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By Teri DiMarino-Davidson )N -ARCH WE BRIEmY SPOKE ABOUT HOW PETS AND THEIR OWNERS BOTH BENElT FROM SOME SORT OF OBEDIENCE TRAINING 4RAINING A PUPPY OR YOUNG DOG IS A COMMITMENT WE NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHEN WE TAKE ON A PET )T IS NO EASY TASK AND IT CAN BE QUITE TIME CONSUMING BUT THE EFFORT WILL BE WELL REWARDED AS THE END RESULT IS A WELL BEHAVED PET THAT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE AROUND !ND CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS ! LOT OF WHAT THEY LEARN AND HOW QUICKLY THEY LEARN IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY BAD HABITS ARE ALREADY INGRAINED IN THEIR LIFESTYLE AND HOW MUCH TIME AND REPETITION IS APPLIED &OR EXAMPLE IT MAY BE DIFlCULT FOR AN OWNER TO HOUSEBREAK A DOG THAT IS SEVERAL YEARS OLD AND IS USED TO hDOING HIS BUSINESSv IN THE HOUSE #HANCES ARE THAT THIS HABIT WAS TOLERATED WHEN THE DOG lRST ENTERED THE HOUSEHOLD AND HE WAS NEVER PROPERLY TRAINED OUT OF IT 4HIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR MIGHT WELL BE WHAT ) CALL A hNOLEADER HOUSEHOLDv 4HE DOG MAY FEEL THERE IS NOBODY SETTING PARAMETERS OR RULES AND THEY TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO BE THE PACK LEADER AND MARK THE TERRITORY AS THEIRS 4HE SAVVY PET OWNERS ARE QUICK TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AS THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE AND TEACHES THE DOG THAT THESE BEHAVIORS ARE UNACCEPTABLE 4HEY SHOW THE DOG WHAT IS RIGHT AND PRAISE THE GOOD BEHAVIOR )F A DOG IS USED TO GETTING INTO THE TRASH OR ONTO THE KITCHEN COUNTER FOR FOOD THIS IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR AND MAY BE DIFlCULT TO UNLEARN AS THEY WILL NEVER FORGET WHERE A READILY AVAILABLE SOURCE OF FOOD OR TREATS ARE +EEP IN MIND THAT EVERYTHING A DOG LEARNS BE IT GOOD OR BAD IS A LESSON -ANY TIMES IT IS IN OUR CONTROL AS TO WHAT LESSONS WE GIVE THEM +EEP THESE THINGS IN MIND WHEN YOU ARE TEACHING YOUR PET ANYTHING )F YOU ALLOW THEM TO JUMP UP ON YOU WHEN YOU GREET THEM DONT BE SURPRISED WHEN HE DOES THE SAME TO GRANDMA $ONT ALLOW THEM TO DO IT IN THE lRST PLACE AND THEY WILL QUICKLY LEARN THAT THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AND WILL NEVER BE AN issue. !LLOWING DOGS ON FURNITURE IS ANOTHER POPULAR PROBLEM THAT WE INITIALLY ALLOW AND THEN ATTEMPT TO UNTEACH 4HIS IS ONE THAT )M SORRY TO SAY ) AM GUILTY OF MYSELF ) REALLY DONT MIND WHEN MY DOGS GET ON MY BED OR THE COUCH BUT ONE THING ) HAVE TRAINED INTO THEM IS THAT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED UNLESS ) INVITE them. 4HEY WILL SIT OR STAND IN FRONT OF ME STARING LONGINGLY UNTIL ) GIVE THEM THE OKAY AND THEY ARE ALLOWED UP 4HIS LITTLE TECHNIQUE REALLY MAKES SITTING ON THE COUCH EVEN MORE SPECIAL TO THEM /NE OF THE BIGGEST INJUSTICES WE DO TO OUR PETS IS TREAT THEM LIKE HUMANS 7HILE OUR PETS ARE MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY AND INTEGRAL PARTS OF OUR HOUSEHOLDS THEY ARE NOT HUMAN 4HE QUICKER WE START THINKING LIKE DOGS OR CATS AND STOP EXPECTING THEM TO THINK LIKE HUMANS THE BETTER OFF EVERYBODY WILL BE 5NDERSTANDING THE REASONING BEHIND THE ANIMAL THOUGHT PROCESSES MAKES US BETTER PET OWNERS ! DOG LIKES TO FOLLOW THE LEADER WHICH IS WHY THEY MAY FOLLOW YOU AROUND THE HOUSE EVERY TIME YOU MAKE A MOVE 3OME CATS LIKE TO HANG OUT ON THE KITCHEN COUNTERS OR THE TOPS OF CHAIRS BECAUSE THEY FEEL SAFER ON A HIGHER PLATFORM 'ET THEM A TALL CAT TREE AND SEE HOW HAPPY THEY ARE !ND UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST FRIGHTENING THING A DOG EXPERIENCES IS WHEN THE OWNER WALKS OUT THE DOOR AND GOES AWAY 4HEY DONT KNOW IF YOU ARE EVER COMING BACK WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE THRILLED TO SEE YOU WHEN YOU WERE GONE TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR 15 minutes. 0ETS WITH SEPARATION ANXIETY MAY BENElT FROM A 46 LEFT ON DURING YOUR ABSENCE /NCE AGAIN EVERYBODY BENElTS FROM AN OBEDIENCE CLASS BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU AND YOUR PET 0ET OWNERSHIP IS A TRUST )T IS A TRUE COMMITMENT OF TIME TRAINING AND LOVE "UT REMEMBER YOU GET BACK WHAT YOU PUT into it. FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MAY 2015 9 Training Takes Commitment For Results

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