Myth #1 - A dog that chews things is either terribly bored or simply trying to be vindictive.
False. It's not completely straightforward, and it is one of the commonest behavior problems, but dogs chew things it's very much part of their nature. They also must chew things to keep their gums and teeth healthy.
Allowing your dog to chew on something is also really needed when you have a puppy and they begin to teeth. The secret is to redirect any chewing behavior to something that is safe and acceptable for him to chew.
Myth #2 - You need to understand and communicate in "dog language" so that your dog will understand you.
Incorrect again, I find this a tough one to understand, but your dog knows you are not the same as him. You don't look like him and you don't smell like him. It is important however, to spend time reading your dog's body language. So for example, you know whether a bark is playing or it means there's an axe murderer behind you.
Although you do need to be 'alpha' over your dog. In the wild dogs went around in packs with a clear leader who kept everyone else in line. You have to be that dog or otherwise your dog will keep playing up.
Myth number 3 - Your dog is only being trained when you are actually doing dog training with him.
Not true. Your dogs life is a training ground and he is picking up cues all of the time whether they be verbal or non verbal.
For example if the phone rings and you jump up to answer it, your dog will understand that's OK and he will jump up when he hears a ring.
If you get nervous each time you pass by the neighbor who walks their Great Dane on the other side of the street in the morning, you are training your dog to be nervous if the Great Dane is in sight. You need to be consistent with your Dog and make sure you spend quality time together.
Posted under Dogs
This post was written by Rachel Kears on April 8, 2009
