Are you trying to play games with your dog, but just not sure where to go? Do you want to influence great behaviour and a loving personality? Check out these three ways to encourage positive behavior in your dog listed below!
#1: Encourage Positive Dog Behaviour with Plenty of Socialization
Believe it or not, socialization should really be a natural part of the development of all dogs! Dogs, and most Canine species in general, are highly social animals. These are animals used to living in groups from birth!
Begin socializing your young pup the moment you bring him home! Of course, you’ll want to avoid dog parks until your pup is fully vaccinated and be cautious with your delicate little one in general.
Teach him that every single creature, from children to human strangers to the family cat (as long as it is a friendly cat) is a wonderful thing! Make sure every experience is a positive one. Always offer close supervision.
Puppy ‘Obedience’ Classes are Priceless
Most obedience skills your puppy might learn are things that you yourself can teach with a little effort and know-how. These aren’t the true value of puppy obedience classes at all and are usually not worth even close to the $1-200 price tag you might pay.
The social contact your puppy will get with other puppies and their owners are simply priceless! Most dog owners can’t duplicate this, and during such a critical learning period. This is easily worth that $200 price tag we spoke of, and probably more!
Make Sure to Start Early! The social skills your puppy learns during his first couple months with his breeder, and the next few with you will set an integral foundation for his future psychological development!
#2: Positive Reinforcement Dog Training (With Rewards)
The ‘positive’ here actually means addition in psychological terms, or something is being added. Strictly speaking, it isn’t necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. When it comes to dog training, most consider positive reinforcement dog training as something pleasant that your dog will enjoy. You are adding something enjoyable to reinforce a behaviour, or encourage it to happen again.
- Your dog lies down nicely when company arrives at your door. You toss him a tasty treat!
- Your puppy participates in playtime activities with other dogs. You shower him in praise and encouragement!
- Your dog successfully runs an agility course. You reward with ‘rope-tug’ playtime!
Most professional dog trainers and behaviourists today swear by these reward-based methods! In fact, positive reinforcement dog training is a cornerstone in nearly all of today’s accepted dog training courses, and most pet owners will use positive reinforcement without even realizing what they are doing.
Rewards are one of the very best ways to encourage positive behaviour in your dog!
#3: Offer Plenty of Physical & Mental Stimulation
You’ve heard the phrase “A tired dog is a good dog.” On the flip side, a bored dog can get into all kinds of trouble! In fact, many high energy breeds (i.e. Siberian Huskies) are known to become destructive if their energy demands aren’t met.
Make sure your dog is well exercised! A walk a day is great, but that simply isn’t enough for many breeds. In addition, set aside an hour each day for ‘play time’! Encourage positive behavior in your dog with plenty of bonding time and one on one interaction.
What are Enrichment Activities?
Enrichment activities for dogs allow our pets to engage in innate behaviours that they were naturally meant to, or that they were bred for. These activities are already instinctual, and our dogs will get several rewarding benefits from them!
All of these are examples of positive reinforcement. Now that you’ve rewarded your dog for behaviours you like, he is more likely to repeat them in the future!
Most professional dog trainers and behaviourists today swear by these reward-based methods! In fact, positive reinforcement dog training is a cornerstone in nearly all of today’s accepted dog training courses, and most pet owners will use positive reinforcement without even realizing what they are doing.
1. Tracking Activities
Tracking activities would be an example of enrichment because they force our dogs to use their innate hunting skills. Dogs sort of ‘see’ the world through their nose and sense of smell almost like we see the world through our eyes, so why not ask them to use it?
Believe it or not, the same search and rescue tactics professionals employ aren’t that difficult to train, even for the novice, as long as you are willing to read and be patient. Make tracking into a game, and your dog will have a blast!
Our domesticated dogs are descended from Grey wolves, some of the most powerful trackers on the planet! These skills already come naturally, and nearly any dog would love to use them. The challenge here is more about letting your dog know what you want from him.
2. Encourage Positive Behavior in Your Dog with Socialization
Dogs are very social animals, and love to be around family! Social interaction comes naturally to them, making it very enriching. How often do you allow your dog to interact with other animals?
3. Dog Food Puzzle Games
There are countless companies out there that produce puzzles for dogs! You’ll probably come across several on your next trip to the pet store. These simple puzzles offer another means of enrichment.
Good puzzles force our dogs to use their nose and solve simple problems, like flipping up a cover, revealing a treat underneath.
You might have a saucer filled with treats, for example, offering 4 small holes on each side for the treats to fall out. Maybe your dog has to use his paws to move the saucer, forcing the treats or bits of kibble to fall out of these small openings.
What Was Your Dog Bred for Originally?
Certain northern breeds, like Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, were originally used to help pull loads and transport supplies.
Labrador Retrievers and Newfoundlands were originally bred to work the waters of Eastern Canada, and absolutely love to swim!
Jack Russell Terriers and Beagles were both originally bred for small game hunting and have a high prey drive.
Try to participate in activities that focus on your breed’s personality traits and inherent skills. Create a game that resembles the activities your dog’s breed was developed for.
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