Nice Tips for Dog Obedience Training
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is the love of digging. From burying bones to making cool dens for shelter, dogs in yards will inevitably turn to this favorite past time.
This natural behavior can wreak havoc on your yard and garden if it goes unchecked. What is the best way to curb the digging impulse?
As with children, dogs do things for a reason. Why is your dog digging? If you can figure this out, you are halfway to a solution. Does he just love to fling dirt?
However, there may be other reasons including lack of attention or stimulation, storing food, or he’s building a den to cool off or stay warm. Alternately, he may be attracted to freshly turned earth or the scent of fertilizer.
Knowing the reason behind the digging can help you stop the behavior. For instance, if it is due to boredom or lack of attention, you can start to offer your dog more play time with you. SitStayFetch can go a long way in discouraging the behaviour.
If this doesn’t help, you can give one of the following techniques a try:
1. Dogs can often be deterred from undesirable behavior if there is an unpleasant consequence. Try burying a balloon in your dog’s frequent digging spots. Once he pops one balloon, he may be over his habit.
2. Along the same lines, you can mix in his feces when you refill a hole he’s dug. Dogs will often return to the same spots, and when he discovers the feces, he’ll be turned off digging.
3. Try burying some chicken wire just below the surface where your dog likes to dig. When your dog pits the wire with his paws, he’ll hate the sensation and stop digging.
4. Spray him with a hose. Dogs hate being sprayed, especially in the face. Make sure if you do this that you have caught him in the act of digging or he won’t know why you’re spraying him.
Digging is natural, but it doesn’t have to ruin your yard. Figure out why your dog is engaging in this behavior and take a little time to work on it with him. You’ll both be much happier. Not unlike puppy training, bad habits can be corrected with a little training.
Another Great Way to Modify Your Dogs Behaviour – Training With Clickers
As people look for gentle ways to discipline and train their dogs, the use of clickers has become more prominent. Your dog will learn to repeat behavior that is desirable in a safe, humane way.
Operant conditioning is the repetition of a behavior when a reward is given. This is the premise behind clicker training. How does it work?
A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal strip. When you push and release the metal strip, it makes a sharp clicking sound.
The key to clicker training is to teach your dog to associate the click with the reward, such as a biscuit. After your dog successfully performs a command, you click. Offer the treat at the same time.
Your dog will connect the clicking sound with the behavior he just performed. Since that behavior earned him a treat, he’ll want to repeat it. As the training progresses, you can stop using the treat. The click will be sufficient reward. Soon, you don’t even need the clicker either.
Clicking is immediate. Dogs need to know exactly what they are being praised for, and the clicking sound helps let them know. This is why the clicker method is so effective for training.
Trying the clicker method can lead to more effective, quicker training. It works with your dog’s natural urge to please you and earn a reward.
Be educated about your pet’s behaviour issues and needs, learn more about house training a puppy.