Or otherwise.....
How to Stop a Dog …..
Well, how are your New Years Resolutions
going? Hearty congratulations if you’re still on target! But why are old habits
so hard to resist?Perhaps we’d have more success if we actually set out to makes our lives easier? Surely then we’d be breezing through 2018 feeling much more positive?
Our new years resolutions tend to be along
the lines of stopping drinking, stopping eating sweeties, stopping spending too
much money etc. The reason that it’s so difficult to stop these unwanted habits
is that our brains have developed pathways that are now, easy to follow. With
our new plans, we are essentially trying to delete brain memories!
Plus, perhaps more importantly, it’s all
“negative”. Really, we’d actually all do
much better by thinking “Positive” - by considering
what “To Do” instead: take up knitting, read more, go for a walk, learn
something new. “Doing” is much easier than “Stopping”.
Teaching our dogs benefits in precisely the
same way: stop thinking “Stop That” and
start thinking “Do This”.
For example:- Instead of Stopping Jumping, teach a solid sit.
- Instead of Stopping Barking, teach go to bed
- Instead of Stopping Pulling, teach them to walk beside you.
Ok, so I’m hearing you say, “…but my dog
already knows these things”.
Well, here’s THE secret – Practise
Makes Perfect!
What? You knew that already? Of course, we
all know that. Not a very good secret then…
The trick, or rather, the forgotten element
when considering training our dogs is that we miss out many required practise
steps. It’s like leaping from learning the first few notes on a piano to
playing in a major concert.
Just like us, our dogs require practise, gradually changing the circumstances and introducing new difficulties. For example, to “stop” jumping : start off rewarding a 1 second sit and then gradually build up to 10 seconds. Then you move about a little – but reward a 1 second sit, gradually building the time. Then introduce a mildly exciting toy, but again reward a 1 second sit and then gradually build up the time OR toy excitement whilst consistently rewarding sit. And at the end of this wee 2 minute practise session, play with your dog with the toy.
So, please do have a wee think about your habits with your dog and see what would benefit from this thinking-flip. Ofcourse, please do get in touch with any difficulties via www.PawsAbility.co.uk or anna@pawsability.co.uk
First Published in the Northern Times, Jan 18
Author - Anna Patfield