Photo credit: Petsolino
Playing with dogs gives us that rejuvenating effect that few activities rarely give us. They help us overcome all bad feelings by showering us with unconditional love. Still, we have to be firm with our dogs when they create those annoying little problems here and there.
You can’t be hard on these poor creatures because they see that the world is completely different from the one we humans do. Positive reinforcement is the way to teach them good behavior.
In this article, we’ll look at how positive behavior can be encouraged in dogs so that they become well-behaved members of your family. So let’s get started.
Spend time with your dog every day
When you spend quality time with your dogs, they feel calm and completely relaxed. More often than not, people buy dogs and stop spending time with them once they reach adulthood. This can take a toll on their mental health, as dogs are among the animals that need proper socialization.
Once your dogs sense that their master is very attentive to them, they will most likely stop all the mischief they used to do while being neglected. Spending time with your dogs also helps release your stress.
Keep them stimulated with games
Mental stimulation is essential for your dog’s growth, especially if he is less than a year old. Proper puppy training helps instill positive behavior in dogs fairly quickly. To keep your puppies engaged, you can consider buying them some great dog toys. With toys, you will not only keep your dogs occupied, but you will also prevent them from getting into mischief, especially if you are not around.
Another method to keep your dogs stimulated is to play a fetch game with them. Throwing a ball and retrieving them improves dogs’ concentration and discipline.
Feed them a nutritious diet
Feeding your dogs nutritious dog food is essential because it keeps them healthy, both physically and mentally. Feeding stale and unhealthy foods can make them feel tired and anxious, later affecting their general behavior. You may have also seen how upset your dog looks when he doesn’t get proper nutrition.
Another important thing is to set a proper feeding schedule for your dog. Even if you give your dogs healthy food, they can get grumpy if they don’t get their meals on time. 2-3 times a day is the standard feeding schedule for most dogs.
Reward them when they do positive things
Dogs tend to repeat a behavior when they know there is a reward to repeat. For example, you can consider giving them good dog treats while teaching them obedience. Most dogs learn commands and tricks if they have tasty food to eat.
Another benefit of the reward is that it stimulates overall communication between you and your dog. If this happens, your dog will have no problem obeying your commands.
Be affectionate and forgive them often
Finally, it would be best if you always showed compassion towards your four-legged friend. Being rude to them can defeat the purpose of instilling positive behavior in them. In fact, the best thing to do when they hurt them is to forgive them. Your dog will most likely pick up on your emotions and be more aware of what he is doing.
Remember that patience is a virtue when it comes to training your dog. If you can teach your dogs things, keeping love as the basis, you will soon make them well-behaved.
In all
You’ve seen some of the easiest steps to teaching your dog positive behavior. It would be best to teach these methods to your dogs before they are one year old. Well-behaved puppies also display good temperaments when they have reached their adult phase. Yet never stop spreading your love and praise to your dogs for you are the world to him.
