Many of the complaints I get are, my dog likes to jump on people. Or my dog barks out the window. Or my dog barks at every little noise.
To address this as a trainer, the first thing I tell my clients is they are not teaching their dog what they do want. We live in this society where we just bring puppies or dogs into our home and let them figure things out. This stresses dogs out soooooo much. They want leadership. They want direction. They need to be told yes. They need to be told no. If you are proactive about your “yes” then the “no” won’t happen so much.
Have you taught your dog how to relax? Have you showed your dog how to behave in the home? Do you have rules, boundaries, and limitations for your dog? Have you allowed your dog too much freedom? Are you saying “No” but your dog isn’t listening? You need a consequence that they understand and care about for poor choices. (And no, kenneling is not punishment and neither is spanking or hitting your dog. I do not condone these.)
I have been around the block a few times as a trainer. Ive worked in the pure positive realm. Ive worked on the more balanced side. Build your relationship. Build impulse control. Build respect. Then, there has to be consequences for poor behavior choices. There HAS to be. Otherwise that dog will just continue barking out the window, jumping on people, lunging at cars, or whatever the behavior is.
Unfortunately, much of our society wants to live in a world made of butterflies and unicorns where everyone is happy all the time and treats fix everything. That is not reality. Dogs correct each other all the time. A correction can be something as simple as moving into their personal bubble. Corrections are COMMUNICATION - that’s how dogs tell each other “no” - which is something that was sorely lacking in my pure positive education. It makes such a difference in rehab and Rehabilitation when you can effectively communicate with your dog.
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