Think broadly about your dog’s behavioral issues. Most likely, your dog is acting badly for a number of reasons. You should consider a number of factors including its diet and the amount of time it spends exercising or locked up in a kennel/cage/room.
Never hit your dog. Just say “No!” firmly instead. Your dog will make the connection between his behavior and what you did to stop him. [4] X Research source
Click the clicker device, then immediately give the dog a treat. This creates a positive association with the click sound. Later, that sound will “mark” a behavior as correct so the dog knows that he did something right. [7] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source When the dog performs a desired behavior, make the click sound, then give him a treat. Once he’s performing that behavior consistently, you can give the behavior a command name. Begin tying the command and the behavior together with the help of the clicker. For example, before you ever teach your dog the “sit” command, give the click sound, a treat, and praise when you find him sitting. When he begins sitting just to get the treats, start saying the word “sit” to get him into position. Pair it with the click sound to reward him. Eventually, he will learn that sitting in response to the “sit” command will earn him a click reward. [8] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
How quickly a bad behavior stops depends on how well established it is. If the problem is an ingrained habit, then it can be difficult to break the association between action and reward. In fact, in the short or medium term the bad behavior can get worse because the dog works even harder to try and get the reward. [13] X Research source The Happy Puppy Handbook. Pippa Mattinson. Publisher: Ebury Digital
What matters is the dog’s response to those outcomes. Each outcome evokes a different response. The pleasant outcome, means the behavior is likely to be repeated An indifferent outcome, means the dog may or may not repeat the behavior An unpleasant outcome means the dog is less likely to repeat the behavior. Now when you realize that shouting or chastisement is a reward, it puts a whole different complexion on reacting to bad behavior — you are making the problem worse not better. [15] X Research source Don’t Shoot the Dog. Karen Pryor. Publisher: Ringpress Books
Punishment isn’t clear for dogs oftentimes. If you catch the dog in the act of chewing a shoe, and tell him off immediately, once again he might simply link the punishment to the owner rather than to the inanimate object he’s destroyed.
If your dog is destructive when you’re out, consider that he might be anxious or bored in your absence. Try giving him a toy that will consume his attention for 20 to 30 minutes — such as a Kong stuffed with dog food. In hot weather, stuff the Kong and pop it in the freezer overnight, so that he gets a cooling dog-food ice pop to keep his mind occupied whilst you’re out. The chances are if he gets over the initial half an hour without noticing you’re gone then he’s more likely to settle down for a nap afterwards. [18] X Research source
