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Posts Tagged ‘dog behavior modification’

If separation anxiety in dogs is a problem for your canine friend, there are several dog behavior modification techniques you can use to change his behavior.

How To Handle Mild Cases Of Dogs With Separation Anxiety

The most important thing to do is to keep your comings and goings low-key.  If your dog is overly excited when you come home, and jumps around in happiness at your return for more than a minute, this isn’t a good thing.

Many dog owners mistakenly encourage excessively happy excited behavior in their dogs when they come home.Although you may think it’s harmless, you’re really training him to view your homecomng as the highest point of the day.  The problem is that when you need to leave again, it makes it even harder for him to see you go.

Try leaving your dog with a piece of clothing that has your scent on it.  Dogs with separation anxiety often find it reassuring to sleep on an old sweatshirt or t-shirt that you’ve worn recently.

Even though you’re probably not aware of it, you’ve already established “safety cues” for your dog.  A safety cue is an action you take upon leaving that tells your dog you’ll be back soon.  For example, when your dog sees you going out with the trash, he knows you’ll be right back, and he doesn’t get upset.

A good technique is to use safety cues with your dog.  If you know you’re going to be gone for a short time, you can leave the radio or tv on, or give him a certain toy to play with.  Use these safety cues when you’re practicing with your dog so he gets to know what they are.

Be careful though.If you try using a safety cue for too long, you won’t fool your dog, and the cue will lose its effectiveness.  These cues are useful for shorter absences.

Canine Behavior Modification For More Severe Cases

If your buddy has a severe case of separation anxiety in dogs, you may want to try these dog behavior modification techniques.  Keep these sessions short, but do them several times a day.

Fake your dog out by pretending to leave; put on your coat and get your car keys, but instead, go sit down again.Repeat this lesson until it doesn’t bother your dog anymore.  Next, you’ll do these things and go to the door and open it, and then sit back down.  Again, keep doing it until your dog shows no interest.

Next, go out through the door, leaving it open, and then come back in.  The next step is to go though the door, and close it behind you.  Immediately come back in.  Progress to staying outside for a few minutes and coming back.

Remember to keep your exits and returns very low-key.  You don’t want your dog to get excited that you’re back.  His attitude should be, “ho-hum, it’s you again.”  If your dog gets upset at any point, you’re going too fast.  Go back to any earlier step, and start again.

You can see how you’re desensitizing your dog by teaching him that you can go away for longer and longer periods of time and still return safely.

Avoid Teaching Your Dog The Wrong Lessons

You can see how easy it is to unknowingly train your dog to do what you don’t want him to do.  If you’re facing the problem of separation anxiety in dogs, just click on any link in this article to find help.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily you can solve this problem once you understand how your canine friend thinks.

Dog behavior modification is one of the first things that a new dog owner might be anxious to learn for obvious reasons. Here are seven tips to help:

For some more great tips and dog training help visit dog training methods

Tip 1:The first thing you should do is check for any signs that your dog is distressed. It is very simple to notice distress in a dog as they begin to pant, whine, shake, pace and poor.Lowering the distress is paramount and can often be achieved just by stroking or speaking calmly to your pet.

Tip 2:By punishing your dog, you are not going to achieve anything apart from heightening the dogs distress. One of the best ways to handle your own feelings of frustration is to avoid giving the dog any attention at all for a while, ignore, don’t punish.

Tip three:It may be counter intutive but if your dog is over anxious all the time or hyperactive, giving it attention and reward, welll this is not the time,try ignoring your pet. By far the best times to give love and affection is when he has calmed down, dont reward bad behavior.

Tip 4:By teaching your dog at least the basics of obeying your,this will help your dog behavior modification. Your dogs anxiety which can lead to bad behavior can be reduced if he learns some simple words like sit and stay.

For some more great tips and dog training help visit training dogs help

Tip 5: Exercise will help to reduce his energy to ensure that he doesnt have the will to misbehave. Depending on the size and age of your dog, there will be different needs for exercise but they all need time outdoors to burn off energy. Being outdoors doesnt just mean that your dogs anxiety and poor behavior will reduce but it helps to socialise your dog to other dogs and people.

Tip 6: Do a routine exercise with your dog so that he will not be anxious when you leave the house to go to work, to go to the store etc…. Take your keys or bag and leave the house, wait a minute or so and then return,and greet your pet. Repeat this exercise about ten times a day and your dog will get used to you leaving as he knows you will come back.

Tip 7: Your dog should have his own space in the garden our house that it can call its own and where it can relax.This should be a safe environment and if your dog gets to know this, it will lessen the anxiety factors that might well be leading to his bad behavior in the first place.

For some more great tips and dog training help visit training dogs help

If your canine friend is showing signs of separation anxiety in dogs, there are several dog behavior modification techniques you can use to change his behavior. 

How To Handle Mild Cases Of Dogs With Separation Anxiety

The most important thing to do is to keep your comings and goings low-key.Your dog shouldn’t carry on and jump around for more than a minute when you get home. 

Don’t encourage your dog to get too excited and worked up when you get home.Although you may think it’s harmless, you’re really training him to view your homecomng as the highest point of the day.  The problem is that when you need to leave again, it makes it even harder for him to see you go.

Try leaving your dog with a piece of clothing that has your scent on it.  Dogs with separation anxiety often find it reassuring to sleep on an old sweatshirt or t-shirt that you’ve worn recently.

Even though you don’t realize it, you’ve already established “safety cues” for your dog.  A safety cue is an action you take upon leaving that tells your dog you’ll be back soon.  For example, when your dog sees you going out with the trash, he knows you’ll be right back, and he doesn’t get upset.

A good technique is to use safety cues with your dog.  If you know you’re going to be gone for a short time, you can leave the radio or tv on, or give him a certain toy to play with.  Use these safety cues when you’re practicing with your dog so he gets to know what they are. 

Be careful though.If your use a safety cue for too long, your dog wil learn not to trust it, and it will lose its effectiveness.  These cues are useful for shorter absences. 

Dog Behavior Modification For More Severe Cases

If your buddy has a severe case of separation anxiety in dogs, you may want to try these dog behavior modification techniques.  Keep these sessions short, but do them several times a day.

Start by putting on your coat and grabbing your car keys like you usually do when you leave, but then sit down.  Repeat this until your dog isn’t bothered by it.  Next, you’ll do these things and go to the door and open it, and then sit back down.  Again, keep doing it until your dog shows no interest.

Next, go out through the door, leaving it open, and then come back in.  The next step is to go though the door, and close it behind you.  Immediately come back in.  Progress to staying outside for a few minutes and coming back. 

Remember to keep your exits and returns very low-key.  You don’t want your dog to get excited that you’re back.  His attitude should be, “ho-hum, it’s you again.”  If your dog gets upset at any point, you’re going too fast.  Go back to any earlier step, and start again.

You can see how you’re desensitizing your dog by teaching him that you can go away for longer and longer periods of time and still return safely.

Don’t Teach Your Dog The Wrong Lessons

In conclusion, now you understand how easy it is to unknowingly train your dog to do what you don’t want him to do.  Avoid these mistakes by finding a dog training course that shows you how your dog’s mind works.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily you can deal with separation anxiety in dogs once you understand how your canine friend thinks.

If you’re dealing with the problem of separation anxiety in dogs, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training resource that will help to solve your problem.

Let me ask you a simple question.  Do you know the triggers for fear aggression in dogs?  If not, then you need to read this article to learn more about this type of canine aggression.

Fear Aggression In Dogs

This is one of the most frustrating types of dog behavior problems.  Your dog may not hate all strangers; just certain ones.He may have a dislike for all men, or he may zero in on men who have beards or men who wear hats.  He may absolutely detest kids under five, but older children are fine.  He may be fine with strangers outside the home, or he may bark at anyone who walks by the house.  

You can use dog behavior modification techniques to desensitize your dog to strangers.  But in order to do so, you need to identify exactly what it is about a stranger that’s scaring him.

Common Triggers For Canine Aggression In Fearful Dogs

Men often seem more threatening to a nervous dog than women do.  They’re bigger, their voices are deeper and louder, they may have beards or moustaches, they may wear hats.  Men have a more direct way about them.Another problem is that they make direct eye contact mroe often, too.  Sometimes a man may remind your dog of someone who scared him or abused him in the past.

Just having a few chldren around may be enough to frighten a nervous dog, leading to aggressive behavior.They have high-pitched, squeaky voices, and their movements are fast and unexpected.  They’re sometimes attached to scary things like skateboards and roller blades.Noisy toys may also come with small children; a nervous dog may be terrified by the sounds.  

Kids also have a tendency to grab dogs with no warning and hug them.This can lead to an attack by an unfamiliar dog.  Most dogs don’t like to be hugged anyway.  Teach your children never to hug a dog, especially one they don’t know.

Any dog finds it threatening if someone makes prolonged eye contact with him.  This is especially true with a nervous, fearful dog.  Avoid looking a strange dog directly in the eye.  Look down or to the side instead.

Someone who’s just walking down the street fast or very slowly can be scary, too, especially if they appear to be coming right at your dog.  Anything out of the ordinary can be unsettling for him.

A fearful dog’s attention will be drawn to somebody making odd movements, like jumping around, or waving their arms about.An unfamiliar smell on a stranger, like cigars or beer, may frighten a nervous dog, too.

Sometimes it’s not something as obvious as any of these things. You’ll need to spend some time watching your dog and making notes of which trigger, or combination of triggers cause him to display fear-based aggression towards strangers.

Dog Behavior Modification Can Help

Punishing a dog who displays canine aggression towards strangers doesn’t work.  Dogs learn by associating things.  So punishing a dog who’s already aggressive towards strangers only serves to teach the dog that strangers really are bad.He associates the punishment with the presence of a stranger, so he becomes even more aggressive toward strange people.

What you need to do is to desensitize your dog to strangers.  You do this by associating strangers with good things, like tasty treats.  Dog behavior modification is a long, slow training process that can’t be rushed.

A good dog training course can be worth its weight in gold when working with a fearful dog.  When looking at courses, you’ll want to choose one that has lots of good testimonials from dog owners who have used the course material.  It’s also important to find a course that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer.  Another essential feature you’ll appreciate is a dog owner forum where you can ask questions, and talk to other dog owners who have solved the same problem with their dogs.

This is the easiest way you’ll find to to deal with fear aggression in dogs.

Visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about fear aggression in dogs.

By the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of fear aggression in dogs.  Plus you’ll also know several dog training behavior modification techniques to use when dealing with this problem in your dog.

What Causes Dog Behavior Problems Like This One?

Fear aggression in dogs can have many causes.  Certain dog breeds, like the herding breeds, are more prone to this problem than others.  Neglecting to socialize your dog when he’s a puppy can contribute to canine aggression towards strangers.  Past abuse may also be a factor.

Even if puppy socialization isn’t an issue, many dogs go through a “shy” period when they hit adolescence at around six months.  It’s important to keep exposing your pup to lots of situations to avoid him becoming wary of new people and new animals.

Dog Behavior Modification Techniques

If your dog is already displaying fear aggression, here are six steps for dog training behavior modification you can use to desensitize your dog to strangers.Your goal is for your dog to learn that strangers are fantastic!

To start, you’ll need a few volunteers to act as strangers.  You dog also needs to be on a leash so he’s under your control at all times.

First, identify which treat is your dog’s favorite.  It shouldn’t be something he gets on a regular basis.  Steak, liver, chicken, cheese, hot dogs, whatever it is, it should be something he absolutely loves.

Second, the only time he gets this favorite treat is when a stranger is present.You’re teaching your dog to associate a stranger being present with getting this wonderful treat.

Third, it’s necessary to figure out what the trigger is for your dog’s canine aggression.He may be perfectly accepting of strangers as long as they’re outside, but may not tolerate them inside his house.He may be upset by every child he meets, or just certain kids, or all men.  Do sudden movements, or somebody getting too close agitate him?  Observe him carefully to see what sets him off.

The fourth step is to expose your dog to a stranger.  Stay inside your dog’s comfort zone.  You want to move slowly so you don’t provoke him to an aggressive display.  Your dog should know a stranger is around, but he shouldn’t be overly concerned about it. 

Fifth, as soon as your dog is aware of the stranger, start feeding him treats.  Sixth, before the dog starts getting aggressive toward the stranger, you either have the stranger leave, or your and your dog will leave.

It’s very important that your dog is continuing to eat the treats.  If he won’t eat, then the stranger is too close.  If the dog isn’t relaxed enough to eat, you’re moving too quickly with the dog training behavior modification. 

Remember that you aren’t rewarding your dog for doing something right.  What you’re doing is changing his emotional state.

More Tips For Dog Behavior Modification

You’ll continue to work within your dog’s comfort zone, varying the distance the stranger is from your dog.  The stranger may be six feet away one day, eight the next, seven after that.  As long as aggressive dog behavior isn’t seen, you’re doing fine. 

Continue these steps for several weeks.  Now you’re going to start working outside your dog’s comfort zone by having the stranger come a little closer, maybe five feet away.  Keep working to reduce the distance your dog is from the stranger. 

You can see that this is a long, slow process.It may be tempting to try to move quicker, but pushing too hard too fast can undo all your hard work.  Keep the training sessions short, and end the session if your dog is getting nervous.

Do yourself a favor and find a good dog training course.  This can be a very helpful aid when using dog behavior modification techniques.  You’ll want to look for one that includes a free consultation with an experienced dog trainer so you can get help, if necessary.

Visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about dog behavior modification.