Dogs behaving badly. All the while, your hosts are extolling the virtues of dear little Pookie who is racing around the house, jumping on laps, and shoving its saliva-coated toys at you. They assume you must be just as enchanted with their furry family member as they seem to be–then again, you might be thinking ‘hey, that sounds like my dog!’
While most of us prefer to think: not my dog, you might want to stop and reflect on whether your guests have made constructive comments about your pets during past visits. You may not believe it, but you are doing a great disservice to your dog when you don’t train it to behave especially when guests come over. Eventually, your guests will shun your critter and your home as though an untamed Tasmanian daredevil is running wild at the zoo.
Check out the library. So what can you do about it? Obedience school is a great start. There’s no excuse – if it’s not in the budget, library books and DVDs are free. The best time to start is when your dog is young, but you can most certainly can teach an old dog new tricks.
Smart as a toddler. Most dogs are as smart as a small toddler and, like small children, they learn well when hand signals accompany your verbal description. For example, with both puppies and older dogs, by motioning your hands towards yourself and saying “come,” you’re teaching Rover verbally and visually. Eventually, you won’t have to say anything because your body language can do the talking.
Practice makes perfect. Tie your dog to a long piece of rope, leash, or doggie tie-out line, and position Rover about 10 or 20 feet away. Motion towards yourself with your hands, and enthusiastically call “come.” Wait for a count of about three seconds, if the dog has not responded, gradually begin to pull the rope towards you. Once Rover is at your feet, praise it. Repeat this as many times as it takes for Rover to understand the command.
Mean what you say. One of the keys to training is not repeating a command over and over again, or raising your voice. After about 3-5 seconds, you must ensure the dog responds to your command. Also, avoid repeating your dog’s name too many times to ensure it is focused on the command.
Leader of the pack. The main thing to remember is that dogs are pack animals, and if you don’t assume the alpha position, they most certainly will. That is why it is so important to follow through on your commands within 3-5 seconds. You can also try applying this tip to your spouse and children as well… good luck with that.
So the next time company arrives, just remember they might not view a dog jumping up on them as “cute” or “friendly.” If anything, you can enlist their help by asking them to put their knee up to prevent the dog from jumping on them, and to just say “no” to dogs behaving badly.