Guidelines for Encouraging Positive Pet Behavior

Whether a dog or cat, pets can be your best friends, and why shouldn’t they be?

The amount of love and affection they shower on us is immeasurable! But, loving a pet doesn’t really mean we should let them do whatever they want. Just like toddlers, pets need to be taught about the difference between good and bad behaviors.

So, if you also want to train your pet in the best way possible, keep reading as we give you the 6 best tips for encouraging positive pet behavior!

#1 Treats and Rewards

Treats and rewards are a wonderful way to encourage positive behaviors in pets.

Our pets don’t know whether they’re doing things right or not. They rely on their owners to show them.

Through positive behavior training, when your pet does something good, you will give them a treat or reward them to show them they did the right thing.

Treats often get pets excited and help strengthen their bond with their owners.

We highly encourage using treats and positive rewards to teach your pets the right things to do!

#2 Use Short Commands

Short commands are words like ‘’stay’’, ‘’fetch’’, ‘’sit’’, ”down’’, etc. Pet owners use these show command words to train their dogs. If your pet responds to your commands quickly and follows them, you can reward them with pets, affirming words like “good girl” or “good boy”, and of course, a yummy treat!

#3 Be Consistent

If you reward your pet once for positive behavior and don’t reward them once again when the positive behavior is shown, your pet will not remember the positive behaviors you want from them.

If you liked that your dog didn’t bark at a stranger, reward them in the form of a positive affirmation and a treat.

#4 Don’t Be Too Strict

Punishing is not the solution to stopping negative behavior. In fact, this behavior will make your pet scared and anxious.

In most cases, it will distance you from your pet, and the affectionate bond will break, causing them to lose trust in you.

The best way to stop negative behavior in your pet is by using commands. If they bark when they shouldn’t, say ‘’stop’’ "no" or "leave it", and reward your pup when they follow the order.

#5 Give Attention

Our pets are always craving our attention and love! They feel happiest and most content when we spend time with them playing or cuddling up to them. Giving attention to your pet is also an excellent way of encouraging positive behavior.

Some owners may not know this, but ignoring your pets can make them feel neglected. The result will be a change in behavior and in most cases, it can give rise to extreme destruction or aggression.

Avoid bad behaviors by spending as much quality time with your pets as possible. When your pet is active and getting all of the attention, you will see positive changes in their behavior. Remember, a tired pup is a happy pup!

#6 Get Your Family Involved!

Pets may think that the rules are only confined to one person, their owner. And so, they might behave differently in front of others, which is why it is a good idea to involve other family members in training sessions so the pet can follow their instructions. Be sure to give lots of positive rewards during group trainings! This way, your pet will know it has to show good behavior in front of others.

Final thoughts

Teaching your pet about the difference between good and bad can be a challenge at first. However, combining treats, cuddles, and quality time will help you develop a strong bond with your beloved pet, which will ultimately lead to a more pleasant experience while training!

Ready to adopt?

Big and small, HSNT has them all! If you are thinking of adding a furry friend to your family, adoption is the way to go! Visit www.hsnt.org/all-pets to view all currently available pets!

Pets and People, Saving Each Other™

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HSNT’s mission is to act as an advocate on behalf of all animals and to ensure their legal, moral and ethical consideration and protection; to provide for the well-being of animals who are abandoned, injured, neglected, mistreated or otherwise in need; to promote an appreciation of animals; and to instill respect for all living things.