You are telling me that dog behavior modification has been at the forefront of your thoughts lately. It seems that Tucker has been taking some sort of twisted satisfaction out of chasing cars and cyclists and bullying anything that dares move in the general vicinity of your front yard.
Well, not to discourage you, but let me warn you: you have got a toughie on your hands. Why, you ask? For the simple reason that chasing things is a natural for dogs. In fact, they thrive on it. Have you ever observed dogs chasing each other at the park? Giving chase is a sport at which any self-respecting dogs will claim to excel.
And man has encouraged it. Think of the greyhound, or hunting dogs. Their skills are honed till they become champions, and if they cannot make the grade, very often they pay with their lives.
Develop a Plan For Dog Training With a Twist
But the situation is not completely hopeless, because I am here to help. The first thing we must do is develop a plan for dog training that is so cunning, Tucker won't know what hit him.
Let's get started, shall we? There is not a moment to lose here. Tucker is playing with fate, and the odds are not in his favor. Dogs that chase cars have no idea what they are getting into, and they tend to get more brazen every time they give chase. That is because when the car speeds away, they believe wholeheartedly that they have succeeded!
The longer you have allowed this bad dog behavior to continue, the more entrenched your dog becomes in his bullying act. So you must take the situation in hand and educate your pooch before it's too late. Tucker is in for some serious dog behavior modification.
What we need to do is teach Tucker that chasing cars and bicycles is not fine, and that it carries consequences. The trick is to have Tucker realize that the sky comes falling down on him the moment he misbehaves, in a manner of speaking.
The experiment must take place at home for my dog training tips to work. At the scene of the crime, in other words. This is bound to take a few days, four or five at the most, to ensure my plan still works even when you are not around to supervise him. In order to achieve that, we'll spy on him. But let me warn you, unless you are consistent, this will be an exercise in futility.
Dog Training Behavior Modification: Action!
Here is where we get into some serious dog training behavior modification mode. First, tie a 35-foot clothesline rope to Tucker's slip-chain training collar and let him roam around the backyard while you are keeping busy. Just make sure you keep an eye on him at all times so he does not get himself into trouble with that rope. When you think he has forgotten about it, move to your front yard.
Now it is vital that you keep a sharp eye on him, because the second he starts his barking charge, you need to pull on the rope with all your might. Keep pulling till he's at your feet, and then give him an abrupt shaking accompanied by a sharp tongue lashing in a loud, angry voice. The idea is to shock him in many ways to ensure he really gets the message. Only then will you really achieve lasting results.
Three important points to keep in mind here:
* react quickly;
* don't appear to lose control of yourself; and
* don't expose him to temptation.
It is crucial that until this experiment is over, you do not give Tucker the slightest chance of repeating his bad behavior without being corrected immediately. If you allow that to happen, you'll have to start all over again because, in Tucker's mind, that behavior is allowed some of the time.
When you develop a plan for dog training, the important thing to remember is that you must stick to it no matter what. You slip once, you can be sure that Tucker will notice, and he won't forget. See you tomorrow for the second day of our dog behavior modification.
