By Doug & Elizabeth Simpson Owners of Tenderfoot Training
One of the top reasons people become frustrated with their dogs is the level of destruction they achieve just by being dogs. Damage—like digging up the garden; chewing shoes, remote controls, and furniture; and scratching walls—can quickly send a dog to the shelter.
Why do dogs do these terrible things to our wonderful stuff?
It is very simple: shoes smell like you and are entertaining to chew, dirt is pleasurable to dig, and furniture is made of wood and cloth, which are naturally fun to chew. Basically your home is one big playground with tons of exciting stuff to obliterate for a dog with energy to burn.
When dealing with bad behaviors you have two answers. The first is to manage the problem while you are teaching, keep your dog and your things safe by crate training your dog, or confine him to a small area like the kitchen or an exercise pen, or send the little fellow to daycare instead of leaving him alone. These are strategies to manage your dog, but they don’t teach him not to destroy your things.
The second answer is to engage your dog’s mind and body with more activities. Dogs quickly get bored in our quiet and predictable homes, and a bored dog can mean trouble—while a busy dog doesn’t have time to get into mischief. The larger your dog’s vocabulary, the greater his ability to perform for you and the more opportunities you have to occupy his mind. The tasks don’t have to be enormous, you just have to do them. And, of course, the more fun it is for both of you, the better.
Most people are content with the five basic commands and think they are doing well to get those accomplished. Come, sit, down, stay and heel seem to be a person’s limit for communicating with their dog; in fact, every action your dog can perform should have a word and hand signal of association. Each toy in his toy box can have a name,all of the rooms in the house can have a name, even the car’s different spaces can have names: car, ride shot-gun and backseat. Your dog can easily know 20-30 words in the next few weeks, the only limits are in your own imagination.
It’s fine to have a big vocabulary, but you must use it. Don’t think of it as doing 15 minutes of obedience a day, it is about engaging your dog throughout the day. It is a constant reminder to your dog that you are the leader/teacher and he is the follower/student. When your dog listens to you and does as you ask, most problems will disappear naturally.
Lay out some toys on the floor along with some of your socks, shoes, and remotes and teach him what is his and what is not. Start with the dog on a loose leash and walk toward the objects; if he starts to put his nose toward a forbidden item, stop him with the leash, and say ‘leave it’ in a firm, abrupt tone. Go back to a loose leash instantly, but be ready to stop him again. Repeat this with each forbidden object, but when he approaches a dog toy then reward him with praise and enthusiasm, and say ‘good toy’ in a warm, friendly tone. You are teaching your dog to think about his choices and if he respects your wishes he will not mess with your stuff. Dogs are hard-wired to challenge you, so be ready for him to test you. If you are clear and consistent he will only challenge you three to five times, then he will comply and do as you ask.
Some of the destructive behaviors that bother people most are things like scratching the door or pushing through ascreen door. This is because your dog wants to go out and he is either telling you that he needs to go out by scratching, or he is letting himself out. This is self-rewarding behavior that he has learned works, and dogs always do what works. You need to teach him a better alternative by teaching him to ring a bell or come place his paw on your foot to communicate his needs—simple tricks that get your attention so he can go out when he needs to without demolishing your door.
You also need to teach him that the space around the door belongs to you and is not his to scratch or push through. Put him on the leash (make sure it is loose) and walk to the door; stop him about three feet from the door and give it a word like ‘back’ (meaning stay back); when he stops make the leash loose again. A dog will typically sit down automatically and look up at you—praise him warmly. Repeat this a few times until he stops with just a word and not the leash. Then, when you see him heading for the door, you should be able to say ‘back’ from anywhere in the room and he should respect that space in front of the door and not go there. You have claimed your territory, and now it is his job to look at you and ask if he can go to the door or through it.
Creating structure and stimulation for your dog answers a multitude of problems, but you have to put in the time and effort to get the benefits. If your dog’s behavior is frustrating, don’t give up—simply get help and get on a better path.
About the Trainers: Doug and Elizabeth Simpson have worked with animals all of their lives and are thrilled to share their knowledge and understanding of dogs with their people. With 30 years of experience their methods are tried and true. They attribute this to good socialization, fair and consistent training and lots of love.
About the Trainers: