Why You Should Never Spoil Your Dog

If you ever saw me with my dog, you might think this is a “pot calling the kettle black” kind of post, but bear with me – I’ll explain. I do spoil my dog a little bit, but she’s extremely well behaved to begin with. She’s the kind of dog that gets so upset whenever she does something wrong that I barely need to discipline her. Just knowing she’s done something wrong is enough for her to want to correct her behavior. Yep, she’s my little angel. But, not all of my dogs have been this way. Believe me; I know how hard it is to train an adorable, yet strong-willed little puppy. They look up at you with those puppy-dog eyes (that term was coined for a reason, folks) and you just want to laugh instead of what you know you should do, which is give them some discipline.

But, dogs aren’t like humans. We can’t reason with them. We can’t let things slide one time and choose to make an issue of it the next. This is how dogs get confused and end up misbehaving. It’s not because they’re bad dogs; it’s because they’re confused about how to behave. Well, in some cases it’s also because they know they can get away with the bad thing every other time they do it, so they’re willing to take the risk. You can think of things this way: Just like you, your dog needs a job. It needs to fulfill a purpose, and it looks to you to define that purpose. Just as you would look to your captain for direction if you were a police officer, your dog looks to you for responsibility. You are your dog's captain.

When a dog is young, it’s really important that you step into that leadership role. You can have your cute and cuddly time, but when it’s time for discipline, you have to be strong. Think of yourself as your dog’s leader at all times. He or she is desperately either looking for a leader or looking to lead. That’s how they're programmed. It doesn’t matter how cute they are; it’s all the same. If you don’t step into that role, your dog will walk all over you. It’s that simple.

Tips for Teaching Your Dog to Walk on a Leash

One of the things I remember vividly about training Wanda was our first walks together. She was only about 2.5 pounds when we got her, so she was a bitty thing; but, boy could she tug! To this day, she is a stubborn little pup, and training was no exception. She’s the sweetest little girl, and she really does aim to please, but when she doesn’t want to do something, that’s it.

She’s really good at walking on the leash now, but it took some growing pains for us to get to that point. I’m glad we’re here though, because it’s no fun going for walks with an unruly dog. It’s even worse when you have a big dog that drags you around the block. In that case, it’s more like the dog is walking you than the other way around.

Here are a few tips that I found helpful when teaching Wanda to walk nicely on the leash:

1. Use a short leash. The more freedom you give them, the less they’re going to understand the concepts you’re trying to teach. Use a short leash at first, and as your dog gets better, you can lengthen it a bit more.

2. Be the leader. This is a rule that most owners don’t know about. In order to show that you’re the leader of the pack, you must walk in front of or beside the dog at all times. Allowing him or her to lead, puts you in the submissive position.

3. Get into a routine. Dogs respond very well to routine. If you walk your dog at a certain time every day, it will better understand and follow the walking routine you’re trying to instill. Also, in the beginning, follow the same exact path every day. After the dog gets used to it, you can venture off to other places.

4. Try to avoid other animals. Don’t take your dog to a popular dog park when you’re first teaching it to walk on the leash. You can’t control whether other animals are around, but you should take the dog somewhere that distraction is inevitable. After you both get the basics down, then you can see how your dog acts around distractions.

How to Keep Your Dog from Misbehaving While You’re Away

Some people get confused because of how devoted dogs can become to one person, but make no mistake about it – dogs are social animals. That’s why you should consider this when you’re deciding whether or not to get a puppy. If your dog spends too much time alone, it will become anxious and act out. Your dog may bark incessantly all day and bother the neighbors, leave little “surprises” for you on the carpet, or chew holes through your best shoes. But, how can you discipline your dog, if you’re not there when the deeds are being done? The answer is to keep your dog occupied, so it doesn’t have too much pent up energy.

1. Exercise. All dogs need exercise, but large breeds especially do. Before you leave for work in the morning, take your dog for a brisk walk or go to the park for a vigorous game of fetch. Afterwards, your dog will likely be tired and sleep through much of the day.

2. Entertainment. Leave your dog with some of its favorite toys, so your shoes don’t look so tempting when the urge to chew comes on. If your dog is resistant to playing with toys, get the kind that holds a treat inside; at least then there is some incentive.

3. Potty-Breaks. Consider hiring a dog walker or a neighbor to come take Fido for a mid afternoon potty-break. It’ll be a chance for your dog to get some exercise and give it somewhere else to release those “surprises.” This is especially important if you work long hours, so you should plan ahead if you know you won't be home much. For example, if you're a tax accountant, you might work 12-hour days leading up to April 15th, but not so much the rest of the year. Plan to have someone come walk your dog during the busy season.

4. Friendship. Some recommend that you get a second dog, if you don’t spend a lot of time at home. Sometimes this works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. For one, the dogs might not get along. Even if they get along, they are spending more time with each other than you, so bad habits can easily be passed along from one dog to another. So, instead of one barker annoying the neighbors, you now have two. It usually works best when you get the second dog before there is a behavioral problem.

 

Bonding with Your New Puppy

My Wanda when she was an adorable pup :)

Once you have made the decision to get a new pup, there’s a ton of work to do. First and foremost, hide your shoes. Puppies like to chew and shoes seem to make good chew toys. Expect to put in a lot of time training your new four-legged friend. But, what I wanted to talk about today isn’t training. It’s that bond that forms between you and your pup. If you’ve had a dog before, you know there’s nothing like it. Sure, cats are ok. I have two of them, myself. But I’ve never seen the level of devotion from a cat that I have from my dogs. Maybe that’s because cats are more independent, but what results is them mostly being affectionate when they need something.

You may agree or disagree about the bond between a man and his cat, but that doesn’t change the fact that dogs are man’s best friend. I’m so used to having a dog in my life that I’ve taken that bond for granted. I realized this when I got a new puppy. She was just so darn cute; I wanted her to be my instant BFF. But, we have to remember that when a puppy comes into your home, it’s a completely new environment, you’re a stranger and they are scared. Every pup warms up at their own rate. It took Wanda quite some time compared to other dogs I’ve had in my life, but now she doesn’t leave my side. She’s sleeping by my feet as I write this.

Here are some tips to avoid overwhelming your puppy in its new surroundings:

1. If you have another dog, introduce them outside the home to avoid any potential aggression. This day is scary enough for your new friend; she doesn’t need a bully making it worse.

2. Give him some space. I know, it’s tempting to want to hold the new pup constantly, but it’s important that you let him explore his new digs on his own terms. He might even hide at first. If that happens, just let him be. He’ll come out when he’s ready.

3. Designate a spot that is all her own. It might be a crate or just some simple dog bedding, but she needs a place she can go to feel safe while she’s getting used to the new place.

4. Give him a day or two to get used to the new place before you start any intense training. In the meantime, keep an eye out when he roams around the house and send him to the wee-wee pads when he has to do his business. This getting-to-know-you phase is also a great time to research the top online schools for dog training techniques. It’s almost time to get into the more serious training, so you want to be prepared.