Almost anyone who has a pet dog will agree that having your own pup is good for your health and well-being. The trick is to help your dog to behave well anywhere they are, whether it’s in your beautiful home or out in public. It’s especially important to have a dog that doesn’t destroy some of your prized possessions, especially vintage items. Here are a few ways you can help your dog behave better.
1. Release the energy
Many dog owners have probably observed their dog doing “zoomies” or racing around in frenetic fashion. Dogs who aren’t getting enough activity may become frustrated and act out by chewing furniture or rugs. You can resolve this by hiring a dog walker to stop by once or twice a day to walk your dog while you’re out. You can also hire a pet sitter who can keep them company more regularly, especially when you need to protect your furniture.
2. Teach them to ‘leave it’
This simple command is one that you’ll use at home and in many public places as distractions come up. It’s especially important for protecting your furniture from your dog and any diseases it might pick up and spread around.
Start off with a treat under your shoe and command your dog not to eat it. Once your dog leaves it, you can let them eat it. There are loads of variations of this command, so help your dog level up to a super-dog response.
3. Practice walking without a leash
Practicing without a leash can help ensure that your dog stays well behaved, even in situations when they have to be leashed, like when you’re out shopping. When you’re first training your dog to walk without a leash, practice as if the two of you are partners in a dance. Practice a simple step, stop, sit sequence 10-20 times in a row, rewarding your dog every so often.
They’ll pick up the habit surprisingly quickly, and you’re already making progress toward helping your dog walk right next to you at all times.
4. Habituate them to other people and animals
If you have a friend that has a pooch that you think might interact well with yours, get together for a playdate and let them become accustomed to each other. You can find people at the dog park, as well as dog groups online. The more your dog interacts with humans, the more accustomed they’ll be. Help your dog understand proper behavior in other people’s homes as well as your own so you can maintain your beautiful decor.
5. Enjoy silence together
Some dogs are so social, they just want to chat and howl with any animal that might come into their view. One method the Humane Society of the United States recommends is desensitizing your dog to stimuli that makes them bark. Some of these include the doorbell, cars going by, other dogs, or other animals. You can do this by feeding them treats whenever there’s a stimulus (such as another dog). This helps them associate stimuli with good things.
6. Focus on consistency
The CIA has its own set of highly-trained dogs that perform specialized and important duties with precision. Their dog trainers say that consistency in special commands, training regimen, and methodology are absolutely vital for your dog to really learn a command. Your dog will find success if you work on the same skills regularly.
Studies show that dogs have a remarkable ability to read and understand human emotions. Being positive when your dog does something you like is one way to reward them as you work on good home and public behavior. You can have a beautiful home with a well-behaved pup as long as you keep rewarding their good behavior.
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