How to take the first step in solving your dogs behavior problems.

Exercise your dog to drain their energy. -One of the most common things that cause behavior problems in dogs is that they do not get enough exercise! We tend to think that having a backyard is enough exercise for them. But it isn’t! When a dog doesn’t have enough exercise or enough “energy drained” as I call it, they will experience many different kinds of problems. Think of it like this, each dog has a certain amount of energy and when that energy is not drained, it will come out in ways we do not want; like aggression, separation anxiety, and generally being too much to handle, along with many other behavioral problems. If you want to have a well-trained dog or at least a dog that will listen to you and behave in a way you want, then the very first step is to drain their energy on a daily basis. It is absolutely essential.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A leash.
• Energy.

1. -Dogs also like to leave the house.
   
   Can you imagine what you’d feel like if you never got to leave the house? You’d go a little crazy too! If you look at their history they were travelers! They need to get out of the house and experience life with you! A walk down the street and back is not enough. So, we’ve learned the very first step you need to take in order to have a dog that can become well trained is to drain their energy. How do we know how much energy our dog needs drained?
   
   -Expect to take the dog on about a 30-45 minute walk twice a day.
   
   Your goal is to get the dog tired out. You need to base the intensity of your exercise on your own dogs energy needs. Some dogs are high energy and take a lot to tire them out and some dogs will need less. How do you know if it is enough? When you are on your way home from your walk, does your dog drag a bit behind you? When you get home, does the dog immediately lay down? Then you know they’ve been tired out. Success! If you are on your way home and your dog has as much energy as they did at the start of the walk then you know it isn’t enough. Or if you get home and they are still full of energy you know it is not enough. You should expect that the dog would feel tired out when you get home and go lay down. What if you don’t have the energy or time to tire out the dog?
   
   There are some other possibilities for draining your dog’s energy that go beyond the walk.
2. Doggie backpack -Buy a doggie backpack!
   It is a backpack specifically designed for dogs. They carry it on their back and it has two straps, one strap wraps in front of their chest and the other under their belly. The goal here is to add weight to the backpack that the dog will carry and thus, feel more tired out because they are carrying the extra weight. A doggie backpack has 3 huge benefits; the first being, a 20-minute walk can feel more like a 40-minute walk to a dog carrying the extra weight. You can put about 10-20% of their body weight by pounds into it. So for example a 50 pound dog can carry anywhere from 5-10 lbs, depending on their energy level and age. Gauge it by your particular dog and talk with your Veterinarian to approve it for your particular dog. Have the weight evenly distributed on either side of the backpack, so if you want to add 10 pounds, make sure you add 5 pounds on each side. You can use anything you want to add the weight from bags of dried beans to canned goods.
   
   There are two other added benefits to using a doggie backpack. Dogs love to feel like they are important and have a job to do in their life. When a dog is wearing a backpack they feel like they are performing a job and it gives them a sense of pride. I’ve had a lot of clients comment on the fact that they feel their dogs are almost prancing when they have the backpack on, like they are happy and proud. It is similar to when we’d see Guide Dogs wearing their harnesses or Search and Rescue dogs wearing their packs. These dogs that have jobs feel important and proud and the backpack is a symbol to the dog in the same way, that they have a job and it is important! I can still remember when I would visit the homes of blind people with Guide Dogs, the dogs would get so excited, wagging their tails, when they would see the harness was about to be put on them! It was a beautiful sight to see! They were performing an essential duty and they loved it!
   
   The third benefit, besides the draining of energy and making them feel proud is that dogs usually can only concentrate intensely, on one thing, so when they wear the backpack they tend to have a more focused walk. A dog that generally tries to sniff and pull on a walk will be more likely to walk in a controlled manner when wearing a backpack. They are focused on that extra weight they are carrying and balancing the pack so you’ll see that it helps them be more composed.
3. -Another thing you can do is put a dog on a treadmill to drain more energy than you have the ability to give them.
   
   Remember, your walk is still important and a treadmill should not be a substitute but only an addition to the energy drain. When introducing a dog to a treadmill there are some important things to consider. First of all, you want to put their leash and collar on them and guide them up onto the treadmill when it is NOT moving initially. Do this several times until the dog feels totally comfortable standing up on it. Then when you’ve accomplished that goal you can start the treadmill VERY slowly while they are standing on it. It is important to do it very slowly initially until they get the idea they need to walk on it. Try to support them and not allow them to jump off. If they jump off, lead them back onto it. Eventually when they get very good at it you can increase the speed. It is common for dogs to even enjoy this and when introduced properly they will jump right on it!
4. -Other ways of draining energy
   
   There are many other ways of draining a dog’s energy in addition to the walks. You can throw a ball or Frisbee for them. Or you can even go running, roller-blading or biking with your dog too. Or if you have a motorized type wheel chair or something similar they can run along beside you. All of these types of exercises are possible to do in a controlled manner. Just to be safe, check with your Veterinarian to approve all exercise for your particular dog.
5. Exercise and draining the dog’s energy is the most important first step in having a happy, well-behaved, well-trained dog.
6. Julie Lokhandwala is founder of webDogTrainer, LLC. and has created the interactive Online Dog Training Guide and Consultation www.webdogtrainer.com
   
   You can ask Julie any dog-training question!
   
   "Julie had an immediately calming effect on us as dog owners. She can explain the canine perspective and how we as humans can interact with our dog in a positive way, even when disciplining. Julie was super patient with all of our questions and even fielded our email questions after training ended," said Sina and Ed of Fremont, California.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise will be good for both you and your dog!
• A well exercised dog is less likely to suffer from separation anxiety, excessive barking, and other behavior problems.
• Dogs that are well-trained get to spend more time with the family and are happier.
• Having a well-trained dog can make you feel happier.