Tuesday Training Byte: Are you serious about your dog's behavior?

I have received several calls from owners at their wit's end dealing with problem behavior. Most times, they want a quick fix for problems that have been getting worse over a period of time, and now are at a fix it now or take to the pound ultimatum. Most problem behavior can be corrected- with consistency and time, but there is no magic bullet. I suggest that you sit down and make a list of all of the issues and then rank order them from most serious and important to correct, to the least. If you have a spouse, they should be part of this discussion. Then decide if you are serious enough to commit to fixing the problem, or just pick the top two or so issues. You and your spouse may disagree on which behaviors are not acceptable. The household members must be on board with making the change to be effective.

Once a dog has gotten away with or been rewarded for their bad behavior, it takes a bit to turn that around. Reach out to a qualified trainer to discuss their availability to help you. If your dog is jumping up for example, have the trainer show you how to fix it, and be sure you and your household members commit to follow the instructions every single time the dog jumps up to be effective in eliminating that problem. If you adopted the dog from a shelter, be aware that the most common reason dogs end up surrendered or abandoned is due to behavior problems. The dog will most likely act differently at the shelter than in your home, so be prepared to contact a trainer right away. Or perhaps you could arrange foster-to-adopt to be sure the dog is a good fit for your family. Dogs learn with repetition either good or bad behaviors. In every interaction you have with your dog, you are training them. So, are you committed to helping the dog be on good behavior? How about the members of your house? The longer you wait to deal with the issue, the longer it will take to correct. Setting up even a one hour private session with the trainer can help you see what works in fixing the behavior and how to move forward. You might be surprised how much you will learn as they coach you. Happy training!