Content

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• Part 1 of 2: Responding to bad behavior
• Part 2 of 2: Preventing bad behavior
• Tips

If your dog is behaving badly, you may want to punish him. This means you want to let him know that the behavior is unacceptable. Rather than yelling or hitting your dog, use more effective punishments, such as ignoring him or giving him no more attention. Because dogs respond to positive feedback, your dog will quickly learn what behaviors to avoid.

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Part 1 of 2: Responding to bad behavior

1. Correct your dog's behavior. If your dog is misbehaving, let him know he made the wrong decision. You'd I do not think so, or something similar, can say in a cheerful but stern tone. The tone should appear to the dog as are you sure this is a good idea?. Your dog will recognize the tone just as well as the words.
   • Remember, your dog is not intentionally trying to frustrate you. When your dog does something you don't want him to do, let him know not to repeat this behavior in the future.
2. Remove your attention. If the dog continues to make the wrong choice, stand with your back to him or leave the room so that the attention is removed. Dogs are social animals who like to be the center of attention. Being left out or ignored makes them rethink their actions. If you tackle bad behavior early, you can correct it before it becomes familiar to the dog.
   • For example, if you teach your dog a command and he refuses, say I do not think so and turn around. Your dog should then realize he got it wrong. Then turn around and repeat the original command. Repeat this until the dog understands the correct behavior.
   EXPERT TIP

   Avoid giving attention to bad behavior. Once you know how to react to disobedient dog, you also need to understand which response reinforces bad behavior. Sometimes your dog is behaving badly because he wants your attention. So by acknowledging or yelling at your dog, you are actually rewarding the bad behavior with attention. This makes it more likely that he will repeat the behavior in the future. Remember that even bawling and screaming can be rewards for a dog.

   • For example, the doorbell rings. Your dog may be startled by this and he barks because he is surprised. If you ignore the barking, he will not receive a reward and will not bark the next time the bell is over. However, if he barks and you yell at him to be quiet, you have actually rewarded the barking with attention. So it is now more likely that he will bark again the next time the bell rings.
3. Don't raise your voice or hit the dog. Verbal and physical punishment are ineffective in preventing bad behavior. This only teaches your dog to fear you. For example, hitting your dog after he urinates in the house can cause him to urinate in secret. The dog may become secretive and disappear to urinate. This is of no use to you, because you spend longer looking for the puddles to be able to clean them up.
   • Your dog does not understand physical and verbal punishment. It just confuses and hurts him, which is detrimental to your relationship.
4. Teach him not to bite. Biting is a very bad behavior that must be controlled. Teach your dog that biting can hurt people. Do this by giving a high-pitched scream and pulling your hand away when your dog snaps at you. Pull your hand away and stop playing for a few minutes, or leave the room. Taking away the fun and attention is a punishment that your dog will understand. They will soon associate rough play with ending the game, thus avoiding the behavior.
   • Adult dogs that bite may do so because they are aggressive. It will be more difficult to train them to quit without professional help. Consider calling the vet or an obedience trainer for help.

Part 2 of 2: Preventing bad behavior

1. Find out what's causing your dog's bad behavior. Remember, dogs don't behave badly out of spite. If your dog seems to be behaving badly, such as chewing your shoes, smashing furniture, or growling at a stranger, then the dog has a reason for it. You just haven't figured out what that reason is yet. Spend some time figuring out the reason for your dog's bad behavior.
   • For example, if your dog chews on the furniture when you are not there, he may be doing it because he is bored or scared when you are not there.
2. Remove bad behavior triggers. Once you figure out what is causing the bad behavior, try removing the triggers. You may have found that your dog barks when turned on, such as seeing a person or car in the street. To avoid barking, you could close the curtains.
   • You can also take steps to avoid startling your dog, which is a trigger for many bad behaviors. For example, if your dog responds easily to a particular trigger, such as the postman, make sure to put the dog in the backyard before the postman comes.
3. Reward good behavior. Use positive feedback if your dog is well behaved, responds to commands, or relieves himself in the right place. Give him a treat and praise him with words, such as good dog!, in a cheerful tone. Reward the behavior immediately after the act so that your dog develops a positive association. If you reward him too soon or too late, he will not understand why he is getting the reward.
   • It is good to have rewards with you to be able to reward good behavior immediately when you see it.
4. Keep your dog active. Dogs that are bored or inactive often bark more than dogs that get enough exercise. If your dog is indoors most of the day, when he finally gets outside, he may jump, bark, and misbehave. Try to let your dog out for at least 1 hour daily to run or walk. The activity can fix your dog's bad behavior.
   • Make sure the dog has plenty of toys to chew. This can keep him active and busy when he needs to stay indoors.It can also help prevent bad behaviors such as gnawing or chewing things they shouldn't chew on.
5. Establish routines. Your dog may start to show bad behavior if he is stressed or unsure of his surroundings. You can make him feel more relaxed and comfortable by establishing simple routines. For example, if your dog is exhibiting inappropriate peeing behavior, start crate training and regular walks to the same place outdoors to urinate. If you do this at the same times over and over, the dog will learn to associate urination with the correct location.
   • It is also good to play with your dog at set times and to feed him at set times. In this way, your dog learns to expect attention and grooming. He's less likely to misbehave to get attention because he knows it's almost playtime.
6. Know when to seek help. If you cannot determine what is causing your dog's bad behavior, or if the behavior does not improve, seek the advice of a professional animal behaviorist or animal psychologist. You can ask the vet to recommend someone who is trained and licensed. You can also ask the vet to examine the dog for a possible medical condition that could be causing the behavior.
   • A physical exam is especially important for senior dogs. For example, your dog could be incontinent due to a medical condition. The vet can make a diagnosis and recommend further medical or behavioral treatment.

Tips

• If you time out or give your dog no attention, don't look at the dog at all or make eye contact. The dog will know that you are watching and will try extra hard to get your attention.
• Rather than punishing your dog for something like inappropriate urination, keep an eye on him and look for signs that he needs to urinate. If an accident does happen, clean up the pool with an enzymatic cleaner to completely remove the odor.