There are rules that will help you avoid behavioral problems, that is, spoiling your dog.
They are not complex, but require discipline – especially from the owner!
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1️⃣ Don’t ignore the socialization of the puppy. This will teach your dog to react to various situations, including difficult ones, appropriately.
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2️⃣ Make sure to check your dog’s health regularly and don’t forget about prophylaxis. Some problems (including untidiness, loss of appetite and aggression) might be caused by health issues.
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3️⃣ Give your four-legged-friend the 5 freedoms. We’ve already written about this (see “14 things to know before starting to train your dog. Part 2”). A dog living in bad conditions won’t be able to behave.
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4️⃣ Use rules that are easy to follow.
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Permissiveness makes a dog nervous and irritable, because his/her life turns into chaos.
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It doesn’t matter who eats or enters the room first, or whether your dog is allowed on the bed or not – the rule is that whatever is allowed is allowed at all times, and whatever is forbidden once, must be forbidden always. No exceptions. Dogs value predictability.
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5️⃣ Teach your dog correct behavior. Chasing cats and barking are normal behaviors that make your dog… a dog.
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Your goal is to explain to your pet which rules he/she must follow.
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❗️The majority of behavioral problems are connected to the owners’ behavior: they either haven’t explained how to behave clearly enough, or they unconsciously keep reinforcing problematic behavior.
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6️⃣ Choose humane methods when training your dog: it is all about strengthening the connection between the owner and the dog, and not about stressing the pet out.
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7️⃣ Remember about the feeding routine. If the dog’s food bowl is always full, it stops being a valuable resource, making the dog very picky.
The same thing happens if a dog constantly overeats.
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If your dog hasn’t finished the food in the bowl, just remove it after 15 minutes. The water obviously must always be accessible.
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❗️Remember that a “spoilt” dog is not a “bad” dog that acts “out of spite”.
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And this means that you can always change the situation, as long as you have the wish to do so and make sure you are consistent.
