A Few Great Tips to Discipline Your Pup
Training your new pup is a challenge indeed. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind and follow in the process so you raise a good dog and be proud of it.
Positive Reinforcement is Key
The first thing to always keep in mind is that punishment is not the right way to go. Your dog is not always going to understand punishment. In addition, wrong ways of punishment can have a lot of negative impact on any pet.
Reinforcing good behaviour and actions is what you need to focus on instead of correcting them through punishment. For instance, if you find your pup chewing on something he is not supposed to, stop him and offer him something chewable, and praise him excessively, as he continues to enjoy your offer.
Avoid Being Harsh at Any Cost
As mentioned above, the tendency of being harsh often arises when you attempt to punish your pet. While using firm tones in the disciplining process can be helpful, being too harsh and tough is not going to do any good. A dog’s bad behaviour is quite unlikely to improve by you being harsh on them. In fact, it may cause them to develop fear and lost trust in you. Thus, it is important to be aware of your tone and your treatment when you want to address bad behaviour.
Know That Not All Behaviour Can Be Addressed in the Same Way
It is important that as a pet owner you are aware of certain behavioural issues. In other words, you need to know when you have to be concerned, and most importantly, when to get some extra support and apply special strategies to address and improve certain behaviours of your pup.
A simple example would be excessive barking. Most of the time, this isn’t something that is easy to address or control. That is when pet owners turn to useful products, in this case, anti-bark collars, that should be helpful in controlling barking. Try and find Citronella anti bark collars online. You will see that you can put them to great use.
Use Redirection
Never underestimation how redirection can work. In fact, it is considered the most effective strategies of all. It is almost like dealing with toddler tantrums. A little distraction may not always work wonders, but can surely help prevent bad behaviour. If you notice that your dog is about to do something out of aggression, use the best trick you’ve got to divert its attention. Offer them an alternative activity and don’t forget to reward them for changed (good) behaviour.
Don’t Praise Bad Behaviour
This could be a mistake you tend to make, even unknowingly. If you want your dog to learn what is right and what is not, you need to be consistent with your responses to him while you train them. If you have always taught your dog that pouncing on other dogs is not right, but you laugh if off when he does the same to your friend, you end up confusing your dog. Thus, keep in mind to make it clear that bad behaviour is bad, irrespective of the circumstances.