Tips for Acing Dog Etiquette

written by Jessica Brody

If you are a dog owner, you are undoubtedly a dog lover as well. To be a good dog owner, however, you need to be aware of others’ opinions about dogs. While you may pass off your dog barking at night, jumping on visitors and digging holes in your backyard as just normal canine behavior, many people view these actions as nuisances, not usual doggy quirks. If you want your neighbors to share in your adoration of your pup, take some time to follow basic dog etiquette. All it requires is some training, attention to your dog and cleaning up after him. Here’s how to make your dog a well-behaved and welcome addition to your neighborhood.

A well-exercised dog is a calm dog

Before you embark on an obedience training program aimed at making your dog well-behaved, take a simple step to make him calm. Many dogs suffer from boredom and lack of exercise, which fuel bad behavior. Your dog doesn’t want to act like a jerk - he may just be itching to burn off some energy. Once you adopt your animal, start daily walks as a habit.  The exercise will not only calm your dog, but will create an important bonding experience that will help you in the obedience-training process. As a bonus, daily walking is good for your mental and physical health as well.

Exercising is important for your dog’s physical health, too. A sedentary dog can quickly become obese, which will bring physical discomfort and lots of expensive vet bills. And while the exercise will build a bond that will help transition into training, your dog’s physical fitness will also make him more adept at learning new things.

How training improves behavior

Obedience training gives a dog a purpose, which adds another layer of activity to stave off boredom and frustration-based bad behavior. But obedience also can target those bad behaviors before they develop. Barking, for instance, can be neutralized through training that rewards silence when your dog is tempted by stimuli. Reward-based training can teach that it’s not acceptable to bark when someone approaches the front door, and that your dog can alert you of someone’s presence by tail wagging and other silent actions.

Another area where training helps with dog etiquette is in walking behavior. An untrained dog will often pull the walker, bark at others and try to jump on people who pass by. Rather than being the dog owner who drags their dog to the other side of the road anytime someone passes, teach basic walking etiquette. When your dog is a calm walker, it benefits you by making the experience more pleasant, and your dog will get the reputation of being a joy in the neighborhood.

Overall, one of the most important obedience training commands to master is heeling. The “heel” command helps you as the dog owner to keep complete control of your dog at all times. If he barks, “heel” will silence him and bring him to your side. If he darts loose of your control, the command will quickly bring him back to you.

Fencing can create the safest level of control and peace in your neighborhood

Speaking of the possibility of losing control of your dog, a fence is one of the best ways to ensure that your dog does not roam the neighborhood. In order to be effective, though, a fence has to be carefully selected and installed. For example, if your dog often barks at those who pass by your home, it will make sense to install a fence that blocks visibility to the front, such as a full-panel wood or vinyl fence. If your dog is a digger, you will want to bury the fence about 6 inches. If your dog is prone to jumping or scaling a fence, you will want to ensure that the height is tall enough to prevent your dog’s escape.

The price of a fence will vary depending on material and length of fencing required. The investment will pay off in years of safe dog containment, but remember to monitor your dog in the yard. A fence is not 100 percent fail-proof, and a fenced-in yard should not entirely replace dog walks.

Be neighborly at the dog park

If you and your pooch take visits to your local dog park, it’s important to make sure your dog is well-trained and obedient not just for safety’s sake, but to stay on other park visitors’ good sides - especially if they’re your neighbors. In addition to keeping up on his behavioral training and commands, follow basic dog park safety and etiquette rules: keep his vaccinations and ID tags up to date, supervise him at all times, and clean up after he does his business.

Overall, being a polite and neighborly dog owner comes down to using good judgment and common sense. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise, learns obedience commands and proper reinforcement, and is secure in your home and yard, and you, your neighbors and your beloved pooch will all get along famously.

for further information contact

Jessica Brody

Ourbestfriends.pet

info@ourbestfriends.pet

3824 Cedar Springs Rd

Dallas, TX 75219 

Photo Credit: Pixabay