Dog Training Basics – Teaching your Dog to be Social
Sat ,12/12/2009Dogs and puppies enjoy social interaction, much as humans do. Dogs are generally friendly and do enjoy interacting with other types of animals from canines to reptiles. Of course, dogs are different just like people are different. Some dogs can be hostile with other animals including other dogs.
If you are an animal lover, then you know the value of having several dogs, regardless of their species. This makes it very difficult to keep your house in order, and then you have the fact that your dogs will want to defend their territory. If you have ever seen a canine territorial conflict, then you know what a headache can be. We’ve all had the experience of walking the dog in the middle of the night, and watching a rival dog wander into the yard. Have you ever managed to make it back inside without the entire front of your body covered in wet grass?
There are ways to remedy this. Your dog needs to be taught social behavior as soon as humanly possible. They’re like children, and as children, their minds are more susceptible to learning. You remember how easily you accepted things when you were a child, right? They have not established the line between a friend and an enemy; they’re just trying to learn, and you need to take advantage of that.
If you have decided to have just one dog, then in it’s young years you need to introduce it to other dogs. This way it will understand that not all dogs are enemies. It also needs to become used to being touched. This will make it friendlier around other people, and of course will keep it from biting every hand it happens to see.
While introducing your puppy to other dogs, keep a tight grip on the leash, until you are sure they are not going to fight. Sure, this is controlling, however, your puppy needs to learn between what is right, and what is not.
Puppies and dogs love to play, which includes biting, jumping and shoving one another. However, you can teach them not to do such things. They do these things while playing with one another; it is part of their nature. You just want to be sure that they are not really, hurting one another while playing together. Another distraction is having your dog or puppy jump on you continually, whether or not it is a lap dog.
Dogs bark, it is just part of their nature; however, it can get on your nerves when they bark continually. You can teach them not to bark all the time or you may want to distract them with a dog treat. It may not work to begin with, however you should keep trying. Teach the dog that you will give it a treat if it will stop barking. The dog will learn only to bark when necessary, when you use this method repeatedly.
Train a puppy or dog to be quiet by placing the animal on its back and then yell into his or her face. It does not look so pleasing to others; however, it is a good working method many professional dog trainers use to train a puppy or dog to be quiet. This method works well with rescue animals as well to help teach him or her to be quiet.
When you train a puppy as early as possible, he or she will make a wonderful friend and companion for many years. Remember this when you are raising puppies or a dog.
