Having a dog is a lot like having a toddler. They must be taught what they can and cannot touch, taste, or take. This is for many reasons, but is mostly about safety. High strung/high energy dogs in particular are prone to stomach upset, stress induced diarrhea, and pica (swallowing non-food objects). Human food is not really appropriate for dogs especially if it is processed, high in salts, sugars, or preservatives (it’s not good for us either…) We use a technique we call “not for dogs”. When they take something we don’t want them to have we take it away, say “not for dogs” in a firm tone and then show them a toy they can have and in a happy voice, say “this is for (dog’s name) we hide the No object while we say this and hide the Yes object when we say the former and vice versa. We repeat this at least three times each time it happens.
Here are the rules:
No people food.
No dogs on the furniture, especially the bed.
No chewing except for dog toys.
No swallowing things we don’t put in your bowl.
No jumping on people, cars, furniture, cats, fences, etc – four on the floor.
No barking at us, we live here to, especially when we tell you “settle”.
The chickens are not automatic balls and the horses are not invaders.
No chasing the cats.
No stealing your brothers and sisters toys.
No setting the house on fire.
That being said, dogs will test your resolve about everything, just like a toddler. But don’t give up, that miracle age is coming when everything will be set and you’ll be amazed at how smart and well behaved your dog is because you stuck to your training and enforcement.
