Pet owners have been advised to do one thing when their dog behaves to see positive results in the future.
Training a dog can be a tough but rewarding process, especially if you're looking to reward good behaviour and discourage the bad.
Keeping calm and consistent throughout is crucial, with the timing of rewards and corrections also being critical.
If you're in the process of training a dog, then there is one action you should take when they misbehave to see improvement.
Dog trainer Graeme Hall (also known as 'The Dogfather') has teamed up with Tesco Insurance to discuss what this is.
What should dog owners do when their dog misbehaves?
Graeme shares that getting the dog to understand what bad behaviour is is crucial to the process.
He explained: "It could be the dog just being a dog (chewing or digging) or actually a sign of an unmet need (E.g. lack of exercise meaning pent-up energy).
"Just because it is natural it doesn’t mean it is acceptable to you, so training can help iron out these issues and set clear rules."
Graeme shared that the one thing you needed to do was to catch them in the act of doing something naughty and deliver a firm but fair telling off in the moment.
He added: "Digging, for example, is a natural dog behaviour, but no one wants their lovely lawn to be full of holes. Catching them in the act is the most important thing.
"It is no good leaving your dog alone in the garden for half an hour, finding a load of holes and then telling them off after the event.
"They won't connect it and you will only confuse them because rewards or corrections need to come within seconds.
"Instead, supervise them next time, and as soon as they start to do it, issue an authoritative (never aggressive) ‘no!’ and redirect to a more appropriate activity. (For a particularly ‘diggy’ dog, how about making them a sand pit where they can take up their hobby?)
"The message is clear: 'Don’t do THAT, do THIS instead – and everyone will love you!'"
Katie Adams, Trainer at Pets Corner, concurred, saying: "There is no point correcting a dog after their action as they will have no idea what they did, and instead it would likely damage the relationship and bond with the dog."
Ross Hallifax, Director at Purely Pets, also emphasises the positive reinforcement approach to training.
He shared: "Positive reinforcement training focuses on rewarding desired behaviours and ignoring or redirecting unwanted behaviours.
"For example, if your dog misbehaves, calmy tell them ‘no’. Once they stop, redirect their attention by asking them a command, such as ‘sit’, and reward them when they do it.
"By using rewards such as treats, praise, and play, dogs learn to associate certain behaviours with positive outcomes, and this can help encourage good behaviour long-term."
If you want to avoid verbally telling your dog off, Hannah Harris, Behaviour Policy Manager at Dogs Trust, has an alternative approach.
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She said: "For example, to train a puppy to stop putting their teeth on you, stop what you are doing, stay still, and avoid making any sounds.
"Once your puppy is calm, you can praise them. Over time, your dog will learn that mouthing means the fun ends, so they will gradually stop doing it."
Have you tried a similar approach when training a dog? Let us know in the comments.
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