Why Is My Dog Distracted By People On A Walk?

If your dog is distracted by people and everything else when you go for a walk there are a couple of possible reasons. We are going to talk about these reasons and what you can do to make those walks better.

The first reason your dog may be distracted is the fact that it's a puppy. Your puppy can easily be distracted and excited by anything, just like children for example. When your dog is still a pup distractions are something you're just going to have to deal with until you get that training perfected.

Reason number two for distraction if you have an adult dog is the fact it hasn't been trained well with the heel command. The heel command is a very important command for your dog. When your dog is heeling, there are no distractions he's busy working and doesn't have time to say hello to people passing by.

Of all the exercises that you will teach your dog the heel command probably takes the longest to perfect. It is also one of the most important exercises to maintain control of your dog. However your dog needs to do well with its other obedience exercise also so that you have a dog that is under control.

Have you heard the saying about a person that can not walk and chew gum at the same time? Well a nicely trained dog is very similar. When you give the heel command as you are walking down the street your dog may really want to say hello to everybody on the walk because but it can not because you have given a command to "HEEL".

Now you must remember that there are exceptions to every rule but the majority of the time your dog will be in the heel position and under control during your walks.

Now this article assumes that your dog is people and dog friendly. If you have a dog that is distracted by other people and is barking and trying to drag you toward them then you have another more serious issue. If this sounds like your dog you really need to find a canine behavior specialist or dog trainer that has experience with this type of aggression.

If you will take the time to train your dog well, I know you will be able to enjoy going on walks with your dog without any problems because of other people or dogs.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-My-Dog-Distracted-By-People-On-A-Walk?&id=8518187

6 Tips To Minimize Dog Aggression

Dog aggression is a serious and unfortunately very common problem. While extreme cases should be handled by a professional, dog owners can try these six tips to begin to address their dog's aggression towards other dogs.

1. Training is a must

Having a trained dog is very important. In fact usually when a dog has been trained well we don't see dog aggression, because the dog has been taught that showing aggression is not allowed.

2. Re-socialize your dog to other dogs

Hopefully your dog was socialized between birth and 20 weeks of age. The proper socialization during this period is very important. If your puppy was not socialized with other dogs during this period it is possible that it will never be able to be around other dogs.

3. Keep your dog distracted with a command

With a trained dog this is easy to do simply by giving a "heel" command. A nicely trained dog will ignore the distraction and do what it was commanded.

4. Neuter or spay to prevent sexually-based aggression

Yes, it's true neutering or spaying at an early age can help with aggression. However after the age of 3 -4 years neutering may not help because the aggression has been doing is now learned and does not rely on testosterone.

5. Put your dog in a down-stay when he needs a moment to calm down

The down and down stay commands or the most important and powerful exercises you have for gaining control of your dog. When you need control simply put it in the down position. With dogs that show aggression this exercise is a must.

6. Make sure you do not give the wrong body language

As a dog owner your body language is very important as well to maintain your position as the master and alpha of your pack. As trainers we talk about the fact that your thoughts go up and down the leash so make sure you are having positive thoughts.

As you can see, dog aggression can be handled many different ways. By learning to work through aggression problems, you can begin to help your pet learn new ways of handling himself around other dogs.

If your pet is going to show dog aggression it will usually happen sometime around 12-24 month of age. Keep in mind that this type of aggression usually doesn't get better by itself so be sure to look for help from a canine behavior specialist or a trainer with experience with dog aggression.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?6-Tips-To-Minimize-Dog-Aggression&id=8342229