Episode 11: Habits: Are They Helping or Hurting Dogs?

Episode 11 of The Everyday Trainer Podcast touches on some bad habits owners have with their dogs and some better habits you can use instead. A very common bad habit that Meg sees with a lot of owners is how they greet and interact with their dog. When coming home and walking in the door, it’s very common to want to hype your dog up, saying how much you missed them and talking in a baby voice. This puts your dog in an anxious state which you then reward by petting. A good alternative to this would be to come home and ignore your dog till they are calm. Once they appear calm, you can then reward them with your affection. The next bad habit a lot of us are guilty of is letting our dogs run out the door before us. Teaching your dog to look to you for permission before leaving can help keep control of your dog and prevent them from running away. The last big mistake that Meg points out is letting strangers and other animals invade our dogs personal space. Looking out for your dog's personal space and not letting just anybody enter it will help your dog trust you and feel less anxious. Saying no when people ask to pet your dog or bring their dog to you is okay and something we need to learn to do in order to look out for our dogs. A good way to accomplish this would be to simply reply, “no sorry, we are training”. Setting up proper habits, while advocating for you and your dog is key during the training process.