Bay State Dog Training
Have You Ever Noticed...
Dear Friend,
Have you ever noticed that someone is always telling
you that you can't do the things that you like to do with your dog?
For instance, ever since I began my career as a dog
trainer every one has told me that I should never, under any
circumstances play tug-o-war with my dogs.
I was also always told to never, ever allow my dog to sleep on the
bed with me...and to never, ever feed my dog "people food."
I could go on and on with a long list of things that
we should "never" do with our dogs. Here's the funny thing, in my
18+ years of dog training, I have found that playing tug-o-war with your
dog is a good thing.
Letting your dog sleep on the bed with you is not
going to turn him into a blood sucking vampire. Feeding him "people food" will in many cases make
him healthier.
What you have to know is this. Each dog is
different. Each household is different. If your dog
understands that you are in charge and that it's your bed, there is no
problem letting him sleep on it.
In my house, I allow my dogs on the couch and on my
bed. They clearly understand that I am the one in charge. If
I walk into a room and tell them "OFF," they immediately jump off the
couch.
They don't resist. They don't defend the couch.
They follow my commands. If my dogs did growl or defend the couch,
they would lose that privilege.
When a pup comes into my house, I usually leave a
leash on him to drag around. The leash allows me to have a
little more control than if the leash was off.
How many times has your pup stolen something and ran
away, only to have you chasing him around the coffee table,
behind the couch, and up the stairs?
A leash can prevent all of this. Simply step on
the leash and end the chase game. The same holds true when
teaching your dog the word "OFF."
The easiest way is to walk up to your dog and give the
command "OFF." When he ignores you, pick up the leash and give it
a quick tug.
Repeat this exercise until he gets off the couch with out you
touching the leash. As long as your dog understands the word "OFF," you
won't have a problem.
All the best,
Eric R. Letendre
Bay State Dog Training
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