Michele Hatley’s Tuesday Training Tip – Be Proactive

Don’t Wait Until Puppy Preschool To Start Training!

Last week my post encouraged pet owners to start training, now! A great example of how a puppy has been able to practice unwanted behavior is by allowing him or her to do the undesirable behavior until they are put into an obedience class when they are 6 months old.

That puppy has had all that time since they came home with you to practice chewing on shoes, jumping on people, etc. (and has probably gotten really good at it!) Now after all that time you want to teach him or her not to do those things? Talk about confusing!

The longer a behavior has been practiced and demonstrated means that it can be more difficult to get rid of. The key to keeping problem or unwanted behavior away is to be proactive.

For example: your dog jumps up on people when they come in the front door. This can be avoided with training early on and teaching your dog that they will be greeted with all fours on the floor. Be consistent and proactive from the beginning and behaviors such as these can be curbed before they progress.