How to Get a Stubborn Dog to Obey Commands
Dogs are great companions and many also make excellent watchdogs. But some dogs are stubborn and refuse to listen to commands, however often you tell them to "sit" or "stay down." How can you get a stubborn dog to obey commands?
Get on Board with the Whole Family
When it comes to issuing commands, you cannot expect complete implicit obedience from the dog unless everyone in the family works together to train him to listen and to obey. Get on board with the whole family and be consistent when giving the dog commands. A stubborn dog will not budge if he sees that each owner he goes to has a different method that they use. Set some ground rules, such as only issuing short commands to begin with, using a certain tone of voice and waiting for a response.
Be Patient with the Dog
An impatient attitude will not do you or your dog any good. If you often lose patience with the dog when he has refused to obey the simplest command, take a few deep breaths and try again another time when you are feeling calmer. If the dog has been allowed to get away with behaving however he wanted to, he will not normally take to obeying commands the moment you click your fingers.
Offer Rewards when the Dog Obeys
Some stubborn dogs can be trained to obey commands quickly, while others will refuse for as long as possible. But when you start to see some signs of progress, reward the dog for his obedience. Offer a dog treat, commendation and some positive attention to let the dog see what he can expect to receive if he listens and obeys commands.
A dog that refuses to listen and obey commands can try anyone's patience. But it is important not to give up, but to keep trying until you have achieved the desired results. Start off by getting on board with the whole family, so that everyone is on the same page when it comes to issuing commands. A consistent approach can resolve ongoing issues of disobedience. Patience will also help during the training stages and yield much better results than losing your temper each time the dog refuses to obey. Do not forget to offer rewards when the dog starts to obey commands.
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Published by Sophie Spyrou
Sophie has been writing for the Yahoo! Contributor Network since 13th May 2007. She used her previous status as a Featured Contributor (Travel, then Pets) to share her personal knowledge about the UK culture... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentWell done!
Great article Sophie.