A dog that is afraid and submissive, or a happy, well-adjusted, well-mannered member of the family?
There is a clear link between how owners treat their dogs and how their dogs behave. Research shows that most dogs can learn to be well-behaved. Teaching your dog good manners is beneficial to both you and your pet. A well-trained dog learns to respect the people around it, and makes a shy dog more sociable and confident. Owners that engage with their dog and take responsibility for their training and socialization tend to experience less behavioral problems from their dogs.
Dogs are learning all the time. Teaching a dog to behave well isn't always easy. Rather than just yelling or reprimanding a dog's bad behavior, encourage your dog to do good by using positive words. For instance, if your dog is trying to jump on you, instead of saying "NO!", command your dog to "Sit". If your dog has obeyed your command, don't forget to praise him or give him a treat.
Don't expect your dog to behave perfectly. Certain behaviours are natural for dogs such as being playful or digging. Dogs can only understand BLACK and WHITE, not the Gray Area. Don't wave your fingers, stoop or pat your dog if you're not happy about what he did.
Reward good behavior. A dog loves to please his human. Don't try to spend a whole hour teaching your dog one trick.
