Breaking Your Dog's Bad Habits (3 page)

Many pet owners are lax about the “stay” command. We tell the dog to stay and then get absorbed in the mail or the television or a conversation. The dog sees that our attention has wandered and takes this as his cue to wander off, too. We may notice that he has gotten up—released himself from the “stay” command—but we don’t consider it a problem. After all, he isn’t hurting anyone, right? Wrong. He’s acting out a bad habit for both of you. Your dog is in the bad habit of not taking you, his leader, seriously. And you are in the bad habit of giving a command you are not serious about.

To retrain your dog with the “stay” command, follow these simple steps.

Step 1.
Pay attention to your dog. Make eye contact with him. In a calm, confident voice, give him the “stay” command. If he complies immediately, praise him. If he does not comply immediately, wait half a minute, then repeat the command using his name: “Sam, stay.”

Step 2.
If he ignores the “stay” command and starts to walk away, stop him by gently taking hold of his collar. Calmly and cheerfully repeat the “stay” command and let go of the collar. If he does not stay, repeat the process until he does. When he is obedient, praise him with “Good stay,” but not too enthusiastically, or he may assume he has been released.

Step 3.
With your dog in stay position, turn your attention to something else, but keep an eye on the dog. If he starts to leave, calmly remind him to stay.

Step 4.
Release the dog. Make eye contact, speak clearly, and use his name with the release command: “All right, Sam.” Praise him for a good stay. Give him a treat if you wish. Always focus on your dog when you give the release command. This distinguishes the “stay” command for both of you as having a beginning and an end.

Step 5.
When your dog has mastered the “stay” command while you remain nearby, it’s time to practice leaving him behind with the “stay” command. Repeat the “stay” command and walk away from the dog. If he starts to move, calmly remind him to stay. Walk away—whether across the yard or to another room—but not too far away. Wait a few seconds or minutes, depending on how much time you have, before giving the release command. You want him to know the release was your idea, not his.

When you tell your dog to stay, he should do so until you give the release command. You should tell your dog to stay only when you really mean it. Practice long and short stays and leaving the room after giving the “stay” command. You want your dog to obey the “stay” command regardless of the circumstances.

Repeat these steps several times a day over the course of a couple of weeks. Integrate training sessions into your daily activities. For example, you can have your dog practice “stay” while you’re doing housework, helping the kids with their homework, brushing your teeth, or mowing the lawn.

Will Not Come When Called

There is nothing more aggravating than calling your dog and getting no response. The dog acts as if she didn’t hear you, or she decides your call is the kickoff to a game of tag—and you’re it.

Not responding to the command to come is such a common problem that many dog owners view it as a way of life. But it doesn’t have to be, nor should it be, inevitable. You need your dog to come when called no matter what the reason or what distractions surround her.

Practice the following retraining techniques in different locations, including unfamiliar ones, and with varying levels of distractions. Continue the process for as many days or weeks as necessary, until you can depend on your dog to come promptly on command at least 90 percent of the time.

Step 1.
Put the dog on a long or retractable leash in a large area with minimal distractions. Have her sit or stay. Holding the leash, walk a few feet away from her and say “Come!”

Step 2.
If she comes, reward her with verbal praise and a treat, if you wish. If she does not come, gently tug on the leash to pull her to you. When she reaches you, pet her and say “Good come.”

Step 3.
Have the dog sit or stay. Walk farther away from her than before. Say “Come!” and follow step 2.

Step 4.
Repeat this process for about 10 minutes once or twice a day for a couple of weeks. After a few days of success, continue the retraining in a place with distractions—children playing, traffic going by, other dogs. Follow the steps above until your dog reliably comes on command despite distractions.

Step 5.
Once your dog comes reliably on command among distractions, remove the leash and go through the above steps again. If at any time your dog does not come when called, put the leash back on, say “Come,” gently pull her to you, then remove the leash and try again.

When replacing your dog’s bad habit with a more appropriate behavior, think about turning the habit around to your benefit. For example, Gracie, my black Lab/beagle mix, has a favorite morning game. She grabs my slipper so that I will give chase. I decided to exploit her game. When Gracie took off with my slipper, I would use the phrase “Bring the slipper to me.” As soon as she did so, I rewarded her heartily with praise, affection, and a food treat.

Now I can tell Gracie to bring the slipper to me even if the slipper is not in the room. Her beagle nature responds to the challenge of the hunt, and she soon returns with the prize. Then I tell her to “go get the other slipper.” Off she goes again. The successful retrieval of the first slipper is rewarded with praise; the second slipper warrants a food treat—the surest way to Gracie’s heart.

It’s hard to relax around a dog that acts out. You open the door to go outside and the dog bolts past you, knocking you into the door frame. When company visits, the dog is restless and unmanageable. These moderately bad habits are often attention-getting behaviors, but the kind of attention they attract brings little pleasure to you or your dog. Worse, such behaviors tend to undermine your confidence in your ability to manage the dog. Try the techniques in this section to regain control.

Jumps on Family Members or Visitors

One of a dog owner’s greatest pleasures at the end of a long, tiring day is to be greeted with loving enthusiasm by her dog. A dog’s exuberant delight in seeing us warms our heart, eases our tension, and puts life back into perspective. It’s unacceptable, however, for a dog to demonstrate his affection by jumping up on you and wildly pawing at you. It’s even worse when the dog displays this behavior indiscriminately to everyone who comes through the door—family members, friends, even strangers.

A dog who expresses his enthusiasm in greeting people by jumping up on them is physically out of control. The habit is not only irritating but also downright dangerous. Unwary visitors are at risk of being scratched or knocked down. At the very least, the dog’s behavior puts clothing at risk for tears and dirt stains.

So how do you keep the affection without the damages? Breaking this habit is not difficult, but it takes some planning and focused training time—10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day.

Step 1.
Attach your dog to a lead and leave him on his own for a few minutes. If you’re outside, attach the lead to a post or a spike in the ground. Inside, secure the dog to something sturdy, such as the leg of a heavy piece of furniture.

Step 2.
Return a few minutes later, with some treats in your pocket if you wish, and approach the dog to pet him. When he starts to jump up and paw you, step back just out of his reach. In a calm, friendly, but firm voice, give the “sit” command coupled with a new phrase. For example, say “Sit to say hello.” (The “sit” command tells your dog what the appropriate behavior is. Adding a word such as
hello
helps him connect the appropriate behavior to greeting situations.) Repeat the command several times, if necessary, until he obeys. Remember to keep your tone friendly and confident. This is not a punishment, but rather like teaching a child when to say please and thank you.

Step 3.
As soon as your dog sits, step forward to pet him. If he remains in a sitting position, pet and praise him warmly. Incorporate your greeting command in the praise: “Good sit to say hello, Sam!” Naming the behavior with the praise is a reinforcement. If you’re using treats, give one to the dog now. If the dog jumps up again when you step forward to pet him, step back again just out of his reach. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3.

Step 4.
Repeat this training procedure once or twice a day for a couple of weeks until it is clear that your dog understands what behavior your greeting command demands. As your dog begins to make the association, use the command at appropriate times during the normal comings and goings of your day.

Step 5.
When your dog has learned how to welcome you happily yet appropriately, it’s time to practice the command with visitors. Put the dog on the lead and have a friend walk up to the dog to say hello. If the dog starts to jump up, your friend should step back just out of reach and give the “sit” command coupled with the greeting phrase. As soon as the dog complies, your friend should reward him with petting, praise, and a treat. Repeat this routine several times in the first session, and arrange several more practice sessions over the next week or so. You can even use different friends for different sessions.

Step 6.
Once your dog demonstrates successful behavior throughout a couple of sessions, have a friend come to the door and knock. Put your dog on the secured lead. Tell him to “sit to say hello” before you answer the door, and repeat the command as your friend enters. The friend should greet your dog only when the dog is sitting. If the dog starts to jump up, your friend should step back. Repeat this procedure until the dog sits while the friend greets him. Again, praise, petting, and a treat will reinforce the good behavior.

Step 7.
Once your dog demonstrates compliance with visitors at the door, practice the same behavior without the lead attached.

Step 8.
After your dog becomes reliable in greeting visitors without jumping, use intermittent reinforcement (see
page 8
) with a food treat. The dog’s anticipation of a treat will encourage him to maintain appropriate welcoming behavior.

Don’t expect perfect performance in the first few training sessions, especially if your dog has been in the habit of jumping and pawing for quite a while. Reinforce even a few seconds of compliance with praise, petting, and a food treat.

There are a couple of different ways to retrain a dog who has developed the habit of begging during your mealtimes. One way is to restructure the environment. In other words, don’t allow the dog in the room while you are eating. But many people like to have a snack while they watch television or read. What should you do with the dog then?

The “down-stay” command is effective retraining for begging. Your dog is probably already familiar with this command or some variation of it.

Step 1.
As you sit down to eat, point to the spot where you want the dog to be and give her the “down-stay” command (or your version of it). Your dog should lie down and not get up again until you give her the release command.

Step 2.
If your dog does not stay down, put her on a leash. Have her lie down on the floor next to you, and step on the leash throughout the meal. Make sure there is enough slack for the dog to rest comfortably, but not enough to allow her to sit or stand up. If your dog tries to get up, repeat the “down-stay” command.

You can use other techniques to limit your dog’s begging. Perhaps you don’t mind sharing a morsel or two with your dog, but you want it to be at your discretion, not hers. If you’re having a snack and have no intention of sharing it with your dog, say “Not for dogs” and don’t give her even a sliver. You want her to learn that this phrase means absolutely no chance. When you are willing to share a small amount, use the phrase “That’s all.” For example, after giving the dog one or two potato chips, say “That’s all,” and do not give her any more. You’ll find that she quickly learns and accepts these limits.

Remember, a dog begs at the table most often because her owner is neither clear nor consistent. Feeding your dog from the table occasionally is the same as training her to beg from the table using intermittent reinforcement. When she sees people eating, she won’t be sure she’ll get a treat, but she’ll know that she
may
get a treat, and so of course she’ll come and beg, hoping that this will be her lucky day.

If your dog is exhibiting any of the bad habits in this section, take them seriously. Such behaviors go beyond mere attention getting or acting out—they indicate that your dog has assumed the alpha-dog position in the household pack. In doing so, he puts household members, and possibly outsiders as well, at risk. Use the following techniques to take control again, but do so graciously.

Displays Jealousy or Overprotectiveness

Picture this: a candlelight dinner, soft music in the background, and you and your favorite person alone at last. You lean forward for a kiss and hear a low, throaty growl. No, it’s not your dinner partner. It’s the dog. He’s staring at you with a menacing glower that quickly chills the romantic moment.

It is not uncommon for a dog to become jealous of his owner’s significant other. If so, he’ll treat that person as an interloper. The dog views anyone who is part of the household as a member of his pack; anyone else is a potential interloper. If he accepts his owner as the alpha dog but considers himself second in command, he is likely to display possessiveness or overprotectiveness of his owner.