Retraining
Your New Dog
Consistency Is the Key
By Deadra F. Unthank, Eldorado, IL 62930
deadra.unthank@gmail.com
The
majority of people adopt puppies from shelters; however, there are people who
desire an adult dog as their new family member. However, what do you do if you
bring your new dog home, tell him to sit, and he ignores you completely? Hours
upon hours of frustration and repeating the word “sit” have only succeeded in
your dog listening half the time. What’s wrong? The neighbor’s new puppy had it
down pat in just 30 minutes, so why is your adult dog who has a better
attention span bouncing as if you’re poised to throw their favorite tennis
ball?
Take
a breath and relax; there could be a simple solution. Many dogs that are given
to shelters often have had families in the past that never really worked with
them. If the old owners expected Sparky to behave only half the time, Sparky
has already learned that he doesn’t have to obey. The truth is that your dog
has a good chance of never listening completely when you use that specific
command. However, there are a few easy ways to fix this and teach your dog to
act like a proper, obedient pet.
One
solution is to choose a different word, something a little less commonly used. The
word can be something like ‘behave.’ Go through the same motions you would to
teach him to sit. Either use a treat, and hold it slightly above his head while
saying “Behave,” or speak the word you’ve chosen while pressing lightly on her
haunches to force her gently into a sitting position. The dog will not have any
association with the new word and will more readily pick up on the idea that a
certain action is expected. If you are consistent, the dog will be consistent,
also. Do you know that foreign language
class you’ve always wanted to take? Teaching your dog commands in a separate
language is a wonderful exercise for you both and makes it less likely to run
into any other “word barriers.”
Some
dogs just are not made for a simple verbal command, however. If this doesn’t
seem to be working, then another idea to try is hand signals. Herding dogs,
such as Australian Shepherds and Border Collies, are bred for an environment
where the baaing of sheep and lowing of cattle can make hearing a command
impossible. Sometimes these dogs respond better to a command coupled with a
hand signal. Over time, you can drop the word, and simply use the hand signal to
get the results you desire. Again, the key is consistency.
Experiment
with your new family member to see if changing the word or if using a hand
signal is more effective. Try to avoid commonly used words such as “sit, stay,
come.” Above all, remember to always be patient, consistent, and rewarding when
your dog does the action you desire.
****
Author Deadra Unthank has been working for various rescue shelters for 10 years and believes that every animal is limited only by their trainer.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Grimes, My Photo Art World, Virginia.
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