In spite of the renowned canine intelligence, dog’s understanding is not at par with what humans have. A dog that is allowed to jump on a master wearing old shirt and jeans will not understand why its usual way of greeting is not be appreciated by the female master wearing stockings and a deceptively simple but very expensive designer dress.
How will you go about disciplining a dog to corrects its undesirable habits of barking and chewing excessively, of raiding trash cans and eating spoiled food, of tormenting smaller pets? Dogs are highly attuned to what humans feel thus these animals can easily interpret and understand the facial expression and body movement of human. Dogs are cunning little and not so little rascals that would know how to achieve an imploring look to get away from the wrath of the master. The dog may look repentant but the pet owner should not be complacent as the dog’s bad habits will surface again and again. It is not always possible for pet owners to constantly supervise the dog thus to prevent the pet from being destructive it has to be disciplined. The owner of a dog that has been destructive would rant and rave or punish the dog physically however, these forms of reprimand would be ineffective in correcting the dog’s bad behavior. The dog would not learn anything and would never associate the smacking to the bag-chewing incident.
It is necessary to make the dog understand that human are the leaders of the pack. Dogs must be trained to follow the commands of humans. One of the most effective ways to discipline the dog is obedience training. Any kind of dog training is best started when the dog is still young. In a firm and clear voice, teach the dog to obey commands that will modify a wrong behavior.
Diversionary techniques that will result to the dog’s aversion to the destructive behavior are effective methods of disciplining the dog . Bitter apple discourages the dog from chewing things and a spray of cold water stops the dog’s excessive barking.
It would be best to reprimand and correct the dog while the destructive act is being committed. As soon as the dog is seen about to do one of its destructive acts give a STOP or NO command. Disciplining the dog would not be an easy task – one that cannot be accomplished at once but a determined owner consistently training the dog and using positive reinforcement will be able to correct a destructive behavior and have a well mannered pet.
Learn more about how to discipline a dog at Sarah’s Dogs.
