Ways To Encourage Positive Behaviour In Dogs

It is quite easy to get a dog as a pet in the family. You can get it as a gift, buy it from a vet, or from a breeder. You must be well-off to support another additional being in your family. However, the real struggle starts after that. A dog is considered a ‘man’s best friend’, which is a cliché.

You will find them becoming an important part of your lives soon enough, then you realize. The children in your family will definitely love to be around them and will also enjoy playing with them. However, there is a challenge that will show up soon. It is that of your dog listening to you or acting as per your commands.

You can make them listen to you by encouraging positive behaviour in your dog. Stay away from any sort of negativity or negative reinforcement, as it can come back to haunt you later. After you encourage positive behaviour, the dog will listen to you. Here you will learn about the best ways to encourage positive behaviour in dogs. But, before we proceed, it is important that you understand what it is all about.

Positive Reinforcement Decoded

Dogs are quite adaptive in nature and lovable, too. Moreover, they might consider you as the Alpha member of the pack they are in. But there are times when they try to do things in their own way. So, you need to punish them as well. However, you should not punish them too harshly. It can lead to many sorts of negative consequences. Fear does not work on a long-term basis unless and until you make them understand what is considered good and what is considered bad, in terms of a human-dog close-knit family. Moreover, traumatizing your dog may also lead to negative effects later on.

Ways to Encourage Positive Behaviour in Dogs

• Challenge your Dog

Sometimes, dogs that stay at home as family pets get bored. You must know that an idle mind can quickly turn into a devil’s workshop and the same applies to dogs as well. Younger dogs are always brimming with energy. So, if you are unable to give that energy a positive outlet, it may lead to negative behaviour or something undesirable. You can take your dogs for long walks, so that they get to spend some energy in the best possible manner. Additionally, dogs can be very curious. So, you can teach them some new tricks. This will lead to mental stimulation. And the result will be a happy and engaged dog.

• Stop Reacting to Bad Behaviour

If the behaviour is not too harmful, you can ignore the bad behaviour of your dogs. It means that you should not give much attention to bad behaviour, like barking too much or unnecessarily. If they chew some of your shoes, you should abstain from reacting. Do not shout and yell at them all too often. But you can do something positive. Give your dog something that it can chew on, like a bone or a chewy toy. That should give it some direction. So, this is a positive reinforcement.

• Spend Quality Time

You should try to spend as much time you can, with the dogs. They do not like to be left lonely for long periods of time. Moreover, you can also ask a neighbour having a dog to care for it when you are away. You should cuddle your dogs and also groom them. It helps to create a deep bond, just like a parent and child. Your dog will also try to return all the love and favours, by listening to you. So, you have to consider this as a two-way relationship.

• Use Easy Commands

Dogs are like small kids but they aren’t human. So, you should stop treating them as humans and treat them as themselves. They get confused when you use complicated commands or phrases. So, it is a given fact, that you should use words as commands. Single words work best. The commands should be straightforward as well, like sit, stand, heel, run, bark, or eat. They will get accustomed to your lip movements and you will act on your commands. Additionally, you should always speak to your dog in a calm and composed manner.

• Create a Schedule

This is just similar to what you would do with a human kid. Get it to follow a routine. Once you do that, you have to work less hard. They will also come to understand what you expect from them. If your dog is over-energetic and always anxious, this is the best way forward. Regularly feeding them at the same time, taking the pooch for a walk at the same time, and keeping grooming sessions regular can help them identify timelines and what they are supposed to do in a day. You should make consistency the key.

• Get the Family Involved

Once your dogs have grasped the basic commands and behaviour outcomes, you may teach the others in the family how to deal with it. It may be quite practical to get others involved, as you may not be home at all times. So, your dog may turn rogue in your absence. If you involve your family and friends, then your dog will be in the habit of listening to the same things, in your absence as well.

The positive reinforcement training mainly brings the best out of it in every situation. Different breeds react in a different manner, but regular training will get them in the habit. If you feel confused as a new pet parent, get professional help from petsfolio.