Correcting Misbehavior
Behavior
Sophia, the "Pink Poodle", agrees we should teach our puppies manners and discipline. These rules will cause us to enjoy our family members to be more social pets!
Life is a Classroom, After Puppy Pre-school!
Puppies are like children. The more you teach them the better they communicate late in life.
Voice Control -
The tone of your voice is the best way to correct misbehavior. Never correct with the same voice as when you praise. The puppy must be "caught in the act" for the correction to be effective. When you "catch" your puppy doing something wrong, you must show your displeasure with a loud "NO!" This gains your puppies attention immediately. Always use the same tone, and same loud "NO".
The most common mistake when correcting your puppy is to show anger. When you loose control with anger it creates insecurity in your puppy and weakens the bond you are trying to forge with your pet. Remember, you are the pack leader, and your puppy looks to you for guidence.
Physical punishment should never be involve in correcting your Poodle puppy. This makes a puppy distrustful and shy, and may "teach" fearful, non-aggressie pups to bite as a defense.
Correcting Excessive Barking
When loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving your dog more attention may solve the problem. In a family situation, encourage family members to take turns playing with your dog and taking him for walks. When he is left alone, provide toys for him to amuse himself.
First, avoid the temptation to reinforce your dog's bark. Do not give verbal reassurance, a treat, or physical attention to a barking dog.
Sometimes more attention won't solve the problem. If your dog has developed a habit of barking, place some pennies in a can and tape it shut. When he barks, shake the can near him and say "quiet" in a firm voice. The purpose of shaking the can is to startle him. If the barking resumes, shake the can again and say "quiet." Keep the can away from him so he does not consider it a toy. As your dog catches on, your verbal command "quiet" should stop the barking.
If the can does not work, use a squirt bottle to squirt your dog's legs and back accompanied by a firm "quiet" command.
Please remember — any action to deter your dog from barking must be made while he is barking. After-the-fact corrective action only confuses him. Use a strong, firm voice. Avoid yelling, which can be stressful to a dog.
Some dogs bark to protect their territory and a "bark/reward" cycle may be established. A dog who barks at a letter carrier when the mail is delivered is "rewarded" when the letter carrier leaves. This bark/reward may lead him to bark at other service people, neighbors and passersby. If possible, introduce your dog to people who come to the home regularly. Short conversations with delivery or service people, with your dog present, may solve the problem.
Another solution is a firm "no" or "quiet" when your dog begins barking. If he responds by being quiet, praise him briefly. Remember, you have to be present when he is barking to give the "quiet" command.
Correcting Inapproriate Chewing - Digging
Puppies are like incessant babies. Everything they encounter eventually goes in the mouth!!! For two reasons: one, this is their way of exploring their surroundings; and two, they need to chew to develop strong teeth and jaws.
If you catch the puppy in the act of chewing on inappropriate items, correct the behavior immediately with a loud "No!", and substitute the item with a chew toy.
Please note that "too many toys" will cause the puppy to believe that everything is fair game. Two - three different chews will give variety and definition of what is available for chewing.
Provide good nylon chew toys, and avoid rawhides and greenies. If ingested they can do damage in the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases death has occurred.
Just as there are many reasons for digging, there is no single solution for changing this particular behavior. In some instances, the instinct to dig is the heritage of the breed. Some dogs, regardless of heritage, may be more inclined to dig if they are left alone in the yard for long periods of time. Without the stimulation provided by regular play and exercise, dogs often turn to digging or other forms of “misbehavior” to alleviate their boredom.
A dog that is pushed outdoors after he misbehaves in the house may continue his misbehaving by digging in the yard. Controlling your dog's behavior inside addresses that problem as well as unacceptable digging outside.
During summer months, if your dog digs a hole to cool himself, consider providing a cooler location for him such as an umbrella or some other shade throughout the day and make sure fresh drinking water is always available.
Some dogs will dig under a fence to get out of the yard. Ideally, a fence should fit tight to the ground or even be buried a few inches underneath to prevent a dog's crawling or digging out from under it.
If you find it virtually impossible to discourage your dog from digging, provide him with a "digging area." When your dog digs in this designated area, praise and reward him with attention or a treat. If your dog digs outside this area and is caught in the act, a firm "no" is usually a deterrent.
In this aspect of training, as in all others, family members must work together as a team. One overly indulgent family member can create problems by not cooperating in training a dog.
Treatment for Separation Anxiety -
A dog with separation anxiety becomes abnormally anxious when separated from his owner. The severity of the anxiety and behavior the dog exhibits varies from animal to animal. Separation anxiety can result in problematic behaviors such as: whining, pacing, salivation, barking, howling, scratching, chewing, digging, urinating or defecating, or destroying personal items or household objects.
Dogs housed inside who are left alone may suffer from separation anxiety. Some may show their fear and resentment by barking. The ideal way to prevent this problem is to train a puppy to be left alone. Similar training can be applied to an older dog, but more time and patience may be required. Put the puppy in a room by himself. Say "quiet" and leave the room. If the puppy barks, return, say "quiet" and leave again. If the puppy is quiet for a brief period, return and praise him. Extend your time away from the puppy and, upon returning, praise him for being quiet. With an older dog, leaving the house or apartment may be necessary because the dog may pick up your scent and is sensitive to familiar noises.
If you suspect your dog is suffering from severe separation anxiety - especially if he is harming himself or your property - please consult with your veterinarian to find the best method of treatment. For milder cases, you may want to try one or more of the following tips to help reduce your dog's anxiety.
Discipline for Nipping & Mouthing -
A puppy's natural way of learning is to mouth and bite littermates and objects. As the puppy gets older, he realizes that his bite brings pain and usually develops an instinct to bite down softer. A young, overexcited, playful puppy may accidentally nip or snap when playing with people. This can be difficult to correct when the puppy grows older if it is allowed as a youngster.
If nipping occurs use your voice, wrap your fingers around the snoot, and loudly say, "No!" Remember, not to show anger. Just be firm. Remove your puppy with a "time-out", isolated in the crate for a few minutes down time. Be consistent. Puppies learn to interact with more manners when corrected.