Although it seems very cruel to expect an animal to, “hold it”, where humans can just look for a toilet, it will help to the animal to introduce some sort of regimen. This will help to ease the burden to having a stressed out pet and owner.
No More Accidents
The following are some steps that can be taken to help train the animal to be house trained with fewer occurrences of “accidents”:
• Picking a particular spot where the owner wants the dog to eventually identify as the toilet area is something that should be done in a consistent manner. By observing when the dog is likely to need a toilet break and taking the animal immediately to the designated area until the deed is done will teach the animal the significance of the designated area. Also lavishing praise when the deed is accomplished will further help to reinforce the idea behind taking the dog to the specified area.
• Take the time to understand the dog is also an important part of training the dog. Most dogs are not able to associate disapproval with the actual act of relieving themselves as owners often don’t catch them in the act. An owner’s reprimand is usually only meted out upon discovery of the “accident” or mess. Therefore, the animal will eventually associate the disapproval to the mess and not the actual action of relieving itself. It is important for the owner to establish the disapproval at the time the deed is actually done rather than after, to ensure the animal understands the “misdemeanor”. Once this is established, both parties can work together to find a solution that would be as stress free as possible. The owner should always remember not to put undue pressure on the animal as it only has a limited capacity of understand things.
Make Sure To Use Rewards And Not Punishment
Research has proven, in many areas of a dog responsive behaviour, that rewarding the dog is far more productive than punishing it. This is very conclusive and most dog owners now choose rewards over punishments based on the same evident results.
Take A Positive Approach
A dog trained by using the punishment method will usually create an animal that is terrified of the owner or trainer. Dogs that respond fearfully also eventually become desensitized and in some cases choose to ignore the trainer or owner, simply due to the confusion the harness of the punishment causes. Dogs trained to comply simply based on fear of punishment are a pitiful sight to see and are very heartbreaking, especially for the more sensitive individual. This is bad for both the dog and the individual, who will only end up traumatized by the training sessions. Most dog owners will not be able to cope with such a sight which may even cause the dog further confusion.
In contrast however, the positive approach of rewards within the training method is usually better received with eventual desired results forthcoming. Pets usually respond well to rewards as they will learn to associate certain behavioral patterns as pleasing to the owner and therefore correct and acceptable.
Although most dogs respond well to rewards and work accordingly with the owner to achieve the desired results, these rewards must be timed correctly to ensure the dog understands the particular action required is tagged to the reward given. Therefore, the reward should be instantaneous to the desired action as soon as it is performed, failing to reward immediately will not help the dog to associate a particular action with the reward and this will only contribute to confusion.
The Trouble With Not Training Your Dog
In order to be able to enjoy a good and unstrained connection between dog and owner, there has to be some training sessions conducted. There are several reasons as to why dog training is important and actually an essential part of having a dog as a pet.
Why Training Is Important
The following are some of the reasons why it is necessary to have training sessions:
• A dog that misbehaves can not only be an embarrassment to the owner but can also end up being a very dangerous element to contend with. Untrained dogs will not easily respond to commands making them a menace and a nuisance. If the owner is unable to keep the dog under control, especially when there are children involved in the equation, the eventual outcome of everyday existence within the unit can be unpredictable and dangerous.
• An untrained dog can also be a menace to others around. This type of dog will not be able to differentiate between right and wrong, thus contributing to upsetting behavioral patterns such as digging up the garden, encroaching into the neighboring areas, stealing things and chewing on them or playing with them causing damage to the items, running around madly and causing chaos and many other destructive behavior pattern which are equally upsetting.
• Due to such unacceptable behaviors, the dog may eventually have to be constantly restrained or house bound, as this would seem like a better option than allowing it to roam about and cause problems for the owner. This of course is not an ideal situation, as this will also not benefit either party and might even cause the dog stress due to the loss of freedom.
Don’t ever think that a dog is a lost cause. Always remember that with some effort a dog can surely be trained t the owner’s desire. There is a reason why dogs are man’s best friend and have been for many years. They are very loyal companions that would love nothing more than to please their master, in most cases, until the owner breaks the trust of the dog for some reason. You can surely do it, just apply some of the above training techniques. Good luck!
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