How to avoid spoiling your dog?

There are rules that will help you avoid behavioral problems, that is, spoiling your dog.
They are not complex, but require discipline – especially from the owner!

1️⃣ Don’t ignore the socialization of the puppy. This will teach your dog to react to various situations, including difficult ones, appropriately.

2️⃣ Make sure to check your dog’s health regularly and don’t forget about prophylaxis. Some problems (including untidiness, loss of appetite and aggression) might be caused by health issues.

3️⃣ Give your four-legged-friend the 5 freedoms. We’ve already written about this (see “14 things to know before starting to train your dog. Part 2”). A dog living in bad conditions won’t be able to behave.

4️⃣ Use rules that are easy to follow.

Permissiveness makes a dog nervous and irritable, because his/her life turns into chaos.

It doesn’t matter who eats or enters the room first, or whether your dog is allowed on the bed or not – the rule is that whatever is allowed is allowed at all times, and whatever is forbidden once, must be forbidden always. No exceptions. Dogs value predictability.

5️⃣ Teach your dog correct behavior. Chasing cats and barking are normal behaviors that make your dog… a dog.

Your goal is to explain to your pet which rules he/she must follow.

❗️The majority of behavioral problems are connected to the owners’ behavior: they either haven’t explained how to behave clearly enough, or they unconsciously keep reinforcing problematic behavior.

6️⃣ Choose humane methods when training your dog: it is all about strengthening the connection between the owner and the dog, and not about stressing the pet out.

7️⃣ Remember about the feeding routine. If the dog’s food bowl is always full, it stops being a valuable resource, making the dog very picky.
The same thing happens if a dog constantly overeats.

If your dog hasn’t finished the food in the bowl, just remove it after 15 minutes. The water obviously must always be accessible.

❗️Remember that a “spoilt” dog is not a “bad” dog that acts “out of spite”.

And this means that you can always change the situation, as long as you have the wish to do so and make sure you are consistent.

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