Ways To Control A Disobedient Dog – Top Dog Tips
Misbehaving dogs can be a bit of a hassle for pet owners.
Disobedience in dogs can be by biting, jumping, barking, or doing many other negative behaviors.
Dealing with a disobedient dog can be very frustrating, especially for first-time dog owners. Fortunately, there’s still always room for improvement.
However, there are times when disobedience in dogs is not the case. Sometimes dog owners are just poor communicators.
And on some occasions, the owners can unintentionally contribute to these behavioral issues.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the behaviors of disobedient dogs and ways to deal with them.
Disobedience in Dogs
Before we talk about disobedience in dogs, let’s talk about what the word disobey means.
Well, to disobey is to consciously choose not to follow commands.
If a dog is disobeying you, this is not accidental—it is its choice not to obey your orders. In other words, they refuse to listen to you.
Disobedience in dogs is all about training. If you’re a pet owner, you know that training is crucial when it comes to owning a dog.
A disobedient dog doesn’t mean that they are a bad dog. It’s just because they are not trained yet or they were poorly trained.
Unfortunately, dog owners are the ones to blame. They are responsible for how their dogs are behaving.
When training a dog, it’s best to start young. Training is best established during the puppy’s learning phase.
However, puppies are full of energy, and one way or another, they’ll find a way to use their excess energy.
Always remember to be patient. Training a dog is not as easy as it sounds.
It takes a lot of hard work, but I promise that it’ll all be worth it in the end.
Moreover, dogs are pack-oriented. Their survival depends on the cues given by the leader.
They can sense if the leader is weak, and it can lead to rebellion and longing for a new one.
3 Reasons Why Your Dog is Disobedient
Let’s take a look at the cause of disobedience in dogs.
Poor Training
Again, training is crucial when it comes to dogs, especially puppies.
The lack of training or improper training can lead to several behavioral problems in the future.
If you stopped training your pup once they’ve learned how to sit, stay, lie down, and go to the bathroom outside, you should know that these are not enough.
It’s not a bad idea to teach your pup new tricks every once in a while. You should practice old ones as well.
While you’re teaching them new commands, this can also be a way of tiring them out due to the mental work that they used.
Independent Puppies
Raising a puppy is sometimes like raising a child. Get ready for their teenage phase.
When a dog is reaching their maturity stage, it is common for them to have a breakdown in trained behaviors.
In a blink of an eye, puppies can grow up so fast. When they were still small, you were their whole world.
They want to cuddle with you all the time and spend every single time of the day with you because they feel safe when you’re around.
But as your young pup reaches maturity, they’ll be more independent. They can no longer long for your company or security.
They’ll become more interested in hunting and exploring all by themselves. In these times, your puppy will no longer rely on you that much.
Reinforcing Bad Behaviors
Sometimes, you might not know this, but you’re supporting their bad behaviors.
For instance, if a dog is excessively barking for your attention and you yell at them to stop, you just gave them the attention that it wanted.
Another example would be if he stole your food, you’ll probably yell at him and then watch him eat your food. Again, you still gave him what he wanted.
That’s why it’s best to think about what your dog is trying to accomplish first before you act on it.
Next time, if he’s trying to steal some food, make him go to his place or bed to lie down, then give him a treat after for being a good boy.
Examples of Disobedient Dog Behaviors
Pulling on the Leash
If your dog pulls on the leash during your daily walks, this can mean that they are too excited and they don’t want to stop.
However, when a dog is the one taking the lead, it looks like the dog is taking its owner for a walk, rather than the other way around.
Another reason they’re pushing on the leash is that they are impatient.
Since they walk faster than humans, they want things to be sped up so they can explore or interact with the environment more.
How to correct it?
Just in any type of training, communication is key. We need to be firm and to the point on what we want them to do.
For example, reward your dog with their favorite treats when they stay calm by your side.
Position the treats by your side where the dogs can smell them and reward them from time to time for walking by your side and not leash pulling.
However, it’s crucial that you only reward your pup when they are calm.
A great tip when your dog begins to pull the leash is to turn in the opposite way to redirect the behavior.
Jumping on People
Another example of disobedient dog behavior is when they greet someone at the door by jumping on them.
When one of their favorite people comes home from work or school, they sometimes can’t help feeling super excited.
As soon as the door opens, they’ll instinctively jump to greet them. However, humans often reward these kinds of behaviors by petting them.
But maybe you’re wondering, how is that a problem? Isn’t that cute?
Well, there are times when you’ll probably don’t want your dog jumping on people.
For instance, what if grandma is visiting? You wouldn’t want your 100lbs Great Dane jumping on grandma now, would you?
Another example is when a person that’s coming is all dressed up and looking nice. No one wants it to have scratches or have a dress destroyed.
How to correct it?
If you want this to be resolved, a great tip would be rewarding your pup when they are sitting politely when someone’s at the door—rather than supporting your dog’s jumping habit by petting them once they see you.
Jumping on Furniture
Our dogs want to be with us almost all the time.
That’s why they like to be sitting with you on the couch, or even at the dining table and this can cause damage to the furniture.
Moreover, there are family members that let them sit on the couch and some prevent them. And this can confuse our dogs.
How to correct it?
Consistency is the key when it comes to training. We don’t want our dog to be confused.
If you don’t want your pup jumping on furniture, be firm and tell your other family members about it.
Set up clear rules like if the dog is never allowed on the couch. There should be no excuses.
This can help the dog understand that jumping on the couch is not allowed.
Redirect them to another area. Bring their bed, favorite toy, or blanket to the living room so they can feel that they’re still part of the family.
Demanding to be Fed From the Table
When a dog is demanding food while you’re eating at the dining table, they often whine.
The root of this problem is giving your dog a few scraps in the first place.
Maybe not you, but other family members or guests can sometimes be tricked by their cuteness and give them food.
And when it has happened once, dogs will think that it’ll happen again in the future.
How to correct it?
Again, the solution is simple. You just need to set firm rules that should never be broken by any of the family members.
If you’re having guests, politely ask them to not be lured by their charms.
If you don’t want to waste scraps, you can use these leftovers and sprinkle them in their bowl for their next meal.
Tips on How to Train a Disobedient Dog
Positive Reinforcement
When it comes to training or remodeling your dog’s behavior, positive reinforcement is best advised.
However, training takes a long time so just be patient as hard work pays in the end.
Start the reinforcement at your home, then next to places where they usually misbehave or disobey orders.
Strengthen your Bond
The more you nourish or build up your bond with your pup, the easier it’ll be for them to incline towards you.
So if you’re wondering how to strengthen your bond, a few examples would be just spending more time with him and doing more activities together.
For instance, taking long walks with them, playing their favorite games, regularly training them, and exercising.
Also, rewarding them with their favorite treats can help strengthen your bond.
Find the Best Reward
Moreover, dogs can also be choosy when it comes to their foods and treats.
If you’ve noticed that they are not interested in the treat you’re offering as a reward, try and explore new special snacks for them.
On the other hand, some dogs like to be praised or given playtime as a reward rather than food.
Do a trial and error method to find the best reward for your best boy.
Emotions are a Factor
No one wants to train or work when they are in a bad mood. That’s why emotions are still a factor.
Notice their body language, are they a bit distracted? Now’s not the time to do some training.
Don’t force your dog to do training. It’ll be hard for them to focus and understand these tricks.
Socializing
It can also help to bring your pup to a dog park more often. Make him familiar with the presence of other dogs and humans.
It will take some time but socializing can help Fido to be more fond of having different companies and will eventually play with other dogs in the park.
Socializing can help your dog gain confidence and reduce stress in some ways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to train my dog?
It’s never too late to train your dog.
Even though some adult dogs may take some more time to learn, as dog owners, we should still try to train them.
In some cases, adult dogs can even be more manageable to learn.
It’s because they are now more focused and they are not easily distracted, unlike puppies.
Do dogs go through a rebellious stage?
Yes, just like humans, they also have their teenage phase or rebellious phase.
In dogs, this phase is around 5 months to 18 months old.
During this phase, they’ll try to test their owners. They want to find out what can they get away with.
That’s why during these times, it’s best to be firm and consistent with training.
Can dogs tell when you’re mad at them?
Yes, dogs can tell when their owner is mad or upset at them. They can sense that you’re upset through your body language.
That’s why they’ll often try to use their sweet puppy eyes hoping it’ll change your mood.
Disobedience in Dogs — Final Thoughts
Disobedience in dogs is when your dog is ignoring your command on purpose. It is not accidental—they are choosing to ignore you.
So how would you correct a disobedient dog?
The main key to this problem is training. As pet owners, we all know that training can go a long way.
It’s best to start when they are still young. It’s also important to be consistent and firm.
Once they’ve learned a trick, don’t let them forget it. Revisit their training from time to time.
Set up rules that should never be broken under any circumstances.
When a dog is disobedient, it’s mainly its owner’s fault. They may not know this, but they can sometimes reinforce their bad behaviors.
Disobedience can also be caused by their teenage phase. In these times, your pup is more mischievous and will try to test its owners.
When all of the tricks did not work for your pup, it is best advised to consult with your vet or a dog trainer to achieve the best result for you and your dog.
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