| Diva |
| Sophie |
| Violet and Cody |
| Sue's Views Sniffles and Friends Newsletter - April 2009 |
| Sue's Views |
| Sniffles' Friends |
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Having a friendly, happy dog isn’t just a matter of good luck. It’s possible to
teach your dog how to be a polite and welcome guest just about anywhere.
Start socializing early, and be consistent. Introduce puppies to new people,
places, sights, smells etc. Give lots of positive reinforcement!
Substitute a good experience for a bad one. If your dog has a negative
experience with any particular situation (meets up with a doggie bully at the
dog park, etc.) be sure to return while the experience is fresh in his mind
and maybe “stage the scene” with a friendly, nonthreatening dog there so
he relates the park to a happy experience in the future.
Reward good behavior. Make sure you’re the pack leader by giving your
dog a treat to reward socially acceptable behaviors.
Avoid frustrating situations. Allow your dog to greet other dogs while on a
leash (this also helps avoid leash aggression issues). If this doesn’t work
out well due to lunging or barking, consult a trainer or a behaviorist.
Good manners at mealtime. Snapping and barking when someone
approaches the food bowl is called food aggression. This is a serious
problem. Try sitting down beside his bowl while he’s eating, and gradually
“train” him to accept your presence at mealtime. Even carefully putting a
few tasty treats into the bowl while he’s eating can be helpful, but of course,
only when he’s accepted your presence enough to not be snapping
anymore.
Manners are important for dogs too. Guests in your home, as well as people
you meet on the street prefer to be in the presence of a well-behaved,
pleasant dog – just like people!
teach your dog how to be a polite and welcome guest just about anywhere.
Start socializing early, and be consistent. Introduce puppies to new people,
places, sights, smells etc. Give lots of positive reinforcement!
Substitute a good experience for a bad one. If your dog has a negative
experience with any particular situation (meets up with a doggie bully at the
dog park, etc.) be sure to return while the experience is fresh in his mind
and maybe “stage the scene” with a friendly, nonthreatening dog there so
he relates the park to a happy experience in the future.
Reward good behavior. Make sure you’re the pack leader by giving your
dog a treat to reward socially acceptable behaviors.
Avoid frustrating situations. Allow your dog to greet other dogs while on a
leash (this also helps avoid leash aggression issues). If this doesn’t work
out well due to lunging or barking, consult a trainer or a behaviorist.
Good manners at mealtime. Snapping and barking when someone
approaches the food bowl is called food aggression. This is a serious
problem. Try sitting down beside his bowl while he’s eating, and gradually
“train” him to accept your presence at mealtime. Even carefully putting a
few tasty treats into the bowl while he’s eating can be helpful, but of course,
only when he’s accepted your presence enough to not be snapping
anymore.
Manners are important for dogs too. Guests in your home, as well as people
you meet on the street prefer to be in the presence of a well-behaved,
pleasant dog – just like people!