While you’re training good behavior, or when you are not able to control your dog’s behavior, then you’ll need to manage it.
If your dog surfs the counters and grabs what he can, for example, manage this situation by keeping the counters free of enticement. When your dog does get something from the counter, it’s a reward to him for his efforts as a counter surfer. When you come home to a clean counter and nothing chewed up, it’s a reward to you. Keeping counters clutter free will make the counters a boring place to explore and a rewarding environment for you to come home to. Imagine that.
For another example, if your dog focuses on shoes, the only way he can indulge in that hobby is by having shoes around to chew. Who’s in charge of the shoes in the household? You are. So be sure to put them away in a place your dog can’t access. Otherwise, leaving a shoe around is fair game for the dog, and he should not be punished for taking a shoe as a chew toy. Your dog doesn’t know the difference between a $100 shoe and a $5 toy, but you do. Protect your investments.
Any lapse in your behavior to manage access to your dog’s temptations is a chance for you to reinforce his hobbies. You must keep one step ahead of your dog by thinking ahead of the possibilities of how he may may behave. After all, dogs do doggy behavior. So take action to prevent your dog’s self-rewarding behaviors when you’re not around.
Write down your goals for your dog-management project and follow through on them. Hang them on the refrigerator to remind you. For example:
1. Put shoes away
2. Keep counters clean
3. Secure the lid on the trash bucket
If you ever feel the urge to lapse because you’re in a hurry, fast forward to the picture of what the outcome could be from your behavior. A shredded shoe. A half-eaten bank check. A mangled pair of sun glasses? It’s up to you, but that lapse in perseverance with your goals is most likely not worth it.
It’s your list, so create it to help you remember new behaviors you need to put in place while training and managing life with your dog. Add to your list as you discover more management skills you will need as the owner and protector of your dog. Eating a shoe or some other inedible item is costly to your dog’s health and to your wallet when you visit the veterinarian’s office.
Dogs are for life, so adjustments are necessary on both our parts. Be vigilante and do your part to help your dog do his.
Find out how much fun it is to train with food, games, and our cast of characters. Become a client of Outsmarting Dogs! We never use pain to train. We train humanely and outsmart dogs instead!
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
Contact me
Certified in Training and Counseling
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
AKC Canine Good Citizen/CGC and STAR Puppy Trainer and Evaluator
Your Board-and-Train Dog Trainer for Fort Myers, Lee county, Naples, Collier county, and southwest Florida
