If you have a dog or puppy, you know how frustrating it can be when they are not well trained. A poorly trained dog can cause all kinds of problems: not coming when called, pulling on the leash, and even being aggressive toward other people or dogs. This is probably not what you signed up for when you got your pet in the first place.
However, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. And if you’re thinking you’ll have to hire an expensive trainer to help you with your dog or puppy training problems (which can cost hundreds of dollars an hour), you’ll also be pleased to know that there are things you can do yourself. get a well trained and obedient dog.
The key to effective training of dogs and puppies is to understand their psychology, their way of thinking. This is very different from the way humans think. Dog and puppy owners suffer a lot of unnecessary frustration because they can’t understand why their pet doesn’t understand what they want it to do. But that’s because they don’t communicate with their dog in the dog’s language. This can be just as frustrating for the dog: he really wants to please his owner, but he can’t figure out what the owner wants him to do!
The essential thing is to realize that dogs are pack animals. This means that in the wild, one of the dogs (usually the stronger male) would assume the role of leader, telling the rest of the pack what to do and when. This is crucial for the survival of the pack; only by working together could they get the food they need and protect themselves from other predators. The type of decisions the pack leader would make would include when and what to eat, where to go, and how to behave.
These days, chances are your dog isn’t part of a pack roaming the loose! But the psychology remains the same. This means that your dog would prefer that someone other than himself, and probably you, make all the decisions for him.
That means you need to let your dog or puppy know that YOU are in charge. Don’t let your dog decide what he will do and when. He’ll find that once your dog “gets the message” that you’re in charge, he’ll adopt his behavior almost immediately.
Much of a dog’s bad behavior is their way of saying to you, “Look, I know you want me to be in charge, so I’m here calling the shots for you.” Once you convince him that YOU are the boss, your dog will not only be better behaved and more obedient, but he will also be happier.