Soft coated Wheaten Terrier Maggie runs to the door when the bell rings. Her owne
r pushes her away from the door with his foot so he can open it a crack to see who is there.
Chihuahua mix Brutus grabs tissue and any other paper product that hits the ground. His owner corners him and manually extracts the moist wad from his mouth.
Golden Retriever Zoey jumps up on everyone – the plumber, Grandma, the Girl Scout selling cookies. Zoey’s owner holds her collar
to keep her paws on the ground.
English Mastiff Jameson parks himself on the sofa, until his owner drags him off it by the scruff of his neck.
Llasa Apso Gertrude constantly begs for attention, nudging her owner with her nose and pawing at her legs. Her owner pushes the dog away with her hands, which doesn’t seem to discourage Gertrude’s efforts.
If you are managing your dog’s bad behavior physically, then your dog is not learning good behavior. He isn’t stopping himself from jumping, chewing, answering the door. YOU are doing it for him.
We know dogs can think. It’s our job to help them learn to think and to make good decisions.
Instead of reacting – “There’s a leg, jump on it!” we want him to consider the alternative: “There’s a leg…I’d really like to jump on it but I think my paws are supposed to be down here instead.”
So keep your hands, legs and feet to yourself. Don’t get physical with your dog because you don’t want your dog to get physical with you.
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