How To Teach Your Dog Manners

Just like humans, dogs need to learn manners in order to participate fully in society. A dog with poor manners can be annoying, and it can also become dangerous. San Diego dog training professionals know that the following tips can help you teach your dog good manners so that he or she is able to interact well with both humans and fellow dogs.

A Proper Greeting

Some dogs get extremely excited when guests arrive at your house, but you don't want your pet to jump up on your friends and family. Instead, focus on teaching your dog to calmly react to someone knocking or ringing the doorbell. The best way to do this is to tether your puppy to the stair railing while commanding him or her to lay on a soft rug. Provide a treat to your dog when he or she stays down when someone knocks. This will reinforce the good behavior that you expect. Start slow with someone who lives in your home doing the knocking, then eventually introduce actual guests who are comfortable being part of your San Diego dog training.

Saying Please

If your dog is a beggar, it may take some time to teach saying please. Instead of immediately giving in to your dog asking for a treat or a bite of your meal, command your pup to lay down and wait for you to give him or her a treat. If your dog jumps up, pull the treat away and command him or her to sit again until you can calmly hand over the treat.

Stop and Wait

Untrained dogs often behave similarly to toddlers, so they'll have to learn how to wait at doors, gates, and other areas. You'll have to start by teaching your dog to sit, then slowly introduce opening a door while giving the expectation that your dog should stay inside until you command him or her to go out.

You want a pet who behaves correctly, which requires dog training from a place like Specialty Dog Training. Start with these good manners and move on to more difficult challenges.