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Today's post is going to be about treating your dog like you would treat a child.Those of us who are crazy about our pets sometimes get accused of thinking that they are our children. I hope that after this post, you will begin taking that as a compliment!1.) Both kids and dogs need rules and boundaries.
Imagine you're in the grocery store and you witness a scene where a young child is screaming and crying, "Mommy! I want the candy bar!!!!" The mother, embarrassed by her screaming child, grabs the candy bar and throws it in the cart just to get the kid to knock it off. What do you think is going to happen next time the kid wants a candy at the grocery store?
Yep. He is going to scream and cry. Remember from a previous post, anything that gets reinforced will happen more often, and this poor parent accidentally rewarded her child's screams.
Therefore, in the long run, it's best to simply BE embarrassed and ignore the screams of this child and wait for a time when the kid is quiet and polite. Then, and only then, would you offer to buy the child a candy bar. That is the rule.
You can probably see where I'm going with this by now. If your dog wants your attention, they might jump on you. If you give them any attention, even if it's a stern, "NO!", they have just received exactly what they wanted and you have rewarded jumping. Oops!
2.) Both kids and dogs need you to keep them safe.
At the time of this writing, I don't have any kids. However, I've been to plenty of houses where there is a child on the premises. Those houses are full of things that make the environment safe for kids - baby gates, those plastic things you put in electrical outlets, playpens, cupboard locks, and more. All of these things keep the child out of trouble and keep them safe.
We need to be doing the same thing with our dogs. This is why crates and tethers were invented. Tethers are ideal for short-term confinement while you are home. The tether should be about 1-1.5 times the length of the dog. You don't want it to be too long or else the dog might still be able to get into trouble!
Crates are great for long-term confinement when you are not home. Some dogs eventually can be trusted home alone outside of a crate, but this is not true of all dogs. There is nothing wrong with keeping your dog in a crate while you're at work or away from home. Crates should be big enough that the dog can stand up and turn around. They should not be much bigger than that or else the dog might pee at the front of the crate and walk to the back to sleep.
3.) Both kids and dogs need you to keep them busy.
When I ask my dog training clients to think of a place that is really boring for children, most of them say "church". I think many of us will agree! This is why you'll see so many children with coloring books and other activities in that environment. The parents knew the children would need an outlet for their energy, so they planned ahead. This sets the children - and everyone around them - up for success.
We can do the same thing for our dogs! Providing your dog with lots of fun, owner-approved activities to do will keep them from using their energy to destroy your furniture! Here are some of my all-time favorite dog entertainment toys:
When purchasing toys for your pet, always make sure to get the appropriate size. When in doubt, size up!
