Every time we go to the dog park, the other pet moms and dads are blown away by how friendly, nonaggressive, and well socialized Pickles, Ty, and Murphy are. “They listen to you so well!” “They’re so big, but they’re so calm!” “How do you make them listen like that?”
The answer? I expect them to do what I tell them do. I don’t beg them, bribe them, or plead with them. When I want them to sit, I tell them to sit and then I make they do it. It’s called follow-through, and it’s the cornerstone of good parenting, whether for kids or for animals.
One couple at the park this last time had a Yorkie who, in addition to trying to hump Pickles incessantly the whole 2 hours we were there, terrorized and started fights with all of the other dogs, including two crazy, uncontrolled, unaltered male boxers who I could tell were just itching to rip him to pieces. Every time the Yorkie went after another dog, the owner would pick him up by the scruff of the neck, cuddle him, and say in a baby voice, “You’re such a bad widdle doddie, awen’t ooo?” Gee, no wonder it kept misbehaving — they were rewarding it for being a monster!
I couldn’t take it anymore, so the last time the commented on how well-behaved Ty was in particular, I said, “That’s because I punish him when he does something bad, so he knows I mean it when I say no. I put him down and make him submit when he disobeys. It’s the only way to make them listen to you. You have to mean it.”
They were skeptical, so I led Ty over and made him submit in front of all of the other dogs. Then I did it to Pickles. Then, I helped them do it to their little Satan Dog, and I swear to you, it worked.
Why people are baffled when their dogs keep doing things they get rewarded for is beyond me. If you don’t want your dog to do a behavior, stop rewarding him for it! And then YOU can have the best-behaved dogs in the dog park.
Do you have any fun dog park stories? E-mail them to me!