Are You Spoiling Your Dog?

• When you see your dog, are you constantly cuddling and spoiling him/her because of your own emotional needs?
• Do you stop your dog from getting off the couch because you want company?
• Does your dog sleep in your bed every night?
• Does your dog nudge your hand and tell you to pet him?
• Does this dog you are cuddling and spoiling also have behavioural issues such as anxiety, reactivity, aggression, nervousness, not listening, little to no impulse control and does what she/he wants regardless of what command you give?

Realize this, by approaching the dog in this way, you are actually adding to whatever issues he or she might have. The right starting approach to solving these issues is to set non-negotiable rules and boundaries for yourself and your dog. A dog is a dog. It is not your baby. They are dogs and we need to start treating them as such. The relationship between you and your dog needs to be balanced and not one-sided. This means held responsible ALL and ANY bad behaviour such as jumping, barking, whining, counter-surfing, digging, barging through the door, being pushy, mouthing, etc. It means training your dog, every day and guiding him/her to make better choices. It also means getting your dog off the couch, out of the bed and in its own crate all night and every night.

If you aren’t seeing improvements, please take a good look at the lifestyle you are providing for your dog. It directly affects training and your dog’s behaviour. Whatever you allow inside your home directly impacts how your dog’s behaviour is outside of the home. If you want to improve your dog’s behaviour then this advice should be mandatory and a start to improve ALL areas of your dog’s obedience and mental state