A polite pet isn’t one that keeps its elbows off the table (though it would be a pretty cool party trick!).  Trainers have started referring to the skills they teach to family pets as “manners” instead of obedience.  Rather than learning how to walk circles in a show ring, pets are taught things that help them in everyday life.  Manners teach them how to communicate with a completely different species – humans!  Repetition, consistency and reinforcement are the keys to making good behavior stick.

Problem – Jumping on people:  An excited dog often pounces with joy when someone walks in the door.  Besides being obnoxious, the dog could easily hurt a child or an elderly person.  Solution :  Positive reinforcement.  Ignore the dog if he jumps.  When he has all four feet on the floor, reward him with a treat and praise it profusely using its name – “Good Fido”.  Or use a command such as “sit”, which gives the dog a specific action to maintain.  Start by using a leash to practice with family several times each day, and then introduce visitors until the pet sits automatically for everyone.

Problem – Not coming:  Dogs ignore you when frightened or distracted by something (such as a squirrel) that competes for their attention.  They can get lost, or worse, injured by cars or other animals.  Solution:  A short leash.  Keep your dog on a short leash and say “Fido, come!”  Each time your pet listens, praise and reward him.  Advance to a longer leash with intermittent treats, and then drop the treats and leash altogether.  Try to say “come” every time your dog comes voluntarily – for food, walks, car rides – so the command is associated with all the great things in life.

Problem – Begging:  Dogs love food and are likely to whine, jump, and look at you longingly whenever it’s present.  This behavior disrupts meals, and paws can knock over dinnerware and spread germs.  Solution:  Discipline.  This is one of the hardest things to do!  Never feed your dog from your plate, and ignore begging.  Combine this with teaching the dog a “go to place” command when you eat.  Assign a spot, such as a dog bed and move the dog there each time he approaches.  Then reward him!  You can also feed him when you eat or put the dog in another room until dinner is over.

Lisa

Lisa actively supports Stray Rescue of St. Louis and anything related to animal rescue. She would like to travel to Germany one day to research her ancestors that came to America during World War 2.

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