Today, I’d like to focus on big dogs with bad manners. Sometimes, you can have the sweetest, most affectionate pup that loves to bark, play, greet people at the door, and gets really excited about walks! It’s great to have such a happy and energetic member of the family…until they grow up and continue the same behavior. Large breed dogs, especially, are harder to handle when they have a high level of energy. Cups get knocked over, visitors are accosted, and you may just find that he/she is taking you for a walk instead of the other way around.
It’s simply a case of bad manners, of the need to set firm boundaries, and I can certainly help with that.
I recently worked with a Great Dane named Romeo. His owners called me because walks had become impossible, he was begging at the dinner table (which for a Great Dane means he was resting his chin on the table), and he was barking at guests, neighbors, school children, other dogs, etc.
During the in-home consultation, he begged for attention from me and the family members almost the entire time. Their commands were ignored, and his level of hyperactivity remained very high. We went for a walk, and he was distracted the entire time, pulling and zig-zagging and paying attention to everything except his owners.
Consistency and proper handling were key during Romeo’s training. Everyone in the family worked hard to stay on the same page by learning the same techniques and handling every situation in the same manner. This helped to clearly establish the boundaries that Romeo needed. Place training, or a “calm down corner,” was also established so they could eat their dinner and have guests visit in peace. The owners maintained a leadership position through basic obedience training, consistency, and by keeping him on a structured schedule that essentially took away his opportunity to fail.
By the time Romeo’s usual, triggering stimuli were reintroduced, he’d learned exactly how to make the right decisions and mind his manners.
If you have a big dog (or a little dog!) in need of a little fine tuning, give me a call today at 614.347.9127.