Maybe you’ve bought a new puppy, and they’re not getting the hang of the training. Or your puppy has grown up, and now their bad behavior is taking over the house. Try these 19 tricks to stop those bad habits in their tracks.
Understand the Root Cause
By watching out for their behavioral cues, you may be able to determine what is triggering your dog’s bad habits. According to the RSPCA, “If their behavior changes or they show regular signs of stress or fear (such as excessive panting, licking lips, hiding, cowering, or aggression), they could be distressed, bored, ill, or injured.”
Establish a Routine
Dogs thrive on consistency, so it is important to establish a fixed schedule for feeding, walking, and resting throughout the day. This can reduce anxiety-related behaviors as well as improve overall obedience, as it offers the dog a sense of security and an understanding of what to expect.
Socialization
Socializing your dogs involves exposing them to a variety of people, animals, and environments at a young age, which improves their confidence. Not doing this can result in fearfulness or aggression toward unfamiliar people or situations, so it’s important to continuously expose them to social experiences to improve their adaptability.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement involves rewarding your dog when they carry out the behavior you want. This needs to be rewarded right away so they understand why they’re being praised. The Humane Society says, “Positive reinforcement training can include food treats, praise, petting, or a favorite toy or game. Since most dogs are highly food-motivated, food treats work especially well for training.”
Consistent Commands and Signals
When you are training your dog or asking them to carry out a certain behavior, it is essential that you use clear and consistent commands so that they can understand your cues. If there is inconsistency between family members’ commands, it can confuse the dog and hinder their ability to learn.
Ignore Attention-Seeking Behaviors
If a dog learns that certain behaviors capture your attention, they may repeat these actions. Therefore, it’s best to ignore bad behaviors to show them they don’t get a reaction. Instead, try to only give your dog attention or rewards when they display calm and desired behaviors, positively reinforcing them to repeat them.
Exercise and Mental Stimulation
Regular exercise helps to use up energy and reduce destructive behavior at home. It’s also important that dogs feel mentally stimulated, and Petplan suggests trying “puzzle boards where they have to move levers or flaps to reveal a treat, licker mats for spreading soft treats on, or Kongs stuffed with pet-safe peanut butter.”
Crate Training
When used correctly, a crate provides a safe, den-like space for dogs, which utilizes their natural instinct to find a safe place to rest. This can be beneficial in managing separation anxiety or reducing destructive behavior when they are left alone. It’s important that the crate is never used as punishment so that it is thought of as a positive space.
Set Boundaries
Establishing clear boundaries within your home helps dogs understand where they are allowed to go and what is off-limits. When these boundaries are consistently enforced with gentle redirection and positive reinforcement, you can create an environment of respect and good behavior.
Address Barking Issues
It’s important to first identify why your dog is barking excessively; it could be due to a threat, attention-seeking, boredom, or responding to a specific trigger. Once you know why they are barking, you can use training commands like “quiet” alongside positive reinforcement to stop barking.
Manage Chewing Behavior
It’s natural for dogs to explore their environment through their mouths, so providing appropriate chew toys redirects this behavior away from unwanted items. Make sure you keep personal and special belongings out of reach, and try not to leave them alone for long periods of time.
Prevent Begging at the Table
If your dog begs at the table while you’re eating, you should make sure they’re shut out of the room you are eating in, and the American Kennel Club recommends you “always give dogs an alternative activity to occupy their time while they’re out of the dining area, like a puzzle toy filled with tasty treats.”
Stop Jumping Up
Ignoring your dog when they jump up and only giving them attention when all four paws are on the ground teaches them that you don’t respond to this behavior. You can also try to train an alternative greeting behavior, such as sitting, to provide them with a polite way of greeting people that can be rewarded.
Leash Training
By using positive reinforcement, you can teach a dog that staying close to you and not pulling on the leash is rewarded. Practice this in a quiet, distraction-free area to allow for focused training, slowly building in distractions as they become more obedient. You could also try a harness, as these reduce pulling without discomfort.
Housetraining
Try establishing a regular, frequent schedule for taking your dog outside to help them understand the specific time and place they should go. Reinforce this with praise and rewards as soon as they go outside, and make sure you thoroughly clean the site of any accidents inside to remove odors that might attract them back to the same spot.
Addressing Aggression
Recognizing the triggers of your dog’s aggression helps you address the root of the problem. Triggers could be fear, guarding their territory, or guarding their food and bedding. According to the ASPCA, “Some studies report that as many as 60 to 70% of all pet dogs bark threateningly at strangers and act unfriendly when around them.”
Teaching Patience
Teaching commands such as “wait” or “stay” not only teaches patience but also impulse control. A great opportunity for this is meal times, where you can practice making them wait calmly before you give them their meal, and this can translate to calmer behavior in other situations.
Overcoming Separation Anxiety
The best way to reduce separation anxiety is to gradually acclimate them to being alone. Start with short durations and gradually increase to longer periods of time to reduce their fear. You can also try leaving a piece of clothing with your scent or offering a special toy to provide them with comfort and a sense of familiarity.
Professional Training and Behavior Consultation
If you are really struggling with your dog’s behavior, a professional trainer can provide you with structured training programs that offer a level of expertise and consistency that might be challenging to achieve independently. A behaviorist can also delve into the psychological aspects of a dog’s behavior, offering insights and solutions backed by animal behavior science.
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