The 3 Best Ways To Stop Your Dog From Doing Something You Don't Like

There are only so many ways to get your dog to stop doing something that you do not want them to do. There are of course thousands of bad ways to do it but today we are going to go over the 3 best ways to get your dog to STOP their bad habits completely

Teach them to do something else
Most of the time, when your dog is doing something “bad” it is actually just what a dog would do in that situation. Jumping up on someone, mouthing you during play, or stealing food. For them it is just natural life and what any other dog would do. In many cases just teaching them what you would want them to do instead is the fastest way to get rid of their bad behavior. They would give up jumping on someone if they knew that sitting down would get them more rewards in the long run.

Teach an incompatible behavior
This is one of my favorite ways to curb bad behavior and nasty habits. Teach your dog do something that they couldn’t possibly do while performing the bad habit we are trying to get rid of. If they are jumping on the couch and you do not want them there, teach them to relax on their bed. If they are rushing into you when you open the door then teach them to back up, or reuse the last method and have them wait on their bed. These types of behaviors are great training tools for everyday life and something you should consider teaching regardless of behavioral problems. To learn more about how you can teach your dog daily life skills click here.

Change their motivation for the behavior in the first place
If you can change why your dog does what they do then you can most certainly change its behavior. If your dog is afraid of something and that is why they are barking, you can help them get over that fear and then the barking will go away. It sounds insanely simple when reading it but could be harder than you think. Changing your dog’s motivation and emotions takes a long time but confidence is only built through successful repetition so get started now making your dog more comfortable and happy about fearful situations. If you do not want to figure all of that out on your own, start our reactivity course to start seeing results this week!

Training your dog to be a loving and enjoyable family member is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are going to be difficult days where your patience is tested and your sanity is stretched. Take a deep breath and remember your dog is not giving you a hard time, they are just having a hard time. Take the time to guide them through the complex world we live in and you and your dog will be glad you did.

Thank you for reading,

-Michael J. Accetta