Is the best way to discipline a dog the same as the best way to discipline a child? Well, it depends. Dogs are pack animals and will respond to the pack leader (that’s you!). Most of the time you can get away with simply saying, “No,” and when your dog is behaving aggressive, simply say, “No” might not work.
It is certainly not an easy task to discipline your dog and correct his inappropriate behaviors. If you punish your dog for doing something you don’t want him to do, he may become confused and think that he’s not getting rewarded for what he had done.
You have to be consistent in your reward and punishment so that your dog will know what is expected from him. Reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior.
Rewarding good behavior is an integral part of your dog obedience training. Patience and persistence is a must when training any dog. Remember that sometimes even bad behavior is acceptable. It’s all depends on the dog circumstances.
Start with small goals and work your way up, this is also a healthy way for your dog to learn. Spend more time playing with your dog to build your trust and bond. Your pup will enjoy this, and so will you.
If you are going to discipline your dog, it’s most effective if you know what you’re doing. That means you must identify the things your dog does right and the things he does wrong.
If you can understand your dog’s behavior a lot better, then you will be able to know why he is reacting in this way (behavior). I think that understanding your dog and communicating with him will be the best way that you can train him. It’s like a two way street. If you understand how your dog thinks and what he wants, you will be able to correct his actions accordingly.
Defining what are the “good” behaviors that you are looking for in your dog positive reinforcement training is a must. Instead of punishing your dog for his “bad” behavior, give him a stern voice “Stop” and when he ceases doing the action, give him a reward. Giving him a treat is often more effective than yelling at him or using a physical tool such as a leash.
Using an electronic reward system such as playing some soothing music or even one with your voice can make your dog stops his bad behavior. Using a system like this can be a highly effective way to discipline your dog. Some other types of positive reinforcement are using treats, giving praise, and playing with him.
With reward based training, you are “luring” your dog to be obedient and listen to your commands through the use of rewards. He will learn that to be rewarded for his good behavior, he would need to do what you wants him to do. This is certainly a contrast to punishment approaches where you are using force to get the results (discipline) you want.
Whether you’re teaching the most basic commands to your dog or possibly planning his future behavior, it’s important to know what motivates your dog and how to establish acceptable behaviors and install discipline in him.
Dogs learn by association. Your dog looks to you for approval and guidance. Being good and getting the praise that goes along with it encourages him to do the right thing. A rewarding outcome is a strong motivator for good behavior.
Although your dog might not be able to learn on his own, he can be taught, and trained by you to behave in a way that you are longing for. He will learn from playing with you, walking in the yard, and hanging out with you.
You will find a huge difference in your dog and his behavior in a positive environment – an environment that is filled with love and praise and not always dominance. Yes, we love our pets and we need to treat them with love and respect, but there needs to be a set of rules that we should teach them so that we can live in harmony.
It’s easy to forget that your dog is not human. He cannot think and plan his own actions so that he has good behavior at all times. So, just like a child, he must be guided and heavily influenced by you. Not only that, but you need to shape his behavior as well. To encourage desirable behavior you must reward and praise your dog.
If you make your dog knows that he’s done well, he will want to impress you. If you consistently and constantly punish him for a poor performance, he will get the message that he won’t get that same reward if he continues to behave in such a manner.
Discipline your dog will take time, patience and effort. But at the end of the day, all your work and effort will be well rewarded, because your dog will grow up to be exactly what you want.