Dogs are individuals; some are total angels from the time you bring them home while others are a little bit more unpredictable. Dog training can address and change a number of undesirable behaviors with dogs that make like a bit more challenging, if the right trainer is in charge. The trick is to get the dog to understand what it is you want it to do.
Top Dog is a dog training facility that uses an individual approach to teach dogs the skills they need to make better companions, both at home and in social settings. Society is becoming increasingly pet-friendly, making the need for better canine behavior even more important. Whether you want a better behaved dog at home or one that knows how to act in public, professional dog training is the key to accomplishing it.
Identifying Issues
Undesirable behavior in pets should never be accepted as just part of their personality. Often, they act out because of fear, nervousness, or uncertainty about their surroundings. Some common behaviors that dog owners encounter include:
- Compulsive Chewing
- Barking Obsessively
- Digging Holes
- Jumping on People
- Getting Food Off Counters/Dinner Table
Sometimes owners can identify what causes these behaviors and remove the triggers but, most often, it remains a mystery as to why the dog behaves in this way.
Professional dog trainers understand that dogs may develop a lot of unique behaviors for no obvious reason. The best way to change these behaviors is with professional dog training that focuses on reinforcing positive behavior instead of punishing the dog for the undesirable behavior. Sometimes increasing the amount of exercise that a dog gets helps to deplete nervous energy and prevent them from behaving badly again. Some trainers also incorporate games and exercises into their training program that shifts the dog’s focus to fun activities that distract him from the behavior.
Start Early
Too often, pet owners wait until a dog has reached adulthood before considering obedience training for them. Meanwhile, they continue to repeat the same unwanted behaviors and reinforce the habits, making it more difficult to change. Taking the dog to obedience classes as soon as an unwanted behavior becomes apparent will increase the likelihood of transforming the dog’s behavior into something positive.
Most dog owners have had the experience of shouting “No” at their dog over and over, in spite of never getting the response they want. This is because the dog doesn’t understand what he is doing to upset you. To him, the behavior is normal. The first step towards changing a dog’s behavior is for the owner or trainer to recognize what the behavior is and what is triggering it. The second step, and most challenging part of dog training, is making the dog understand what the behavior is and give him something more entertaining to focus on. Your dog wants to behave in a way that will make you happy and proud. The professional dog trainer is the one who has the skills to make the transition a reality.