We all love our pups, that much I can guarantee without even knowing who is reading this! However, sometimes our dogs just don’t listen, or they do listen, but not all of the time. There are other little nuances that we can look at and say, “Hey, my dog needs some extra training!”.
Not all of these signs are obvious; sometimes, you don’t even know something is an issue until it’s too late, and that behavior is already engrained in your pet. I talked with the experts at BarxBuddy, in order to curate a list of signs your dogs may show if they need some extra training.
BarxBuddy is the creator of the BarxBuddy dog training device, which has helped countless pet owners reign in the undesirable behaviors of their dogs and improve their pets’ overall quality of life.
Poor Previous Situation
If you adopted your dog from a shelter or took them off of the street and know that your poor pup had a traumatizing or less than ideal past, you may want to look into training as soon as possible.
Even if they do not show any problematic behaviors at first, they could have dormant triggers that you do not know about, and having an established power dynamic and way to control them is one of the best tools you can have on your belt.
It would be best for you and your dog if you could snap them out of an episode if something were to happen, and training is the best way to do this.
Food Aggression
I’m sure your dog never has to worry about getting its food stolen from it because if you’re like me, you may give them way too many treats! However, it is natural for dogs to have food aggression.
BarxBuddy says that it is one of the most common behavioral issues among dogs and one of the least desirable (especially if you have other pets). Food Aggression is common, which is why it’s a great place to start your training. I’d recommend using the BarxBuddy training device for this training, as it is similar to a dog whistle.
So if you notice your dog showing food aggression, simply use the device in order to get their attention and stop the behavior. You can reward them with a treat when they calm down!
Separation Anxiety
We can’t all spend 24/7 with our pets, even if we wish that we could. Separation anxiety is another very common behavior in pets, and if it is severe, you will want to train it out of them.
Separation anxiety in dogs stems from a lack of confidence and security, and training will help build both of these up so they will be comfortable when you’re gone.
Doesn’t Listen
This may be obvious, but it needs to be said! If your dog doesn’t listen, then it needs training! I love a quirky bratty dog as much as the next person, but there is an acceptable limit.
I’ve actually used the BarxBuddy dog training device to train my pups to listen. It gets their attention without hurting their ears, so it’s perfect, and everyone in the family loves it!
Only Listens at Home
There are many dogs who will listen perfectly fine at home when things are calm. But as soon as you take them out to the park with a lot of stimulus and distraction, well, good luck. Specifically, training your dog to listen while around stimuli is absolutely crucial.