Dog Training Behavior

Within the pack, Mama will tolerate her puppy jumping on her, even biting her playfully. But when Mama’s had enough, she gives a warning growl. If the pup continues, Mama will snap at him/her.

This is how puppies learn to communicate. It is an ongoing process.

A puppy jumping up on us may seem cute. Your 70 pound Mastiff jumping on a stranger in your local café is not, and may even lead to a lawsuit.

Dogs learn from us, want to please us, and look to us for clues on how to do so. Once they leave the litter, we must continue teaching our dogs with dog training behavior.

Separation anxiety is the toughest issue facing today’s busy dog owners. It can develop after years or begin in puppyhood.

Unaddressed, the destructive behavior it propagates will escalate. You could come home to a destroyed sofa, soiled bed comforter, shredded pillows or scratched doors.

As with all intelligent creatures, boredom leads to trouble. Left with nothing to do, dogs become anxious. Dogs need to be occupied.

It has been suggested that giving your dog an interesting chew toy or favorite snack before you leave is a good way to help him deal with separation anxiety. I tried this. Five minutes after I left, my dog finished licking the filling out of the chew toy, and the barking began.

Her dog walker suggested I freeze peanut butter inside a hollow marrow bone and give it to her only when I left. When I became worried about her waistline, I replaced the peanut butter with frozen kibble. This kept her busy long enough to forget she missed me.

She also came to associate my leaving for work with a positive thing – yummy treats – rather than the negative absence of her person.

With patience and persistence you can successfully reverse separation anxiety in your adult dog or train your puppy not to develop it. The key is to keep at it.