It is far easier to train a young puppy, for the simple reason that bad habits have not developed. The older dog who has been undisciplined is just like an unruly child and will need far more time and firmness than a young puppy. The sad fact is that most owners do not train their dogs until they are older and have become complete lunatics. Where this has happened, the main aim is to gain complete control. In every case, there is the same basic problem, the dog has no respect for his owner. The easiest method of finding out whether your dog respects you or not is to praise him. If he comes to you with tail wagging and he’s interested in what you have to say, he respects you. If he turns the other way when you stroke him and ignores you completely when you give enthusiastic endearments, he looks upon you as a doormat. All you have to do is to prove to him that you are not. Here are a few basic guidelines to follow if you own a disrespectful dog. (more…)
The chaser
My heart aches when an owner comes to me with a chasing dog. ‘I daren’t let him off,’ they tell me. ‘He chases bikes, postmen, cars, children, other dogs.’ Again, we have a situation where the poor dog suffers because the owner cannot be bothered to train against these things. I have heard so many remedies for the dog chaser which, in my opinion, would only make him worse. Many of these so-called remedies take the control of the dog out of the owner’s hands and put the onus on the thing that’s being chased. A good example of this is the dog who chases bikes. Two of the most frequently-used remedies are that the rider of the bike carries a jug or cup of water which he throws at the dog on his approach, or the rider of the bike offers the dog a titbit. (more…)
