Training Your Dog: The Importance of Etiquette

All dogs are different. Some would never challenge the people in their home, much like my son's little poodle Brownie. But others are looking to take over the household from the moment they get home. My old dog Darby is a fine example of this second type. And with this second type (and really all types), it's important that you establish yourself as the leader at the very beginning of the relationship. I am certainly not implying that you must be mean or even bossy, but you do have to be consistent in your dealings with your dog so that she (I'm going to use the feminine here simply because the problem dog I'm working with at this moment is a female) learns to respect you and all other two-legged members of the household.

Formal obedience classes or puppy kindergarten (depending on the age of your dog) are one step on this road to respect, but it's probably not the first or even the most important. To teach your dog to be a polite member of the family, you have to work with your pooch at home. This is not to discount the importance of organized classes. I firmly believe that each and every dog would benefit from the most basic of obedience classes. But classes aren't enough to get your dog or puppy to behave in the comfort of her own home.

So before you get started with the classes full of other dogs, consider the basic behavior you want in your home. Do you want your dog jumping all over everyone? Probably not. Walking on the table? No. Sitting patiently with a wagging tail when you come in the door? This is always nice. Moving off the couch when people need to sit? Yep, that's polite. Knocking over children? Definitely not.

Once you have the desirable and undesirable behaviors ironed out, you can start working toward conditioning your pet to display these behaviors. Reward those behaviors you want and gently correct those you don't. A little praise or a single treat is a good reward, but the reward has to be immediate. And never ignore good behavior. You want to make sure that good behavior is acknowledged and rewarded so that it is repeated.

As for corrections, you must be gentle. A firm "No" can yield wonderful results, but only if your dog knows what that word means. They don't come preprogrammed, after all. You have to do the programming yourself. So when your dog does something you don't like, such as jumping on the table, let the dog know that's not acceptable with a firm word that is neither loud nor angry. While you're doing this, immediately remove the dog from the situation. Take the dog from the dining room to the kitchen, for example. This tells the dog "If you're going to jump on the table, you're not going to be allowed in the dining room."

This same idea applies to other etiquette issues. Your dog knocked over a child deliberately while playing? Remove the dog from the game. She'll get the picture, though it may take a few repetitions. But beware of correcting an accident. I had a large golden retriever named Misty who knocked over my neighbor by pushing open a door to come in the house. He was standing right there when she came in and and tumbled forward. Accident. Almost like when my older son opened his bedroom door and my younger son got smacked in the head. If it's not deliberate, let it go. The dog probably didn't even realize she did it. Misty certainly didn't.

This should take place from the day the dog enters your home, though it's never too late to learn. But if you're consistent in your rewards and corrections, the dog will develop an undestanding of her place in the family and will become well mannered and polite as a result. But you have to keep at it, and you should certainly think about a formal class, mostly for the socialization of your dog. It can be a good experience for you both.