Teaching Your Dog Patience

· May 4, 2017 Like

How to stop problem dog behaviors by teaching patience.

When your dog begs for food, do you toss him a piece?

When he barks at the door, do you let him in?

Does he jump on you for attention or bark at you to throw his ball?

The key to a well-behaved dog (or child) is teaching them patience and impulse control.

Like human children our dogs can learn to act-out when things don’t go their way. But only if they have been given every single thing they want, right when they want it, essentially allowing them to tell you what to do as in the above examples.

Yes, dogs also throw temper tantrums, however their tools are not hands and feet but claws and teeth!  If allowed to continue, seemingly harmless or cute ways of being demanding or acting-out can result in many negative behaviors such as nipping, scratching, barking, jumping on you, dragging you down the street and even aggression.

Now I am not saying this will happen with every family pet to those extremes.

Still, it is important that our pets are well adjusted members of our family and community, just like our human children. Being respectful and working for their rewards, just like children, will enable your dog to blend seamlessly into your family unit and social circles!

How to Start?

Start as soon as you bring your dog or puppy home. Never give things your dog or puppy sees as valuable without asking for a small behavior first.

Meals: Ask for sit, then give your pup permission to eat.

Petting: Ask for sit before getting the attention he is seeking.

Play time: After going potty outside.

Walks: Ask for sit at the door before heading out.

These are small things that will get you started however there is no substitute for a well-trained dog. Training your dog will solidify good manners and leave little room for bad behaviors to creep in. Completing an advanced training course such as our Proven Three Week Program in Westlake Village, or Top Dog Advanced online, can essentially hard-wire your dogs brain to see you as the decision-maker and to love doing what you ask of him because good things follow!

Imagine the scenario as your dog sees a squirrel run across the street but looks to you before taking action! This is impulse control at it’s finest and one example of what we accomplish daily at L.A. School for Dogs using the “Mann’s Best” programs and principles while still keeping it positive!

Jennifer Mann

Known by her clients and friends as their ‘doggie-guru’, Jennifer Mann is a credentialed Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She has been working in dog and puppy training, obedience, socialization and behavior modification for over 20 years.

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