As dog owners, we understand the challenges that come with fostering positive behavior in our furry friends. Whether you've just welcomed a new pup into your family or have a seasoned canine companion, creating an environment that promotes good behavior is essential for a harmonious relationship. In this blog, we will share five effective strategies that will help you encourage positive behavior in your beloved dog. By incorporating these techniques into your daily routine, you'll not only strengthen your bond with your furry friend but also pave the way for a well-behaved and contented canine companion. Let's dive in and discover the transformative power of positive reinforcement, consistency, mental stimulation, socialization, and setting clear boundaries for your dog's behavior.
The use of positive reinforcement is one of the best steps you can take in encouraging positive behaviors in dogs. By giving them positive, like treats, praise, and affection, when they display good behavior, you are reinforcing that behavior! Fun right? When your dog associates learning and experiencing new things with positives, they are excited for them. This type of training encourages a strong bond between owner and pup, that strong bond allows them to be the best dog they can be!
While the opposite of this, negative punishment, can technically work it is not recommended. It is more likely to teach your dog to fear learning, new experiences, and worse of all—you. Just think, when do you learn the best? When someone is yelling at you or when they are encouraging you? Probably the latter.
So, remember a positive learning experience encourages positive behavior!
Socialization is to increase your dog’s confidence and adaptability when met with new situations and things. The key to this is to make sure that when the puppy/dog experiences something new it’s a positive experience for them! Start young and start small and as they grow keep exposing them to new experiences. Socializing done well will increase your dog’s confidence, adaptability, and happiness and reduce behavioral issues!
At the end of the day, the goal is for your dog to see other dogs and people and have it be no big deal. Easier said than done sometimes, right? Take it slow and reward every calm/positive behavior. If your dog is getting stressed, take them back to their comfort zone and continue working from there. Hopefully, with patience and time, you will see your dog become cool and confident.
A great place for you and your dog to get some socializing is to come to one of Boris & Horton’s dog-friendly cafes! Subscribe to the calendar to know what events are coming up!
Do you ever hear that saying a tired dog is a good dog? Well—It's true!
When a dog gets bored it may get restless, destructive, irritable, and worse yet, aggressive. Fear not though! There are two ways to achieve a tired and happy dog: physical and mental stimulation. Now which one you should choose depends solely on your dog, but a mixture of both never hurts!
Physical stimulation activities include walks, runs, hikes, and playing. Exercise is important, but how much your dog should do again depends on them. Consider their age, health, and happiness while doing the activities. If your dog hates running (we feel them) that’s okay! There’s always mental stimulation.
There are tons of ways to mentally stimulate your dog. Training, puzzle toys, and sniff walks are some of the most popular, but the world truly is your oyster! These kinds of activities tire out your dog without being physically taxing on them (and you).
Mental and physical stimulation is a sure way to a happy and healthy dog.
Dogs love routine. Knowing when to expect their next meal, walk, and favorite person will reduce their anxiety and have them feel more confident. It also makes training them easier. You know that saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”, well it applies to dogs too. So, practice those behaviors you want to see and practice them often. The fun part is that what your schedule looks like is up to you and your pup!
It’s important to remember not to be too rigid with the schedule, however. You don’t want your dog to be inflexible. Through in a little fun excursion now and then if they are comfortable!
Where do you feel most confident and happy? With your loved one probably. Dogs are the same! They feel their most confident when they are with someone they love and trust. This is why it's important to foster a good bond between you and your dog! There are many ways to bond with your dog including cuddles, training, grooming, playing and so much more! Building that trust allows them to feel comfortable in new situations because they know you’ve got their back, and when they feel comfortable, they are more likely to be on their best behavior!
So, spend that quality time by going on a little doggy date, like to your nearest dog-friendly café like Boris and Horton, or just give them a pet. They’ll love and appreciate you all the more.
Looking to unleash some fun with your furry friends this summer? The warm weather and longer days make it the perfect time of year to visit a park with your pup. Dog parks are the paw-fect place to enjoy fresh air, get some exercise, and meet new friends!
