as well as you, it’s important that you set boundaries in place. Yet, dogs don’t come with their own instruction manual. It’s up to you to find the best tips and tricks for encouraging good behavior. Here are some of the best tips for a well behaved dog of your very own.
Set Limits
Your dog needs to understand that not everywhere in the house is free territory. It’s important that you set limits as to where they can and cannot be. A good place to start is your kitchen. If you have an immaculate kitchen, then it’s all the more reason for you to want to keep it that way.
Even if your kitchen is less than immaculate, the truth is that there’s no need for a dog to be in there. Your dog should have their own eating area, and should not be begging you for your human food.
Therefore, you should encourage your dog from a young age to stay out of your kitchen. Initially, you may require putting up a barrier when they are puppies and don’t understand instructions as much as an older dog.
The same goes for your bedroom, and other areas of the house that you’d rather them not be. Remember, allowing certain behaviors can become habits. If you say “yes” once, then they’ll expect it every time. Set limits from the very beginning, and they’ll be far more likely to respect your rules.
Keep Training Lighthearted
When training your dog, whether it be housetraining, or leash training, it’s important that you keep things as lighthearted as possible. Even though it’s easy to get frustrated, it’s crucial that you don’t get frazzled easily.
When you have fun with your training sessions without getting angry or frustrated, the more your dog will look forward to these sessions with you. If they associate training with stress or anger, then they’ll avoid training. Make it a positive experience and something they associate with a good time, and above all, treats for good behavior!
Socialize
One of the biggest causes for behavioral problems with dogs is a lack of socialization. It’s important that your dog is exposed to all kinds of different environments, from dogs, to other humans.
The more that your dog is socialized, the more likely they are to be a happy and confident dog capable of adapting to a wide variety of situations.
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