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Although it sounds strange, we are faced with a very common question. Many owners despair of their pets because they think they ignore them or do not obey them on purpose. But you must know that this is not quite the case.
The vast majority of times the problem lies in poor communication or the fact that the training process was not done properly.
If the your dog doesn't obey you and want to know what to do, in this PeritoAnimal article we will explain everything you should know and do.
Why doesn't your dog obey you?
Take a pen and paper and answer the following questions:
- How is the relationship with your dog? Having a pet is not just about giving it a roof, food and taking it to the park. A dog is part of your life and your family. If you have no intention of creating an affectionate bond, it is normal for your puppy not to pay attention to you. You will be just another human.
- What language do you use with your dog? We often don't realize it, but our body language and the orders we give our dog are contradictory. Your dog almost certainly wants to do what you're asking, the problem is that he doesn't understand what you're saying.
- Prepared before training your puppy? Maybe you're going too fast in training, or maybe you're going too slow. Or maybe you're rewarding negative behavior, believe it's very common to happen.
A dog is not a human being: he thinks differently, behaves differently and feels differently. Before deciding to adopt a dog, you should be very clear about what education you need and what you will do if everything doesn't turn out perfectly. As you would take your child to a doctor or psychologist if he had serious behavior problems, you should do the same with your puppy, the person indicated to solve a behavior problem is the ethologist.
Things you should know about dog behavior:
How is your behavior? Do you get upset if your dog does something wrong? Do you yell at him? It's understandable that at some point your puppy might frustrate you, but you shouldn't lose your temper. Getting angry or yelling at him will only get your dog away from you. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated the low efficacy of dominance against positive reinforcement.
Do you think your dog is a machine? A dog is an animal, sometimes we seem to forget that. You may be looking at a window for 10 minutes, but you don't realize that your dog needs to sniff something. Obedience is one thing and the animal lacks freedom. Let him walk as he deserves and needs.
Do you exercise enough? Spend too much time alone? If your pet is upset or doesn't do the exercise it needs, it's normal to destroy things. As much as you scold him, it won't solve anything. Therefore, it is very important that before adopting a dog you have clear what your needs are and then fulfill them.
In short: you can't expect your puppy to behave well if he doesn't meet his basic needs or deprives him of some freedom. A dog that obeys you is one that comes to you because it lost hours in your training, because it used positive reinforcement instead of punishment. A good relationship based on rewarding the puppy will make him obey you much more and on his own initiative.
What to do if my dog doesn't obey me?
In the previous point we saw several of the causes that may have triggered this situation. Now we are going to propose that you review some aspects of your puppy's life:
- THE patience it's fundamental. Results don't come overnight. In fact, remember that the foundation of your relationship with your dog should be the affection between you and him. Some dogs are smarter than others, so some take longer to understand what is expected of them.
- Recover the affective bond: Imagine this as a couple crisis, spend time with your pet, pet him, take long walks with him, play with him. Enjoy time with your puppy and don't try to force him, let him behave naturally.
For your pet, you are the center of his universe, show him that you want him and that he feels good by his side.
Your dog's name: a very common mistake is that the dog has linked his name to something bad. Why? Because every time he does something wrong, you call him and scold him. There is the error. It links the word "no" or reprimand to the fact that you have done something wrong. You don't need to say his name, just with the word "no" and your tone of voice, he will understand perfectly.
To regain the positive relationship with your name, do the following:
- A nice long ride.
- When you get home, your pet will lie down on your bed.
- Get close to it, but in such a way that you don't see it directly.
- Say your name.
- If I look at you, I pressed you.
- Start with treats (but without excess) and then move on to caresses. Your name should always be related to something nice.
Respond every time you call: as with the name, it is possible that your pet has negatively related this order.
To get him to come every time you call him, you must do a very simple exercise. Start practicing at home, later you can do it on the street. To start choose one quiet room and be silent and do the following exercise:
- List an appropriate word for the order. For example, "comes" or "here".Don't just use your name to do this. The name is the order to pay attention.
- Go away and give him the order.
- If he comes, give him a hug and a treat.
- It's possible that the first few times your puppy doesn't come to you, it's normal. Not understanding what you are asking. In this case, use a guide. Give the order and bring him closer. Then reinforce that behavior.
It is very important that the training sessions are short. Never more than 15 minutes. That way it will be more fun for the dog and for you.
Repetition of the exercise is what will make you learn. When you've done it well at home, you should try to do it on the street. Follow the following rules.
- Do the exercise after taking the walk, never before.
- Always start with the guide.
- Do not do the exercise in the same place. The more you vary in places, the stronger the order will be.
As you can see, making your puppy not ignore you and obey is very simple. All the exercises we show you are based on positive reinforcement. If you add affection and patience to this, you will get your puppy to learn almost anything.
