Are You Practicing Good Dog Owner Etiquette?

As a dog owner it is very important that you practice good doggy manners. What does that mean you ask? This article is going to point out some things that are important for you to be a good dog owner and to show good doggy etiquette. 

There are several things that you should be doing to show that you are a courteous dog owner. This is just four different ones that I see being abused the most. 

Jumping On People 

This is the one that is probably abused the most. Yep, you walk into a home and here comes the dog, jumping all over you. Some people say it's okay because they are dog lovers but not everyone wants a dog jumping all over them. In some cases these over exuberant dogs actually knock people down. Depending on the persons age this could be very dangerous. 

So how do you keep it from happening? Put the dog on leash so the dog cannot get to the person and jump on them. In fact teaching your dog to do a sit stay really comes in handy here. 

Excessive Barking 

If you have ever been the recipient of non-stop barking from a neighbor's dog you know what I mean when we talk about excessive barking. We should all be good neighbors and bring our dogs in the house especially during the evening so that our dogs are not disturbing the peace. If you know a neighbor sleeps during the day do the same. If necessary crate your dog and the neighbors will love you. 

Allowing You Dog To Run Loose 

Allowing your dog to run loose in most areas is not only against the law because of leash laws it is also very dangerous for your dog. Thousands of dogs a year are run over while roaming the streets. A dog owner that cares for his dog will never allow his dog to run loose. If your dog shows any type of aggression you are opening yourself to a tremendous amount of liability if your dog should happen to bite a person or another dog. 

Pick Up The Poop 

This one is a real pain in the rear for a bunch of homeowners. I know you have seen it but hopefully you have now added to the problem by allowing your dog to poop and not bagging it up. This has become such a problem in some communities that all dogs are swabbed for DNA, and waste material that has not been picked up is checked with the DNA on file and the offending owner can be fined up to $1000. So bag the poop and keep your neighborhood clean. 

I hope these items will give you something to think about so that you can practice good doggy etiquette.

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Is Your Dog Overly Excited About Guests?

It's not the worst thing that can happen, your dog gets extremely excited when you have people over for a visit.

Lots of people take that attitude and they let their dog's behavior continue. They even let their guests encourage the behavior by giving the dog attention when he's so excited.

However, if your dog is jumping up on your guests or licking them, it means he's showing some behaviors that you don't want to see your dog doing no matter what the circumstances are.

If your dog is acting this way it can also mean you have some guests who may be scared, or you could have children or older people who get knocked over, and those are things you always want to avoid.

Why Your Dog Is Excited

 

In the first place, you should know that what you think is excitement in your dog isn't always excitement. It may be that your dog is jumping around trying to let your guests know that she's the boss. If your dog is jumping on your visitors she is telling them that she's in charge and letting them know it.

Other times, a dog may be trying to get attention. The dog knows that if they bounce around the room in front of people they will get some attention. It gets your attention, doesn't it?

Stopping the Behavior

If you remember this information then it's not so hard to stop your dog from jumping on people and getting too excited. Here are a few tips to help you cut the behavior out fast:

You Need to Be the Leader of the Pack at All Times. You should take charge of your home. Your dog won't try to take over the role of leader or be dominant if you are already clearly the leader of the pack in your home. You can do this by being adamant and not giving in to your dog.

You should make your dog earn the things you give him, don't falter or change your mind when you give a command, and watch carefully how your dog interacts with other animals and people in the house so you can stay in charge.

When You Come Home You Should Ignore Your Dog. If your dog gets excited or anxious when you come home you need to change your dog's expectations. He probably expects attention as soon as anyone comes in the door. Start ignoring your dog when you come home everyday and you will change what your dog expects.

If your dog learns that you won't walk him or pet him as soon as you come home each day, then he will stop looking for that same attention from your visitors when they come through the door.

Require Correct Behavior. If your dog engages in behavior like jumping on your visitors or licking them, you need to correct your dog's behavior. You shouldn't hit your dog or yell at him. That will only confuse him and lead to aggression.

However, you need to "reset" your dog or make him start over. Have your dog sit and don't allow him to have any attention until he becomes submissive and calm.

Have Your Dog Sit with Your Visitors. Before you allow people to come in the house, have your dog sit and wait for them to enter from a slight distance. You can have an imaginary line that your dog isn't allowed to cross

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You should "own" your door and take control of it. If your dog starts to leave his sitting position you shouldn't open the door.

Explain to Your Visitors. You should talk to your visitors so they understand they shouldn't give your dog any attention right away. Tell them they shouldn't make eye contact with your dog or interact with him. You may need to be just about as strict with your visitors as you are with your dog.

If you are consistent and behave as the pack leader in your home, then it will do a great deal toward getting rid of your dog's bad behaviors, especially jumping and being overly excited when people visit.

Take charge and show your dog how she should behave. If you are consistent with your dog and your visitors then this kind of bad behavior should disappear very quickly.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Your-Dog-Overly-Excited-About-Guests?&id=8157698