Dog Behavior Training

By: Chris Smith

At some point in time all of us dog owners need to administer some dog behavior training (or dog behavior modification).

There are loads of dog behavior problems, they can affect all dog breeds, at any time throughout the dogs life. I've listed some of the more common dog behavior problems below, and importantly some proven dog behavior training methods to correct them.

General Principles For Dog Behavior Training

- A great number of puppy and dog behavioral problems are a result of separation anxiety.

- Many behavior problems (such as barking, biting & digging) stem from a lack of communication, or miscommunication between you the owner and your dog. Simply put, your dog is not aware of what is expected of him/her (I'll just say him from now on to make it easier).

- Applying some proper obedience training at an early stage is a most effective technique to correct any behavior problems, and also to prevent any future problems. The fact that you are reading this article possibly means it is too late for this tip!

- Set boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior for your dogs, and stick to them. Be consistent, make it simple for your dog:

- Be clear that you are always the alpha dog in your owner-dog relationship.

- Make it clear to him what is unacceptable behavior - every time.

- Make it clear to him what is acceptable behavior - every time.

- Even though it may seem as though your dog is behaving poorly to spite you or annoy you this is not the case. In the vast majority of problem behavior cases there will be a cause or trigger which sparks the behavior. Identifying these triggers is the crucial first step towards solving the problem.

- Be careful you are not inadvertently rewarding the behavior you are trying to eliminate. An example of this would be if your dog is barking excessively outside, you then go to the door and call him inside. You're encouraging and rewarding the behavior, and he is sure to do it again.

It's a sad fact of life that the vast majority of dogs that end up in animal shelters (or worse) are because of a bad behavioral problem. It doesn't have to be this way, most problems (like aggression and destructive behavior) are at least manageable through proper dog behavior training.

If you repeatedly apply the proper training techniques, add some commitment and patience, you will achieve a positive result.