Back when I was still a little kid, I used to stay with my grandfather at one of the rural corners of the country. He planted vegetables, fruits, reared live stocks and like the rest of the village, we had a pack of dogs living with us. I wouldn't say that they are family pets as they definitely don't fit our modern day definition of pet, however they lived with us and helped protect our property and in return for their service we would feed them everyday. That was our way of life back then, it was a peaceful co-existence with our pack of dogs. However in our modern day society, our dogs have been alleviated unwillingly from the status of being an animal to being our little baby, son, daughter and the list goes on. This has inadvertently created an increased in behavioral problem in our dogs. Problems like destructive chewing, obsession, separation anxiety were all issues that were far and few back then. It was until I had my first dog, did I came to the realization that most of the time, we are actually the source of our dog's problems despite our good intentions. Many of us have made the most fundamental mistake of thinking that our dog is a human! The truth is our dog is much simpler than us, because they do not think and rationalize like we do, they don't plan in advance what they are going to do, they live in the now and everything they do is a reaction to our actions.
Due to my ignorance I had a lot of problem with my first dog, Belle, she was perpetually fearful to the extent that she would tremble, eliminate and totally shut herself down. She had a host of other problems which I had unwittingly created. Stress, frustration and sadness was welling within me as I struggled to find a fix to her escaliting problem. I searched the net, went to various forums and poured through numerous books. After much trial and error as well as great determination and patience, she got better as each month passed and today she is a happy and well balanced dog :)
As I continue to read more on canine behavioral problems, I soon realised that there is something similar in the techniques or methods that different people used. The baseline to bring out the things that will trigger them and correct them immediately when they start to behave in an unacceptable manner. Say for example you dog has a problem of chewing on the sofa. The following steps will be I will do:
1. Bring the dog to the sofa (the item that will trigger his unacceptable behavior).
2. The moment he start to move forward to the sofa, come in between him and the sofa.
3. If he continue moving forward, immediately give him a firm touch on his neck or rear just to snap him out of it.
4. Adopt a tall and proud posture and never back off.
5. Depending on the type of dog, some may back off while others will bark and try to move forward again.
6. By barking or lurching forward the dog is issuing a challenge, and must be correct immediately with a firm touch.
7. Once he stop. Take a step towards him. By doing so you are setting the boundary for him and telling him that you are claiming the sofa as yours.
A dog that submit on the first day does not necessarily mean he has learnt the new behavior. For the new behavior to last, daily routine is a must. The moment he tries to get near the sofa, the owner must go through the same step of claiming the sofa and making him back off. It may be challenging initially as it something new for the dog, but you will realize that as you keep repeating the same drill with him, very soon the new habit of repecting the sofa will be programmed into his head.
The steps above can be use for changing other unacceptable behavior as well. Behavior such as dominating your bed and refusing to let other on it, chewing your household item, dashing out the door etc. The underlying principle is the same. Some pointers to take note:
- Always start by going into a clam but assertive state of mind. Your dog can sense your aura.
- Never call his name when correcting his unacceptable behavior as you want to associate his name with positive events and not bad ones.
- Dogs can change from very mild to extreme aggression in split seconds so always be alert to his cues so that you can block him from reaching the aggression state.
- Patience and consistency are the key ingredients to successfully changing a dog's unacceptable behavior.
Recommended reads:
The Very Best of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life
A Member of the Family: The Ultimate Guide to Living with a Happy, Healthy Dog
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - Seasons 1-3 Collection - Amazon.com Exclusive
Due to my ignorance I had a lot of problem with my first dog, Belle, she was perpetually fearful to the extent that she would tremble, eliminate and totally shut herself down. She had a host of other problems which I had unwittingly created. Stress, frustration and sadness was welling within me as I struggled to find a fix to her escaliting problem. I searched the net, went to various forums and poured through numerous books. After much trial and error as well as great determination and patience, she got better as each month passed and today she is a happy and well balanced dog :)
As I continue to read more on canine behavioral problems, I soon realised that there is something similar in the techniques or methods that different people used. The baseline to bring out the things that will trigger them and correct them immediately when they start to behave in an unacceptable manner. Say for example you dog has a problem of chewing on the sofa. The following steps will be I will do:
1. Bring the dog to the sofa (the item that will trigger his unacceptable behavior).
2. The moment he start to move forward to the sofa, come in between him and the sofa.
3. If he continue moving forward, immediately give him a firm touch on his neck or rear just to snap him out of it.
4. Adopt a tall and proud posture and never back off.
5. Depending on the type of dog, some may back off while others will bark and try to move forward again.
6. By barking or lurching forward the dog is issuing a challenge, and must be correct immediately with a firm touch.
7. Once he stop. Take a step towards him. By doing so you are setting the boundary for him and telling him that you are claiming the sofa as yours.
A dog that submit on the first day does not necessarily mean he has learnt the new behavior. For the new behavior to last, daily routine is a must. The moment he tries to get near the sofa, the owner must go through the same step of claiming the sofa and making him back off. It may be challenging initially as it something new for the dog, but you will realize that as you keep repeating the same drill with him, very soon the new habit of repecting the sofa will be programmed into his head.
The steps above can be use for changing other unacceptable behavior as well. Behavior such as dominating your bed and refusing to let other on it, chewing your household item, dashing out the door etc. The underlying principle is the same. Some pointers to take note:
- Always start by going into a clam but assertive state of mind. Your dog can sense your aura.
- Never call his name when correcting his unacceptable behavior as you want to associate his name with positive events and not bad ones.
- Dogs can change from very mild to extreme aggression in split seconds so always be alert to his cues so that you can block him from reaching the aggression state.
- Patience and consistency are the key ingredients to successfully changing a dog's unacceptable behavior.
Recommended reads:
The Very Best of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life
A Member of the Family: The Ultimate Guide to Living with a Happy, Healthy Dog
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - Seasons 1-3 Collection - Amazon.com Exclusive
I appreciate all of the information that you have shared. Thank you for the hard work!
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