Paw’sitive Training for the true Canine Citizen

Purushotham
Have you given your relationship with your dog a thought? It is about teaching your pet obedience commands, it is teaching him to live a principled life with you. -by Purushotham, CDTA

Dogs learn from voice modulation and body language.

A solid foundation for a strong building!
Dogs can master simple as well as complicated tasks. And basic obedience training would lay a great foundation for this strong learning. More than that, it builds a healthy and positive relationship between you and your pet. It gives your pet a way to live, express and be a part of life.

Obedience training does not mean just commands like Sit, Down, Stay… It means how your pet behaves in the living room or dining room when you have guests over or how he behaves while meeting other people and other dogs. You set rules and boundaries for your pets as well.

Start early for that ‘Good Boy’ behaviour
A common mistake many pet parents make is not realising the importance of training their pets between 3 to 6 months of age, which is a very crucial stage in their life. At this age, they are exposed to the world, and a lot of things they experience may be for the first time. It is best to start early because if your pet isn’t trained he might grow to have behavioural issues and lack of discipline. And once they set their ways, it’ll be a matter of frustration for pet parents.

In a lot of cases pet parents tend to abandon pets with temperamental issues. This, in turn, causes the dog tremendous mental agony and stress due to separation anxiety, and the dangers of living in an unknown and chaotic environment like streets or shelter home. Dogs who are trained from a young age tend to have a very low chance of developing behavioural issues and show better control in public.

Magic potion of physical and mental exercise
To ensure that your pet grows up well-behaved, there are two important things to keep in mind – Physical Exercise and Mental Stimulation. A combination of these two will prevent your pet from getting bored, developing stress and anxiety. It is only when the dog does not receive any training or any physical or mental exercise that they develop behavioural problems like excessive biting, chewing, incessant barking, and aggression.

Time and patience – two keys for the behaviour lock
It’s true that behaviour differs from dog to dog. But a major part of it depends on the behaviours encouraged by pet parents during the pet’s growing years. What was cute and funny when he was a puppy will be a behaviour problem when the puppy grows up. This includes jumping on people, sleeping in your bed, potty in the house or rough play with other dogs and family members.Some behaviour problems, like growling and biting, also develop out of fear. It happens when the behaviour problem is not handled in the right way and the dog is punished for any negative behaviour, and you should know – punishment never works.

Socialisation of your pet means how he behaves in front of people, other animals and in the outside world. It certainly does not mean that your pet needs to have physical contact with other dogs or people.
As humans we always like to touch or hold a cute puppy or a dog. Your pet should be comfortable to be touched and cuddled. And as pet parents you should also keep in mind that it is okay for your pet to not like to interact with other people or dogs. It is just his personality, so don’t consider it as a failure of your training. Understanding and respecting your beloved pet’s boundaries is so important.

Get professional help for best results
If you feel you cannot handle your pet’s behavioural problems on your own, you should consider getting professional help by a dog behaviour expert. Professionals can help with dog behaviour training, no matter how serious the issue may be.

Positive Training is the only solution for obedience training, behaviour modification and socialisation without the use of force and fear. It builds a better relationship and trust between you and your pet. Any negative behaviour can be turned around with the use of rewards to teach your pet to learn.

Pet parents have to make time and teach their dog basic obedience at the right age. Only when you fail to give the right training at the right age there will be problems in the future. Teaching manners and encouraging socialisation will ensure that your pet is a true “Canine Citizen”.
Talk to a Certified Trainer or a Behaviour Consultant today. It’s never too late to train your pet.

(Purushotham, CDTA, is a certified dog trainer and behaviourist at Pawsitive Canine Behaviour (PCB), Hyderabad)