4 Ways To Encourage Positive Behaviour In Your Dog
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Regardless of the type of pet you’re looking after, every furparent has the duty to care responsibly for their babies. Apart from the standard, basic training expected, sometimes depending on your pet’s temperament, additional training might be needed.
Overshowering them with boundless love and affection can be more detrimental than beneficial. It may lead them to become spoilt. Thus, tough love is necessary to correct undesirable behaviours and rectify them accordingly.
Feed them a nutritious, appropriate diet
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Your dog’s diet has more of a direct impact on their behaviour than you think. Such feelings of hyperactivity, being distracted, anxiety or irritation can be a result of an incorrect or unhealthy diet.
You should create a strict but nutritious meal plan for your dog to follow through. In the case that you’re unsure, consult any professional vet in Singapore for advice on planning an appropriate diet for your pup.
Even if your dog might be stubborn and resistant to the diet change initially, don’t succumb to their puppy eyes. Instead, remain steadfast with the plan. If you don’t adequately enforce these necessary change, it’ll only jeopardise them in the long run.
Furthermore, research has shown that dogs are creatures of habit; they appreciate routines. Thus, by imposing a routine onto diet plans and mealtimes, dogs will gradually grow accustomed to the new routine and learn to look forward to it; just like how they anticipate “walkies” time.
By maintaining a good schedule for them, it also contributes to lowering anxiety levels for anxious dogs, improving their overall mood and keeping them more at ease.
So, be sure to enforce fixed meal timings, healthier ingredients and maintaining portion sizes to provide your pups with an all-rounded diet plan.
Encouraging calm behaviour
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Some dogs are anxious by nature — be it due to internal factors like personality type or external reasons like understimulating environments. Anxiety in dogs might manifest in distractibility, stress, poor sociability, overly attention-seeking and in worse cases, aggression.
For example, to correct symptoms of being overly attention-seeking, refrain from coddling them each time they pine for your attention. Refusing them of immediate pats might prove to be challenging at first, especially if they continuously whine or bark. However, you shouldn’t give in.
Next, is when the ‘praise and reward’ system comes into play.
How to master the ‘praise and reward’ system
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The ‘praise and reward’ system is an essential practice for all dog owners out there. It’s arguably one of the best ways to encourage good behaviour in your dog.
Only reward your dog with a pat, treat or praises once they’ve simmered down and entered a neutral or calm state. This will teach them that behaviours such as constant whining or barking aren’t appreciated. Instead, by rewarding only their good behaviour, it reinforces them into becoming permanent patterns of behaviour — which is the objective.
A balance between dedication, consistent training and lots of love will go a long way. That said, be sure to check out online pet stores in Singapore from time to time to look for any new goodies, pet toys, or cosy furniture that you can treat your furbaby to!
Make sure your dog gets enough exercise
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When it comes to hyperactivity in dogs, exercise is typically recommended as the most effective measure to expel that excess energy.
The easiest way for that is ensuring your dog receives its daily ‘walkies’. However in the case of hyperactive dogs, sometimes walking once a day is insufficient. They might need multiple walks throughout the day.
If left untreated, hyperactivity in dogs could lead to restlessness, anxiety and unconfidence in dogs. Hence, exercise becomes a crucial form of treatment in alleviating a hyperactive dog’s accumulated stress.
Moreover, sometimes the breed of your dog is also a consideration. Certain breeds have a higher propensity to developing nervous behaviour, while other breeds (like bigger dogs) are simply more energetic due to their size. Therefore, doing proper research on a dog and its physiological needs is highly important before becoming a dog owner.
Apart from daily ‘walkies’ however, don’t hesitate to explore other playtime ideas for your dogs such as playing fetch, frisbee, or even hide and seek! By rotating the kinds of activities involved, it keeps every day exciting for both you and your dog — truly a win-win situation.
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In conclusion, raising a dog is never an easy task. Whether it’s a small breed like a chihuahua or a big breed like a german shepherd, each dog comes with its own sets of challenges. There’s no such thing as a perfect method, but by nailing these four simple tips, attaining a balance between moderating your dog’s behaviour and showering it with affection is entirely possible.
