As a pet owner, you may feel the need to overlook some bothersome behaviors because you may believe that is just the way your pet is and there is no changing that. In many cases, your pet’s behavior can be sharpened up so they can respond better to other dogs and humans. It is extremely important to train your dog about how to act in a domesticated setting for safety and health reasons. Here are some important skills that South Jersey dog training professionals can teach your dog.
Socialization
Socialization is an important skill to teach your dog. While certain species of dogs seem to naturally have a gift for socializing, some are more defensive and prone to incidents when it comes to socialization. It is important to develop this skill so your dog is comfortable in many different situations. The younger the dog is, the better for social development. Most training techniques regarding socialization include forms of reinforcement as well as exposing them to different interactions with others.
House Training
No one likes a dog that is basically a walking tornado through your home. House training is a very important skill that every dog should learn. The best ways to train a dog for house training is through positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement if they are caught doing it inside your home. The goal is to train your dog to instinctively go to the back door when they are ready to use the bathroom.
Basic Orders
You never want to feel too out of control over your dog. There is a basic set of commands you should teach your dog to obey in the event of danger and establish roles. The commands consist of sit, stay, come, and leave it. Sit, stay, and come are commands that come in handy when your dog isn’t behaving while visitors are around. Leave it or drop it is a great command for your dog to know in case they are chewing on a used sock or are getting too hyper with a toy. Like the other skills, different reinforcement strategies can work out great for training your dog.
Barking Habits
Dogs tend to be defensive and have their guard up to protect the ones they love. This can be a fantastic trait to have. In some cases, the dog may view a passing car as more of a threat than it actually is. Bad barking habits can startle other pets and family members which can make peace seem like a rare concept. You want to try to break these barking habits to ensure that when barking is happening that something is really wrong. The best way to combat this is by rewarding a quiet dog or teaching them behavior that doesn’t get along with barking when a trigger occurs. Avoid yelling at the dog as it can appear that you are joining in on the fun. Limiting the trigger and rewarding the dog will allow for you to get some much-needed shut-eye.
If you have any questions or concerns, Halo House Animal Resort is available anytime at 856-694-0980!