Can you guess the problems faced by dog owners?
If you guess right, you'll likely come up with:
- Dog bite and barking noise
- Constant cleaning of dog hairs from furniture
- Huge spending on lawn maintenance
- Excessive spending on dog care, grooming, training, feeding and vaccination
But why do people keep dogs even though it requires a huge investment of time and resources?
People keep dogs for companionship, security, and assistance.
These are very good reasons but, when you spend your hard-earned money, time and energy on keeping dogs, endeavour to give your dogs adequate training so that they don't constitute public health problems in the future.
In fact, dog bite is a public health problem in the United States that affects over 1.5% of the total population according to research.
Other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, India, Tanzania, Switzerland and Spain are also facing dog bite problems.
Even some countries that lack accurate dog bite data are not spared because according to WHO, tens of thousands individuals die from rabies in Asia and Africa yearly. Most of these rabies deaths come from dog bites.
Before you can keep well-behaved dogs, proper maintenance, grooming and training are essential.
You'll find some of the useful information you need about keeping dogs in this article.
Can You Keep Well-Behaved Dogs?
The answer is, yes!
So many people are keeping dogs without encountering some of the common challenges.
The reason why this is possible is because, they've realized that keeping dogs is a job on its own.
This understanding has enabled them to start the training process early and as such, they don't succumb to the challenges by sending their dogs to shelter when some of the destructive behaviours begin to come up.
Keeping Dogs Approved By Authorities Doesn't Guarantee Safety
If you're a dog person like me, you would have noticed that some countries have placed bans and restrictions on ownership of some dog breeds. What is obvious about the efforts of these authorities is that even with the bans and restrictions, dog bites still occur in those countries.
This has proven that keeping dogs that most people consider less aggressive is not a guarantee for safety if these dogs aren't trained to behave in less aggressive manners.
Don't get me wrong, there are some dogs whose bites are more fatal than others. But I'm considering the occurrence of dog bites in general and not their biting force.
Does It Mean That You Should Give Up On Your Dog?
There's no reason whatsoever to give up on your furry friend. This is because many people that keep dogs have reported beneficial changes in behaviours and health.
These benefits of keeping dogs were brought about by an increase in physical exercise through dog walking which helped in reducing the incidence of hip fractures in the elderly, and beneficial changes in the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
What you should rather do to enjoy these benefits for the long term is, continue to keep dogs.
But ensure that you help in identifying your dog's aggressive behaviours and tendencies to bite, and then start behavioural modification.
Trying to change aggressive behaviours should begin with you because most dog's behaviours depend on how they're treated by their owners.
By following appropriate dog raising tips, you should be able to train your dog to behave well.
However, if you adopted a dog that was abused by its previous owner, looking for a veterinarian that knows how to handle this type of problem is a great way to start.
This will work in some cases but if it doesn't, patience and understanding is a virtue you'll cultivate in order to keep dogs because most behavioural changes take time.
Being patient with the first vet should bring improvement in your dog's aggressive behaviours but if this fails, there's no harm in trying animal behaviourist that is specialised in dealing with aggressive dog behaviours.
But if experts recommend humane euthanasia after all the available options have been exhausted, there's nothing else you can do than to follow the advice and save the lives of your loved ones from injuries that may result from dog bites.
What Should You Do To Keep Well-Behaved Dogs
Many dogs that are awaiting euthanasia today in shelters shouldn't have made it there if some simple steps were taken to ensure that they're well-behaved.
The problem most times is that many people that keep dogs wait until their dog's destructive behaviours are out of hand before seeking help.
You shouldn't allow this to happen.
By exposing your dogs early in life to basic command, people of different ages, noises, other dogs and objects, they'll remain calm and well-behaved when they encounter these scenarios in future.
This early socialization should, however, be controlled until your puppy has received appropriate vaccination that will enable it to mingle freely with other dogs in parks and other public places without contracting deadly diseases.
You can control where your dog socializes by only visiting clean environments that are safe for you and your dog.
The beautiful thing about dog is in its ability to learn some skills even in adulthood.
This means that if you adopt an adult dog from shelter, you can still introduce it to obedience training.
This skill is simple to teach your dog especially if you have treats, toys or anything that can motivate your dog to learn. It involves teaching your dog to master some positions that they naturally assume such as sit, stay, lie, etc.
Another thing that can help your dog to behave well is exercise.
Most destructive behaviours in dogs stem from boredom, anxiety, and lack of avenue to burn out excess energy.
When you take your dog for a walk, ride a bicycle together, play hide and seek, or even the game of fetch, your dog will burn out excess energy and remain calm in the process.
Routine exercise can also be a great way to bond with your dog.
Before you embark on any exercise, make sure that the exercise you've chosen is appropriate for the age and breed of your dog.
How Can You Stop Your Dog From Biting?
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Over time, people have realized that there's no dangerous dog but dangerous keepers who exploit the loyalty, determination, power and strength common to most dogs.
While most people take responsibility and are always in control of their dogs, some dog owners have however failed in giving their dogs good upbringing.
This carelessness together with the activities of unethical dog breeders is the bane of poorly trained and aggressive dogs in our communities.
By reading down to this point, it's obvious that you don't enjoy dogs that exhibit indiscriminate biting behaviours.
This is very good of you.
Keeping dogs that bite is a two-edged sword. Today it can bite an intruder but tomorrow it can bite innocent children, strangers or even the aged.
Even though science has proven that the domestic dogs evolved from grey wolves and that most dogs bite out of fear, frustration or boredom, which further reinforces the belief that, you can't do away with your dog's natural tendency to bite.
You shouldn't condone dog bite in any form.
You can stop your dog from biting by focusing on two things.
1. Reduce The Force In Which Your Dog Bites
Most dogs learn from their littermates that biting hard with force is painful but others need to be trained to do so.
You have to let your dog understand that, the human skin is fragile and it can be painful if bitten hard.
You can teach your dog this valuable lesson by allowing your dog to mouth you during play. But be on the lookout for a hard bite and yell “too hard.”
This will signal to your dog that you're hurt.
You can then limp your hand so that your dog stops immediately.
When that happens, reward your dog with praise, treat or toy swiftly and continue with the play.
Repeat this method until your dog understands that biting hard is wrong and unacceptable by you.
2. Train Your Dog Not To Bite
There are situations when teaching your dog to bite gently is totally unacceptable.
In situations like this, teach your dog not to bite at all by doing the following:
- Avoid any form of play that will involve bodily contact such as wrestling. Rather, indulge your dog in a game such as, tug-of-war. Tug-of-war is very effective in managing frustration and excitement in dogs.
- Train your dog to control its aggressive impulses by teaching the wait, heel off and sit command.
- Redirect your dog's biting impulses to chewable toys and bones.
- Spray taste deterrent on any part of your body that your dog likes to bite before you begin any form of play that involves body contact. When the dog bites any of those areas, it will perceive the taste and stop abruptly. Praise your dog immediately when it reacts to the spray and stop mouthing you. Try this method for two weeks for optimum results.
- If the above methods fail, get a can of spearmint or peppermint breath spray anytime you want to play with your dog. When the dog mouths you, shout “too bad” and spray it directly to its mouth quickly. This will force your dog to stop biting you. You can repeat this until the behaviour ceases.
- But if all the methods outlined above fail, get help from a qualified dog trainer that will schedule dog training classes for your dog.
How Can You Keep Dogs Off Your Lawn?
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As more people realize the benefits of residential landscaping, many households are spending huge amount of money on lawn maintenance.
Dog owners who allow their dogs and other animals into their lawns may spend even more to combat damages caused by urine from dogs and digging.
These damages can make the maintenance of healthy-looking lawn challenging.
But I'll show you how to keep dogs off your lawn in order to reduce these damages.
1. Train your dog to urinate in the designated area
Teaching an old dog to urinate in one place can be difficult, the best way to keep dogs off your lawn is to start the training process early.
You can do this by setting aside a good potty spot in your yard and taking your dog there anytime you think the dog will urinate.
Ensure that your dog is on a leash and when you get there, say a command like “pee” then, wait patiently until your dog urinates at that particular spot.
Immediately after your dog urinates in that area, give out a piece of treat to encourage good behaviour.
Repeat it until your dog becomes acquainted with the area you've designated as potty spot.
2. Take advantage of the dog's well-developed organ of smell
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You can take advantage of this unique sense of smell by spraying some home-made and commercial dog repellents that aren't harmful to you and the dogs.
Some of the commonly used home-made dog repellents include baking soda, undiluted vinegar, garlic, chilli pepper, olive or almond oil, etc.
One of the disadvantages of using dog repellents is that, you'll have to spray it around your lawn weekly or after heavy rainfall for optimum results.
This can be expensive if you are using the commercial dog repellents.
Some of them can also be harmful to dogs and the plants in your lawn after prolong period of use.
3. Use motion-activated sprinklers
The movement of passing dogs can trigger the spray of water from motion-activated sprinklers.
This sudden sprinkling of water can startle some dogs and make them scamper for safety thus, keeping them off your lawn.
The sprinklers will also help in watering your lawn and rapid absorption of nutrients by the plants. This will give rise to healthy plants that are resistant to diseases.
4. Install a fence
Another effective means of keeping dogs off your lawn is by installing a fence around your lawn.
Any dog that comes close to the fence will find it impossible to get to your lawn.
Most of these lawn fences are relatively safe for plants and animals, durable, attractive, less expensive and maintenance-free.
They can also withstand UV rays from the sun for a long time, this makes them perfect for outdoor use.
How To Keep Dogs From Digging
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Most dogs were originally bred to hunt by digging into the soil.
Even though these qualities may be undesirable today, some dogs have retained it till this day.
Keeping most of these dogs from digging can be difficult if it's inherited characteristics, but dogs that acquire digging behaviours can easily be corrected through consistent training.
Keep dogs from digging by using the “Don't dig” command immediately when you see this unwanted behaviour in your dog.
If the dogs that are carrying out the digging are not your own, you can adopt the same method used in keeping dogs away from your lawn outlined above.
If it doesn't work, block the area with offensive odour, use uncomfortable ground cover, get rid of loose soil and replace it with chicken wire, rocks and unattractive items.
How To Keep Dogs Off Your Couch
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Most people enjoy dogs that jump on their couches but others find sharing furniture with their furry friends uncomfortable.
If you're interested in keeping dogs off your couch to curtail excessive hairs that can make cleaning difficult, these simple steps will help you achieve results in a short time.
1. Train your dog to stay off the couch
Teaching your dog to stay off the couch is the single most effective way to keep dog hairs from your furniture but it will require the efforts of all the members of your household for effective results to be achieved.
Start this training immediately when your dog gets on your furniture.
A simple command like “off” can work wonders if carried out consistently over some time.
Your dog will later associate this cue with the couch and anytime you say the command, it will get off from it.
2. Set aside a chair for your dog
Another way to keep your dog off your couch is to keep a chair that's specially meant for your dog.
You also need to train your dog to sit down on its own chair before this step can be successful.
You can encourage your dog to sit on its chair by offering reward accompanied by a verbal cue each time the behaviour occurs.
This method will help in diverting the dog's attention from your couch to its own.
Which Method Should You Use In Keeping Dogs?
There are many methods employed by different people in keeping their dogs. But operant conditioning has proven to be the best and most effective in curbing most destructive behaviours in dogs.
If you keep your dog using this method as the basis, you'll end up with well-behaved dogs.
Operant conditioning was a method used by an American psychologist, B.F. Skinner to strengthen behaviours.
It involves reinforcement and punishment.
Reinforcement and punishment can be positive or negative.
Many experts have been promoting the idea of using positive reinforcement in training because it's good for the dog and the owner.
Positive reinforcement
When you give a motivating or reinforcing stimulus (treat, toy, etc) to your dog after it has behaved well in the presence of your visitor, you're teaching the dog to more likely behave well whenever someone visits your home in future. This is positive reinforcement.
You can use this method to train your dog to remain calm whenever a visitor comes to your home.
To achieve this, you'll need a treat or toy. When the visitor arrives, tell your dog to sit. When it does, pet and give out the reward.
By doing this, you've made your dog know that sitting calmly whenever a visitor comes around made something good to happen, in this case, the treat was given.
This will encourage your dog to sit calmly anytime a visitor comes to your house so that it can be rewarded with a treat.
Negative Reinforcement
Here, the behaviour is strengthened by stopping, removing, or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.
Positive punishment
In this case, your dog's behaviours make something bad to happen. When you spray peppermint into your dog's mouth as it bites, you're using positive punishment to train your dog not to bite.
Another scenario where you can use positive punishment is if your dog mouths you. Yell no. This yelling is a positive punishment that will prevent biting behaviour from happening in the future.
Negative punishment
Negative punishment happens when your dog behaviour makes something good to go away.
If your dog growls anytime someone gets close to its food bowl, take away the bowl so that the dog can learn not to growl when someone approaches it bowl in future.
Conclusion
Many people want to keep dogs but it's only a few that keep well-behaved dogs. This is because raising dogs the right way involves efforts and commitment.
You will be able to join the few to keep well-behaved dogs that won't be a burden to your community by following some of the methods outlined in the post
When you do, the community will be saved, the incidence of dog bites will reduce and dogs will live in dignity in your home instead of a shelter.
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