Great Tips for Dog Obedience Training
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Dogs have a lot of loveable natural qualities, but they also have some not-so-cute behaviors. Digging is one of the latter, but it can persist as they bury bones, create impromptu shelters, and just feel the dirt between their paws.
While it is a natural instinct in dogs, digging can be detrimental to your yard and to your dog’s discipline. How can you get your living breathing shovel to stop?
Why does your dog dig? Does he just like the action and feeling or is there another reason lurking underneath? Figuring out why your dog is engaging in this undesirable behavior is the first step in correcting it.
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 that doesn’t help, your dog may have developed a digging habit! The following suggestions can help:
1. Find the spots your dog usually digs and bury a balloon that has been inflated. If your dog digs, he’ll pop the balloon. This unpleasant reaction to his digging can deter him from continuing.
2. When you refill the holes, add in some of your dog’s own feces. The next time he digs there, he will be repelled by it. This may not be a fun way for you to teach your dog, but it is effective and humane.
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, mischievous habits can be corrected with a little training.
Clicker Training for Great Dog Behavior
You want to teach your dog acceptable behavior in a gentle, humane way. Many people have found success with the clicker method.
Clicker training works on the principle of operant conditioning. This is when a behavior is repeated because a reward is associated with it. Here is some more on how clicker training works:
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.
This teaches your dog to connect the behavior with the click. Since the click is associated with the treat, he’ll be more apt to perform the good behavior. Eventually, you can phase out the treat, and he will respond to the click. After successful training, you won’t need the clicker either.
You can often train dogs with clickers faster and more effectively than with other means. Clicking is immediate, so your dog quickly learns that his behavior is producing the treat. This encourages repetition of the desired behaviors.
Dogs want to make you happy, and performing commands is a great way for them to do this. And get a treat in the process. The clicker is a great training tool for encouraging good behavior.
Take your pet’s training to the next level with puppy training.
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December 1st, 2008 at 4:01 am
Helped a lot to find a remedy to the irritational habits of my boxer dog
Was not aware of the SitStayFetch – training course until I read the article, thanks for the new information
Feel good with the Clicker Training, my boxer will also be a performer of good habits & behavior