Training Dogs: Tips On Breaking Bad Pet Habits

You want a nice, disciplined dog, who doesn't chew on anything and everything in the sight and doesn't deafen you with his needless barks. These are one of the most common dog problems and can be really irritating at times. They can, however, be corrected by proper training. Here are a few effective ways of bringing in correction in your dog's habits:

Barking
Barking come naturally to them, and what use is a dog that doesn't even bark. However, at time dogs overdo it and keep barking without a reason and sometimes even after their barks have been taken cognizance of and the offending element removed. Then, it is high time he had his lessons in "barking habits."

Most often dogs bark to tell the owner what they feel he must know, like an intruder, any unusual moving object, any unusual activity or sound. They feel that it is important for them to inform you at the earliest. This kind of warning bark is perfectly alright, but if your dog keep barking even after having been told not to, he needs to be trained about it.

In such situations take a squirt bottle filled with water, and every time the dog barks unnecessarily squirt the liquid right in his face after telling him not to bark in a loud “No”. The liquid or the squirt wouldn't harm the creature but he wouldn't like it and would get the message eventually. This is disciplinary action and must be adopted only when the dog doesn't respond to your verbal commands. Keep it as a second option and not the first.

Chewing
Chewing is not only destructive but is potentially dangerous to the dog as well, because they might ingest pieces of plastic or wood or any other harmful object that could block their intestines, which could be life threatening. Puppies' chewing is acceptable because that's part of teething, but if the habit is retained into adulthood, it needs to be corrected.

It is better to start early. So, you need not wait till the dog grows up to teach him not to chew on things that are not meant for his chewing. The strategy for the pup as well as for the dog remain the same. Get some toys for the dog to chew on, and train him to restrict his chewing to them. Watch him carefully and if he chews on things other than his chew toys, look into his eyes at close quarters and say in a loud voice, “No!” and then offer one of his chew toys. He would get the message as to what has to be chewed on and what not.

Begging for food
Never give the dog to eat from your dinner table or your plate. Make him learn that he gets nothing by begging for food but gets to eat at the proper time. And if, unfortunately you already have a dog who has such a habit lock him up in another room while you eat.

You want dogs to behave well, but good behaviour is not something one is born with. One-- be it a human or a dog-- has to learn to behave. So, right training is the key.