Dogs went from wolves to become useful tools in the hunting and gathering world. They then worked on farms protecting livestock. Slowly but surely, they became loyal companions and then family members. Pretty soon they weaseled their way right up into the child category. Yes, I know, I probably skipped a few thousand years in between. But hey, you get the point. Dogs are now considered as children to a good portion of the human population. Some people even prefer dogs over having kids…..I have 3 dogs and no kids. Honestly, I consider my dogs my children. That doesn’t mean I treat them as if they were human. Although I wish they were; they’re not. If your dog means as much to you, as my dogs mean to me; you’re going to want to be sure you keep your “Fur Child” on the right track. Here are some helpful tips to be sure your “Fur Child” doesn’t end up completely controlling your life.
- Just like human children, they need rules and boundaries. They need to know right from wrong. In fact, dogs are as smart as a 2-2.5-year-old child and can learn up to 165 words or even more. Trust me your dog can learn a few rules. The main thing is to establish the rules. Examples include. 1. No dogs on the couch unless they ask permission. 2. No grabbing their food bowl out of your hands before it even hits the floor. They must wait until you say its “OK” to eat. 3. You get to exit the house first; not the dog while they drag you behind them. I have just named a few examples of rules. The beauty is YOU can pick any set of rules and boundaries that YOU want for your DOG. Just as you do with your human child. Your dog can learn manners; how to be polite; when it’s time for bed, etc. Many people think that dogs will be dogs. Studies and training have proved otherwise. Your dog can be a wonderful part of the family without destroying everything in a single day. All you have to do is be CONSISTENT!!
- Exercise! If you have a 100 Lb. dog or a 2 Lb. dog, they still need their daily dose of exercise. It can be as simple as playing fetch in the yard. You can also take them on a nice long walk around the neighborhood. No matter what you do, they NEED to get some exercise. You and your dog don’t want to drive each other crazy. If you have kids, it’s a rainy day and they can’t go outside; you put movies on and try to entertain them. A few hours later, that pent-up energy kicks in and pretty soon you have kids screaming, running around and drawing on the walls. The same thing happens to your dog. They need to release that daily energy so they can relax. It can be released with a good chew bone, a fun brain game, or even a game of hiding and go seek (if it’s raining outside). Either way GET YOUR DOG SOME EXERCISE!!! Your house and belongings will thank you.
- 15 min daily training season. It doesn’t have to be 15min straight. It can be when you feed them breakfast. Have them sit first. If they’re watching you in the bathroom; ask them to lay down. No matter how you do it throughout the day; try to implement training into your daily routine. One, so your dog is learning every day and getting really good at the basics and two when you really actually need them to do a sit or a down they do it. (You’re not sitting there for 10 min trying to get them to sit; while you’re talking to a neighbor or greeting someone at the door. If you’re not training every day, don’t complain when your dog won’t do something. It’s like long division. You did it in high school; haven’t practiced in years and now you have no idea how to do it when your kids bring it home and are asking you for help. If you don’t keep practicing, you will eventually forget it.
- Routine! DOGS LOVE A GOOD ROUTINE! You might notice that if you wake up late on a Saturday; your dog is staring at you because they were used to being fed at 7am, not 9am. You know your dog has a feeding routine. Or maybe you come home from work and your dog is sitting right next to their leash. They know when you come home they get to go outside and relieve themselves. Dogs LOVE a good routine. You can benefit from having a routine too. If you keep things on track; your dog will get on track as well. Try to feed your dog at the same time every day. Take them on daily walks and get them on a good sleep routine. You don’t want to be kept up all night listing to your dog’s nails click up and down the hallway, because they’re not ready for bed yet.
- Good dog socialization! Think of this as not a day at the dog park letting your dog play with random dogs that you know nothing about. That’s where one, your dog can pick up bad play habits and/ or two, end up on the wrong end of a dogfight. If you have friends or family members with dogs who play well, listen, and don’t have an outrageous amount of bad habits; schedule times during the week that you can take your dogs to the park together or meet up at one of your houses. It’s just like having a human child; you wouldn’t just let your kids go play at another kid’s house that you know nothing about. Because your human kid could learn bad habits or do something they’re not supposed to. The same goes for your dog, you want your dog to play with well behaved, well-balanced dogs so they can learn good behaviors and play habits.
- ALONE TIME! Yes, I said it. Your dog needs to learn that they will not die if they’re left alone. I know it is hard. We hate doing it. In the long run, it is an amazing thing for your dog to be able to fend for themselves and relax while you’re away. I am not saying leave your dog for 12 hours a day alone. Your dog should be able to be left alone or in a different room for up to 4 hours and be totally fine. Now puppies are a different story they need to be let out to potty every 1-2 hours. But I’m not talking about a puppy I am talking about an adult dog, yes learning to be alone STARTS at puppyhood. So, if you got your dog at a young age, teaching them that its ok to be alone is an essential part of training. By teaching your dog that they’re “OK” on their own, you’re helping them NOT develop Separation Anxiety (if they’re still young). Trust me when I say this, we as dog parents have WAY WORSE separation anxiety from our pets then they do from us. When you do leave your dog; don’t make it a big deal; don’t stress them out; just give them a bone and say “Bye, Love You” and walk out the door. Practice when they’re puppies and slowly increase the time as they get older. If you’re at work and you’re really worried; hire a dog walker or have a neighbor check in on them. You can even set up a dog camera so that you can see what they’re doing. And 9 times out of 10 they will be sleeping. The more you relax. The more your dog will relax. I go into this a little bit more in my blog post Change it Starts With You
Yes, we’re all guilty of it, giving into our dog’s wants and needs. If they walk to the back door and cry, we immediately get up and let them out. If they stare at us with those adorable puppy eyes because we’re eating a really good cheeseburger; we slip them a little chunk. If they start whimpering, we immediately start giving them attention to sooth them and make sure they feel loved.
Dogs are smart. They know what they can and can’t get away with. We unintentionally start forming habits that will sometimes be a headache to undo. With a few rules and boundaries; a lot of follow thru and a ton of love; we can still spoil and give our dogs everything that they need and then some. Do your Dog Mom Self a favor and don’t let your dog completely control your life, even if dogs are the cutest creatures to walk this earth.
xx
D