The thrill of the chase…
Are you guilty of chasing your dog when they’ve done something bad?
We see this happen all the time with our clients when they first come to us.
People chase their dogs all over the place and that’s a big big problem that gets people into major trouble.
BECAUSE you’re actually teaching their dog “not to come” which is a really important command.
So if your dog grabs something they’re not supposed to have…
We’ve all seen it in commercials, on TV, and in movies.
Your dog jumps up on the counter or grabs a sock or chicken bone, or something else that they shouldn’t have and then you chase them around the house to try and get it back and let your pup know that this is “bad behavior.”
What are we doing?
It comes as a surprise to most people, BUT we’re enforcing that negative behavior and the pup’s getting all kinds of attention running through the house and HAVING FUN even if the end result is them getting yelled at or scolded.
Their dog has done something bad, then they chase them down, and once they catch their dog they yell at them.
The problem is that’s something the dog doesn’t understand and this can ruin your relationship with your furry friend as well.
Here’s the deal. Your dog wanted attention and to play a game so they jumped on the counter, grabbed something you don’t want them to have and then they take off through the house or out the yard and down the block.
And you follow in tow yelling and trying to get your dog to stop and come back.
Finally the dog turns around stops and comes back to you and then gets yelled at.
The dog thinks he’s getting yelled out for coming back to you.
So two habits you need to break yourself of is:
- Chasing after your dog when they’ve done something bad. Because this actually teaches them that “bad actions” will get their desired result (YOU playing with them.)
and
- Scolding or yelling at your pup when they finally do stop running from you or do return to you after they’ve come back. Again, this just confuses them because they don’t understand where in the timeline of events they got in trouble and they equate it to the last thing they did.
Talk soon,
Stacy
AND… If you’d like to work directly with us to really improve your life with your dog… just reply to this message and put “YES” in the subject line… tell me a little about your pup, their behavior, and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!
Stacy Hirsch (Owner)
Westchester K-9
Westchester, NY
doginfo@westchesterk-9.com
(914) 393-2346 – Office
www.westchesterk-9.com