Helping Pet Dog Guardians Get It Right!
© Can Stock Photo/Colecanstock
Did you know that good management is an essential part of any training or behavioral change plan? In fact, management is an important part of your dog’s life, in the same way that it’s important to manage your children’s environment. If your dog is behaving in a way you do not like, then limit his opportunity to practice the unwanted behavior.
Management strategies can be put in place while you learn how to teach your dog new and more appropriate behaviors. Here are ten common problems that we are often consulted about and some simple solutions to help you manage them!
If your dog:
- Steals food from the kitchen counter – Don’t tempt the dog by leaving food out.
- Chews shoes or clothes – Put them away! And offer an appropriate, irresistible chew item.
- Drinks out of toilet – Close the toilet lid or the bathroom door!
- Growls around toys or food – Feed your dog in a crate or in a separate room.
- Runs through your open gate – Keep the gate closed. When you need to open the gate to let someone in, make sure your dog is on leash or safely ensconced in your house.
- Jumps up at visitors – Place your dog in a different room while the visitors enter. Provide your dog with a tasty stuffed Kong or other interactive food toy to help him remain calm and, once everyone is settled, let your dog politely say hello.
- Does not return when called – Keep your dog on a leash. Use a long line for more freedom. Only exercise off leash in securely enclosed locations.
- Pulls when walking – Invest in new equipment. A front-clip harness will usually help.
- Jumps out of the car as soon as you open the door – Crate your dog while traveling or fasten securely with an appropriate car harness and seat belt attachment.
- Chases bikes, cars, joggers, or anything moving – Keep your dog on leash at the side of roads or in other public areas
© Can Stock Photo/Anke
Sometimes it can make sense to manage a situation rather than trying to change a behavior. However, although management strategies can always be put in place, it’s always worthwhile teaching your dog lots of great skills such as an amazing recall and how to walk nicely on leash. Your local force-free trainer will be able to help you, so we recommend signing up for some private lessons or a group class.
As professional dog trainers and behavior consultants, we know that training your dog requires a combination of knowledge and mechanical skills; after all, dog training is a hands-on project. We also recognize that there are several ways to train a dog, lots of different methods, and many conflicting and varied philosophies about how training should be approached. So, choosing your professional dog trainer is an important decision for you to make. We recommend you choose a force-free trainer, as they will not only guide you in decisions on the equipment you will need and the best way to train your four-legged family member, they will also ensure that a key factor of the training program is supporting the development of a loving and trusting relationship. If a dog is displaying signs of fear, anxiety or stress – seen through snapping, biting, growling, avoidance or retreating – then please immediately contact a professional.
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#Management for Success is just one of The Top Ten Most Important Dog Training Knowledge Concepts for Pet Owners to Understand – a compilation of 10 recordings and a supportive eBook by Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton-Frappell. Why not ensure your skill training programs are supported with the necessary concept knowledge to help you help your clients train their dogs? The Top-Ten Dog Training Knowledge Concepts can be used to support lesson plans, homework emails, on your website, social media or in emails and the supportive eBook can be used to promote your services and your philosophy.
The Download Includes:
- 10 Individual short video files
- 1 x eBook detailing each concept. This can be used on your website or forwarded to your clients
- 1 x PDF of the full color slides
Your Ten Video Files:
- #1 Your Best Decision
- #2 +R Rocks
- #3 “No!” isn’t a Behavior.
- #4 Management for Success
- #5 You’ve Got It
- #6 Your Training Gear
- #7 The Training Steps
- #8 What Will You Name It?
- #9 Train-Test-Train
- #10 Practice Makes Perfect!
About the Authors
Niki Tudge MBA PCBC-A CABC, CDBC is the Founder of The Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Career Center, The DogSmith and the President of Doggone safe. She has combined her “people” teaching and pet training skills with her commitment to pet rescue and substantial business knowledge to create a proprietary system of education known as ARRF® supported by an operational implementation process called MTR®. She is equipped with a unique combination of business experience, pet training and pet behavior expertise, a background in exceptional customer service, certification as a trainer of trainers and many years consulting to pet rescue groups.
Louise Stapleton-Frappell BA Hons PCT- A PCBC-A CAP3 CTDI DN-FS, DN-CPCT, CWRI is a Partner and Faculty Member of DogNostics Career Center and Board Member of The Pet Professional Guild. She has constantly built on her knowledge and furthered her education in the field of force-free, rewards based, science-based pet training. The creator of the DogNostics’ Dog Trainer Certification Program, she has presented at conferences internationally and has gained a reputation for expertly teaching and training humans and canines at her own establishment, The DogSmith of Estepona, in Southern Spain, where she offers a wide range of both group and private classes and pet dog services.