Dogs are one of the intelligent animals but owners should never make the mistake of expecting the pet to have right and wrong values. A pet that usually greets its master by jumping will be puzzled if the owner suddenly raised the voice and reprimanded the dog for jumping while she is all dressed up for a party.
So how will you discipline a dog that has the tendency to bark excessively, or one that torments other pets, or one that has a destructive chewing habit or one that has the inclination to raid trash cans? Dogs are highly attuned to what humans feel thus these animals can easily interpret and understand the facial expression and body movement of human. A dog that had destroyed your favorite $500 bag will slink under the table when it sees the anger in your face. The repentant look of the pet is not an assurance that destruction of shoes, bags and other things will not happen 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. Correcting the bad habit of the dog will never be accomplished if the punishment is given after the dog has been destructive.
Dogs are pack animals and humans should be the leader of the pack. The dog has to learn that it is lower in rank and therefore must follow the rules set by the leader. Training would be an effective method of disciplining the pet. Any kind of dog training is best started when the dog is still young. Dogs have the tendency to obey commands given in an authoritative voice.
To discipline the dog, you can use methods that will discourage the dog from being destructive . Bitter apple discourages the dog from chewing things and a spray of cold water stops the dog’s excessive barking.
To make the dog associate the disciplinary action with the bad behavior, reprimands must be made while the dog is doing the act. As soon as the dog is seen about to do one of its destructive acts give a STOP or NO command. Disciplining the dog cannot be accomplished at once but consistent training that is reinforced with lots of praise and treats will eventually modify the dogs unwanted behavior.
Learn more about how to discipline a dog at Sarah’s Dogs.
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