Dog Problems - Tackling The Problematic Dog

Before you begin reading this post, you should have read and practiced the basic training techniques. The relationship between dog obedience and dog proble solving is like the relationship between diet and good health. A proper diet doesn’t guarantee good health and obedience doesn’t guarantee a problem-free existence.

Obedience is, however:

1. the best insurance against the development of problems,
2. the simple solution for correcting problems,
3. preparation for the dog in learning to accept problem-solving techniques.

If you’ve determined that the dog hasn’t been given too much freedom too soon, you’ve done the proper basic training and you still having problems, it’s time to :

1. categorize the problem,
2. determine how you can quickly and safely stop your dog in the act of misbehavior,
3. commit yourself to consistently applying the solutions.

The general dog problem-solving options are:

1. Don’t let problems occur. Instead keep your dog confined when you can’t prevent misbehavior, put out of reach anything that is or may be tempting, such as paper, garbage, personal belongings and paraphernalia like remote controls and close off areas with problem-making potential

2. Divert your dog’s attention from bad behavior by distracting her or rechanneling her energy.

3. Build an aversion to misbehavior by correcting every attempt to misbehave.

I will cover the various dog problems in my later posts and how to go about correcting them.