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While you might be ready to have your pup tag along with you to
parties and family get-togethers, he might not be completely
ready for it. If you are visiting friends or relatives, or have
guests over at your house, make sure that your dog knows these
basic commands.
House training basics
One of the most common issues dog owners face when they visit
someone else’s house are the basic house training mistakes. Your
dog might understand that it is not acceptable to relieve himself
inside your house, but he does not get the fact that the same
applies inside the homes of your family and friends. Just to be
on the safer side and avoid an unwanted accident, take him out to
relieve himself as soon as you arrive at the destination and
praise him for doing his business. Use your “go potty” or “go
outside” command by letting him out after eating or drinking.
Supervise him as closely as you can when you house training him
for the first time.
Jumping
Dogs tend to start excited pretty soon and before you know it,
they are jumping around for attention. Dog owners don’t handle
the jumping behavior of their dogs properly and this leads to
repeat offenses. In most of the cases, they end up inadvertently
rewarding their dogs for their behavior by using their hands to
move them off, which can seem a lot like petting. However, this
will end up giving your dog more attention. The better response
would be to ignore him completely and withhold all attention till
he has all the paws back on the floor. Or, if you have taught him
the “off” command, make sure that he listens to it and has all
the paws on the ground before you reward him.
The “Sit” command
This is the most important behavior your dog needs to know before
you take him to visit people. Your dog must have a clear
understanding of how to control his voice and mouth, and a “sit”
command should be able to take care of inappropriate biting,
chewing and barking. To teach him to hold that position, ask him
to “sit” and withhold rewards till he has complied. Keep
repeating the routine for longer time intervals, till he comes to
understand that “sit” means “sit and calm down”.As Fido gets
better at sitting and staying when you command him to, you can
take away the treats and replace them with petting and words of
praise. Eventually, he will learn to sit without the expectation
of any other reward except your approval. When that happens, you
know that your dog is ready to go anywhere you take him.
Teach Your Dog To Behave Properly In Front Of Others
Be it humans or animals, discipline is a must for everyone. Dogs,
especially must be taught how to behave when they are in the
presence of someone else. Remember that movie ‘Marley and Me’?
It’s cute but you wouldn’t want your dog to jump over people and
bother them all the time.If you don’t want your dog to become
another Marley, then here are some tips that should help you with
the behavior training.
Be in charge
We know that you love your pet very much. But that does not mean
you should let him decide what’s good and what’s bad. Make your
dog understand that you’re the owner and you are in charge. Teach
him do’s and don’ts when he meets someone who dislikes dogs.
Sometimes, it is important for you to show who’s the boss in the
house. Of course, that does not mean you should use extreme
measures. It should be enough to let you have control of the
situation.
Greeting visitors
Some dogs have an irritating habit of sniffing about an unknown
person. From the dog’s point of view, it is the obvious thing to
do. However, most people won’t enjoy having a big dog sniffing at
them. The next time someone pays you a visit, teach your dog to
sit at a distance from the door. Open the door only when your dog
is sitting comfortably. Don’t allow your dog to come too close to
the visitor unless they know each other.
Play safe
If you’re playing with your dog in the presence of a third
person, then make sure you do it safely. Don’t throw the ball
near the visitor so that your dog has to make contact with
him/her. Maintain distance and teach your dog to do the same. Use
treats and praises to teach your dog to behave nicely in front of
others. Also, try playing games that don’t require running around
too much. Some people are sacred of dogs running around them.
Conclusion
Training is an important part in a dog’s life and every owner
must ensure that it gets the best training possible. People like
dogs who know how to behave themselves, especially in front of
others. It’s not difficult to train a dog to be on its best
behavior. There are some simple rules that owners must follow.
Owners can use treats to teach their dogs to stay away from the
visitor. It can also be used to keep the dogs from barking
unnecessarily whenever they see a new person. Teach your dog to
sit down at a distance and let him take as much as time as he
wants before he learns how to behave properly.