How to Unspoil Your Dog

It’s easy to spoil our dogs, after all they are so cute, and what’s the harm in giving her a little nibble off your plate when she looks at you with those big brown pleading eyes, or going back inside to get her when she whines or cries whenever you attempt to leave the house. It seems so harmless, just little ways to show your pet you love him. Unfortunately, these little ways grow into practiced habits and pretty soon you have a spoiled dog on your hands--one that will only eat human food, insists on sleeping on your bed and wreaking havoc every time you dare to leave him home by himself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Stop reinforcing your dog’s bad behavior. Stop giving her people food or picking her up when she wines. Put dog food into her bowl and nothing else until she eats. Don’t worry, your dog won’t starve herself.

2. Reward his good behavior. Give him lots of love and reinforcements when he does what you want. For example, make a big fuss over him eating his dog food. He will be eager to do it again.

3. Practice makes perfect. Repeating the same thing over and over will help your dog better understand what’s expected of her. If you think about it, it was repeating the same bad habits over and over again that spoiled the dog in the first place.

4. Be firm with your commands. Your dog will quickly pick up on when you are serious and expect him to respond.

5. Don’t forget that your dog is always eager to please, so if learning something new makes you, the master, happy and gets her treats, she will pick up on it quickly.

6. Call in an expert or take your dog to obedience class if all else fails. Sometimes the spoiling has gotten so bad that you just might need professional help.