Do you have a new pet? Did you adopt a puppy? It is key that you educate him on fundamental issues to improve his behavior and direct his behavior. That he relieves himself in inappropriate places Best dog training Houston, that anxiety leads him to break objects or that he behaves badly with strangers are problems that can be prevented.
-What is the best age to train a dog?
It is generally said that four months and older is the best age to train them, since they are in an ideal cognitive period; But those of us who work in the world of training can assure that from the moment the dog joins the human family (it is estimated that it is after 60 days of life) we must begin with the first stimuli related to behavior and obedience.
Dogs receive a first imprint from their mother from the moment they are born, when we see them playing with the puppies or “fighting” they are actually learning to hunt, impose hierarchy, etc. They receive the second ” imprinting” when they arrive at our homes, where we show them their eating place, their resting place, the places they should not access and their schedules adapted to the family’s routine.
After completing the vaccination plan and veterinary clearance to go out, it is a good time to begin the challenge of teaching them tricks and creating a bond, first through play and then with more precise orders depending on what each person is looking for. In the case of specific breeds, for each activity an appropriate training plan is put together that will be reinforced throughout their lives.
-The problem of relieving oneself in the wrong places in the house is common, how to correct this behavior?
It is a very common query. Let’s start by knowing that dogs are routine, they use a ritual that they always repeat. In this sense, dogs are like babies: they eat and after a few minutes they defecate. For this reason, once the animal eats, we wait a few minutes and put the leash on it and take it outside. He will be sniffing the posts, walking on the grass, the sidewalk, avoiding obstacles, and it will not take him long to find an ideal place to relieve himself.
We must collect what he did responsibly and put it in the trash with a bag. When it is his turn to eat again, we repeat exactly the same as before, that is, we begin to create a routine, the usual ritual. Let’s not forget to go out on the same side, take the same route and wait for him to relieve himself. The dog will set times and places and will know how to wait because he knows that his time and place will come.
We do the same with puppies that still cannot go out on public roads due to lack of vaccination. Although we cannot take them out, we can make them eat and quickly take them, for example, to a yard where we want them to defecate. When he does, we enter him, so he will know what his place is, where, how and the place where he can relieve himself. In a few days he will eat and go out alone.
-How to teach them not to jump excessively when visiting and not to break things in the house?
It is a very common problem, each case must be evaluated by a trainer and he will know if it corresponds to a behavioral problem due to hierarchy or anxiety. Generally destructive behaviors – or hyperactivity – such as jumping at people, breaking things or not stopping running are due to the accumulation of anxiety due to lack of activity.
Remember that dogs need their time to play and walk, if we leave them for long periods inside our house, it is inevitable that we will arrive and want to show us, through jumps, that they want to use up that accumulated energy. If we create a daily play and walk routine for them for a few minutes, they will know that their time will come and they will not destroy anything or be nervous when it arrives.
In the specific cases of approaching visitors when we open the door, some tricks can be used.
- They should not be tied in the back when people arrive and ring the bell, because it will generate even more anxiety and they will associate the sound of the bell with the punishment. This can generate unwanted behaviors that can even be aggressive.
- We go with them to the door. The dog on his leash, and we correct any unwanted gestures or movements. We make him a participant in the meeting.
- Dogs want to know who comes in, smell them to recognize them and be part of that, if we deny them we create more anxiety.
To control destructive and anxious behaviors, a tip that usually works is the famous “soda siphon.” Be very careful not to damage his eyes and even less try to “drown” him. The process is as follows: the person who is outside carries the siphon in his hand, rings the bell and when the owner opens the door and the dog tries to jump at him, it activates a small jet on the dog, this will surprise him and he will retreat. He will help the dog associate that after the bell rings and the door opens, if he lunges, he will not receive a very good welcome and will find it more convenient to wait at a distance out of reach of that unpleasant spray.