Are you struggling with your dog's behavior? You're not alone. Whether they chew on your furniture, pull on the leash, or are reactive around other pups, these are all common problems that lots of pet parents face. In fact, around 85% of all dogs have some kind of behavioral issue.
We know how hard dog training can be, so we're always searching for the latest and greatest techniques for you to try — and we've just found a brilliant one that can help with a wide range of issues. As always, it uses positive reinforcement for dogs, a method that rewards good behavior as opposed to punishing them for the 'bad'.
The advice comes from the experts at JW Dog Training and Consulting, and all you'll need is a reward for them. So, grab the best dog treats or their favorite toy, and let's get started:
Whenever your dog exhibits good behavior, make sure you reward them for this. As JW Dog Training explains: "Behavior goes where reinforcement flows. This is a key message in your dog training!" You could do this with treats, praise, petting, or by giving them one of the best dog toys.
You might think that rewards should be saved for special tricks, but this isn't the case. In the video, trainer Kathy Sdao rewards the dog for just lying in his bed calmly. She explains that you should reward them if they do any behavior you like and want to see more of.
She says: "This is a really important concept in puppyhood and adulthood. If you see something, reward it, because that's how you're going to build better habits as he gets older."
To encourage good behavior, Kathy recommends doing SMART training 50 times per day. If you're wondering what that is exactly, here's a breakdown:
S - See
M - Mark
A - And
R - Reinforce
T - Training
She says: "If you reinforce enough of the good stuff then there's not even going to be room for the 'bad' stuff or the stuff we don't like. If you catch him doing something that you like, reward it and that will really go quite far in addition to the cues that you are practicing."
Like with all training, it's best to start this as young as possible, but you can still try it out with your adult dog, too.
Want to learn how to stop a dog from jumping up? This expert's guide is here to help. Or, to hear our top tips for training recall in dogs, check out this feature.
