Puppy Training: Discouraging Bad Habits and Supporting Good Ones

By Brad Morgan

Dogs love to dig. Whether it is to bury a bone, look for a bone, or to just see what is underneath the dirt this time, dogs enjoy digging.

Digging can not only ruin your yard, but it can ruin your relationship with your pet. Can you stop this behavior before it gets out of control?

The first step in stopping your dog from digging is to determine why he is doing it in the first place. As mentioned earlier, some dogs just love it.

However, there may be other reasons including lack of attention or stimulation, storing food, or he?s building a den to cool off or stay warm. Alternately, he may be attracted to freshly turned earth or the scent of fertilizer.

If you have determined that your dog needs more stimulation and is digging as a way of getting attention, you can attack the problem by offering him more opportunities for exercise and interaction.

If this doesn't help, you can give one of the following techniques a try:

1. Dogs can often be deterred from undesirable behavior if there is an unpleasant consequence. Try burying a balloon in your dog's frequent digging spots. Once he pops one balloon, he may be over his habit.

2. Fill some of the holes your dog has made with his own feces. When he revisits the holes, he will be disgusted by this. It is enough to deter him from digging.

3. Chicken wire is another thing you can bury in your yard to deter your dog from digging. He'll hate the feeling of his claws against the wire and will be prompted to stop.

4. Spray him with a hose. Dogs hate being sprayed, especially in the face. Make sure if you do this that you have caught him in the act of digging or he won?t know why you?re spraying him.

You love your pet; you don't have to love his bad habits too. If digging is a problem, take immediate steps to correct your dog's behavior. He'll be happy, and your yard will thank you.

Clicker Training - A Great Training Technique

As people look for gentle ways to discipline and train their dogs, the use of clickers has become more prominent. Your dog will learn to repeat behavior that is desirable in a safe, humane way.

Clicker training works on the principle of operant conditioning. This is when a behavior is repeated because a reward is associated with it. Here is some more on how clicker training works:

A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal strip. When you push and release the metal strip, it makes a sharp clicking sound.

Ask your dog to perform a command, such as sit, stay, heel, etc. When he does, click right away and give your dog a treat. You are pairing the clicking sound with the treat.

This teaches your dog to connect the behavior with the click. Since the click is associated with the treat, he'll be more apt to perform the good behavior. Eventually, you can phase out the treat, and he will respond to the click. After successful training, you won't need the clicker either.

Because clicking is quicker than speaking, the dog learns exactly which behavior he is being rewarded for, so clicker-trained dogs tend to learn more quickly.

Dogs want to make you happy, and performing commands is a great way for them to do this. And get a treat in the process. The clicker is a great training tool for encouraging good behavior. - 29955

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