It was morning and you opened the front door to grab the
newspaper from your porch. Your dog
spots a cat in the yard, and darts out of the open door and across the street
before you can react. Your heart is in your throat. The fear that he will be hit by a car rushes
over you. When he finally comes to your calls, you are upset and you discipline
him for chasing the cat and not coming the first time you called.
From your dog’s point
of view he got to chase a cat, which was fun. Then when he returned to you he
was in trouble which was not fun. You wanted him to know that it is not okay to
chase the cat, but what he really learned was that coming to you was unkind.
Remember that when you call your dog, you want him to come.
Whenever he comes to you, be nice. No matter what he might have gotten into
greet him with kindness and a pat on the head. This teaches your dog to trust
you. Anytime that he follows you, comes to you, make him feel wanted.
A dog’s behavior can sometimes be utterly
frustrating, ringing you a half chewed up brand new shoe for example. It is
important to remember that at that moment your dog does not understand that he
has done something wrong. The only thing he understands is that you are angry,
but not why.
Punishment after the fact is cruel and inhumane. The answers
are in the prevention and training. Prevention means you are providing your pet
with enough outlets for his energy. Training means teaching your dog to follow
your command.
Being consistent with
your commands & the tone of your commands!
