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Does it matter what people think about your dog's behavior?
You should care, because when out in public your dog is an ambassador for canine-kind. If he behaves badly by lunging at strangers, jumping up, or barking, this is unpleasant and intimidating for others. However, a well-behaved dog that walks nicely to heel and sits politely to greet people is a positive pleasure.
A dog that behaves in public means you can relax and enjoy walks, rather than be on edge all the time in anticipation of problems. Remember, the dog and his behavior are your responsibility, both in moral terms and in the eyes of the law. Should your dog jump up at a senior citizen, knocking them over so that they fracture a hip, then you could well be liable for their surgical expenses.
To behave well in public means having the dog under control at all times, both on and off the leash. This skill doesn't happen by magic but by putting in the time with regular obedience training. Even a basic command such as "Sit", along with walking to heel, equip the dog with a great grounding so that he is able to meet and greet strangers without showing you up.
Training both puppies and adult dogs does require time, persistence, and patience. For the puppies, the world is a big exciting place full of new sights, sounds, and smells, so distraction is rife. For the adult dog, they may have deeply ingrained bad habits that need to be replaced with new good behavior.
For both young and old, be sure to use reward-based training methods. This rewards the dog's good behavior, which sets them on the path to thinking about what they need to do to please you and earn a reward. Old-fashioned methods based on dominating the dog are outdated because they use intimidation and punishment to cow the dog into obeying. Not a happy scenario!
Basic obedience training requires little other than:
A collar and leash to restrain the dog
Bite-sized tasty treats to use as a reward
A bag that clips onto your belt, in which to keep the treats handy
Time, patience, and consistency
Train your dog a couple of times a day for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also incorporate training into your walks, such as getting the dog to sit curbside. However, be sure to make training fun and always end on a high with a command the dog knows and can do well. This helps build self-confidence and enthusiasm for the next session.
The Walk to Heel Method
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Most Recommended
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Start without distractions
Train in a backyard with few distractions. Have the dog on a collar and lead. Walk forward. If the dog surges ahead, stop immediately.
Wait for a "sit"
Now ignore the dog and wait for him to sit. Once he sits, reward him with a treat. The idea is that the dog learns he is to stop when you stop.
Stop when he surges ahead
Walk on again. If the dog walks nicely on a slack lead, praise him and toss a treat. If he surges ahead, stop and wait for the sit. Then reward the sit, and start off again.
Label the "heel"
Your dog now has two choices, he can walk by your side and be rewarded, or if he surges ahead you stop and he has to sit and wait. Either way you are in control. When you move off and he heels, say "Heel" is a firm but happy voice, and reward him.
Build the behavior
With the dog now listening to you and watching for treats as he heels, start extending the amount of time he is expected to heel before he gets a treat. By making him travel further each time, he will eventually start to heel automatically. And if he surges ahead, you simply stop, meaning that he gets nowhere fast and finds it more rewarding to behave.
The Not Jump Up Method
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Effective
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Know jumping is self-rewarding
When a dog jumps up, he rewards himself, therefore you must prevent jumping up so that it doesn't become a habit. If you can see a flashpoint, such as a friend approaching, have the dog sit and "Look" at you.
Restrain the dog
Other strategies include stepping on the dog's lead so that it is too short for the dog to jump up. This may feel rather a negative thing to do, but know you are preventing the dog learning bad behavior.
Withdraw attention
If your dog jumps up when you come home, ignore the dog and walk off to a different room. Return, and only acknowledge the dog once he is calm with all four paws on the floor. Then make a big fuss of him. The lesson is that jumping up means no attention, while sitting or standing nicely means a fuss.
Practice with friends
Now practice the dog greeting friends. Perhaps do this outside and tie the dog to an immovable object such as a tree. Have the friend approach but stop and walk away as soon as the dog goes to jump. The friend only continues once the dog is calm with four-on-the-floor.
Teach an alternative behavior
Jumping up is an action, but so is sitting, standing, lying, or 'Look'. Decide on an alternative action you want the dog to perform in order to be greeted and work on this. For example, tell the dog "Sit" and only fuss him when he is in a sit.
The Sit on Command Method
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Get his attention
Hold a treat between your finger and thumb, just in front of the dog's nose so that it holds his attention.
Raise the treat in the air
Use the treat as a lure, moving it slowly so that the dog follows it with his nose. Raise the treat is an arc over and behind the dog's head. As he follows the treat, as his head goes up and back, his butt will drop to the floor.
Label this "sit"
As soon as his butt hits the deck, say "Sit" in a firm but excited voice, and reward him with the treat.
Try without the treat
Practice with the treat until he starts to anticipate and sits as he starts to see your hand move. Now, start phasing out the treat, perhaps rewarding him for every second, then every third sit, rather than each time.
Take your training outside
Now practice in different places and with distractions until he responds regardless of what's going on and has a rock-solid sit.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 10/06/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Amy Caldwell
Training Questions and Answers
I want to be able to bring Nala in public places, but I’m worried she’ll lunge at people or bark at them or misbehave in some way. I would like her to be calm and keep the leash loose, but I don’t know how to teach her to do so, could you help?
Nov. 4, 2020
Nala's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Zayne, Check out the Sit method from this article: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-australian-shepherds-to-not-jump Also, check out the Treat Lure method from this article: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Finally, you can download a free PDF e-book AFTER You Get Your Puppy at this link below, written by one of the founders of the association of professional dog trainers. There is a lot of great advice on how to socialize there. www.lifedogtraining.com/freedownloads Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Nov. 6, 2020
Both dogs bark when the doorbell goes and continue to bark whilst i go to the door (if its post or deliveries etc) or until the person comes in and gives them fuss. When somebody comes in i do make them sit and wait before i open the baby gate but this can sometimes take 5 minutes. How do i stop the barking?
Aug. 31, 2020
Hendrix and Darcey's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Emily, I suggest desensitizing them to the doorbell and guests appearing and teaching the Quiet command. Quiet method for quiet command - which should also help with doorbell desensitizing: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Desensitizing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzvqN9JNUA Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Sept. 1, 2020
Xena will easily do as we say when we're at home and if there are small distractions such as toys being thrown, and family members walking by. But the minute we're in public, she wont even look at the treat, and will get so excited to see people and it takes her a few minutes to cool back down.
Aug. 25, 2020
Xena's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello Malka, First, know that that is completely normal at this age and stage in training. Pup simply needs more socialization and to practice obedience with gradually harder and harder levels of distractions before they will have the skills to listen in those environments also. A good way to gain those skills is to join an outside puppy training class or club, where you can practice pup's obedience around other puppies and people, or simply spend time going over pups obedience in gradually more and more distracting locations. For example, practice obedience at home until pup is consistent there, then in a calm neighborhood cul-de-sac, then other slightly busier parts of the neighborhood, then in a calm park, then a busier park, then outside the pet store, then inside the pet store, ect...Work up to the harder distractions, repeating obedience practice at the current level of difficulty until pup is doing well before moving onto a harder amount of distractions - this helps pup learn skills like listening, focus, learning to ignore other things, and to generalize their obedience to other situations too (dogs don't generalize well, so something they learn in one situation - like your house, has to be practiced in multiple different situations before they have learned it overall). Also, spend a lot of time exposing pup to other puppies, people, and new environments to help them develop a balanced temperament, become adaptable as an adult, prevent fear and aggression, and learn to be calmer around new things - because those new things become normal and not so new anymore. Having people give pup commands like sit and then reward pup with a treat or a pet after they obey can also help pup learn to love people while practicing their obedience around exciting things. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Aug. 25, 2020