Curing Those Backyard Blues: How To Get Your Dog To Respect The Yard (1)

Many people believe that you shouldn't even consider owning a dog unless you have a fenced-in yard. While this opinion may be extreme, it's no argument that a backyard makes dog ownership simpler: Housetraining can begin outdoors from the start and pace is readily accessible for exercise and exploration - even before leash manners are taught.

In fact, the backyard is so handy, some dog owners even use it in place of training (not a very wise move). Got company coming over? No problem - toss Sparky out into the yard to prevent exuberant greetings and bring him back when all the visitors have settled in - or wait until they've all gone home. Hey, how about installing a pet door so you don't even need to get up to let the dog in or out?

Convenient? Yes, Smart? Not At All

Unfortunately, this relinquishment of supervision and control can lead to backyard mayhem and the creation of an independent thinker - a dog that has little desire to please its human caretaker!

Dogs are social creations, and given their druthers, most would choose to keep company with their human family and canine friends. When shipped out to the backyard alone, they become bored and lonely. They entertain themselves by digging holes, tearing out plants and shrubbery, and escaping under or over the fence in search of companionship. Some bark their butts off in an attempt to call their clan together or exchange vocalizations with other yard-bound dogs.

Social isolation isn't the only reason dogs dig, bark and destroy the backyard, but it plays a major role. After all, if a supervised dog is about to do the wrong thing, its owner is on the spot to give it a warning and redirect its attention to someone preferable, such as fetching a toy or performing an obedience command.

When the dog does the right thing, its owner is able to immediately reward the good behavior with play, praise or a tasty treat; and as we know from psychologists, rewarded behavior increases in frequency.

Think of your backyard as the dog's home gym. It's a great place for exercise and stress reduction, but not meant to be the dog's exclusive home 24/7. A dog isolated in the backyard cannot learn house manners, protect the residents and contents of the home, or build respectful relationships with its people.

If your adolescent dog is too rambunctious to leave home all day then either hire a dog walker, drop it off at a doggie daycare, or install a dog door in the utility room so your dog has access to the yard and one or two well dog-proofed areas of the home. Do one or several of these things until it's well-behaved enough to earn full run of the house.

All pups start out doing everything possible to seemingly want to annoy you, get in trouble, or worse - hurt themselves. But at the same time they are incredibly cute - they have to be so you'll still love them when they are being really bad, which happens often while they are learning how to behave in a human world.

If your puppy is misbehaving, don't fret. You can do plenty to help teach him the right way to act in just about any situation. Let's look at a very common puppy problem of nipping and how to solve the issue. If you follow this approach then you can rest assured that your pup will stop nipping in no time at all.

The Nipping Problem: An Easy Approach

It's natural for a puppy to nip while playing, and your puppy surely will do it to you, especially when he's excited. But no matter how cute he is and how harmless it seems, you must put a stop to nipping the moment it begins.

Puppies need to learn that their teeth should never touch human flesh, even in play. This will pay off when your dog grows up - he'll be less likely to bite anyone, especially if you have a big dog. And even the smaller breeds can give a good bite if the nipping behavior is not taken care of.

When you play with your pup, redirect his biting behavior to his toys, especially soft plush toys that have a satisfying "give" in his mouth and have rubber toys that you can stuff with treats to engage his interest - and his teeth.

Even if your puppy is as young as 8 weeks old, he can still learn that biting is not acceptable. If your puppy bites you during play, say "ouch" in a low voice, and remove your body part from his mouth.

If he continues to bite, walk away from him. If he follows you, step through a door and close him on the other side, but just briefly - don't leave him alone long enough for him to get in trouble!

You're teaching him that biting too hard makes the fun stop. He'll learn to control how hard he bites so you'll keep playing with him. As he starts to get the idea, you'll notice that he bites hard with less frequency. Then you raise the bar, and start applying your "ouch" to softer bites, until he learns to keep his mouth off of skin completely.

Nothing is more disconcerting than having a big dog jump up on you and practically knock you over. In fact, this habit is even more dangerous when children or elderly people are concerned. Far too many dog owners leave this bad habit alone and do not get concerned until it's too late, and the pooch is like a full grown bear trying to tumble over everyone he greets.

Teaching your puppy not to jump on people is important. Even though your pup is small now, he'll be bigger in no time. If he's a large breed, he'll be capable of knocking people over when he jumps up to greet them.

Small Dogs Are Not Off The Hook

Even small dogs can be a nuisance when jumping up so just because you own a toy breed do not think they should be off the hook. These small dogs can rip pantyhose, scratch legs and even knock over small children.

Instead of allowing your dog to jump on people, teach your dog to sit when he greets anyone including you and the other members of your family. First, teach him to sit. Once he knows this basic cue and performs it reliably, you can move on to training him not to jump up.

A Simple Anti-Jumping Training Routine

Start by setting up some training sessions. To train your puppy not to jump on company you'll need your guests to help you. Before you allow your company in the house, put a leash on your puppy and then bring your guests inside. Tell them that they cannot pet or pay attention to your puppy until he sits in front of them first.

Tell your puppy "sit" as the company enters. If he doesn't sit but instead tries to jump up on your visitors, hold him back with the leash and tell your guests to back away from him. They cannot pet him until he obediently sits and controls his impulse to jump up.

To teach your puppy not to jump on you, follow these steps: make sure your hands are free when you come in the house and your puppy tries to jump up on you, grasp him by the collar and tell him "Off." Then tell him to sit as you continue to grasp his collar. Hold him in this position and then praise him for sitting.

Encourage everyone in your family to enforce this rule constantly to your puppy gets the message. Consistency is key when teaching a puppy not to jump up. Within a week of solid training your pooch should show signs of control from jumping on people.

Barking is completely normal for any dog but it should be considered a problem if it becomes excessive. Most dogs will bark at strangers passing by, and this is to be expected. However, you need to teach your puppy that although some barking is OK, too much barking is not.

Allow your puppy to bark two or three times when someone rings the doorbell, approaches your house or walks past your yard. Don't let your puppy bark frantically until the person eventually leaves the area.

A Simple Anti-Barking Routine

To train your puppy not to bark excessively, be consistent and plan ahead. Ask a friend to come to your home and ring the doorbell. When the bell rings, your puppy probably will run toward the door and bark.

Take hold of your puppy's collar at that moment, and say his name and then the cue "be quiet." When he listens to you and ceases his barking, praise him heartily. After several practice sessions, your puppy should start to catch on.

Once your puppy has learned to respond reliably to the quiet cue while inside your house, you can begin the training session outdoors in your yard. Ask friends and neighbors to help you with the training by walking past your property or doing whatever else it is that sets your puppy off on a barking spree.

Remember, too, that bored dogs will bark more than those who are getting enough stimulation. If your puppy is barking like crazy at everyone who passes the house, he may need more exercise and stimulation. That way he won't feel compelled to come up with his own distractions.

Digging

The instinct to dig is strong in most dogs and often starts in puppyhood. If your puppy is starting to dig up the yard, you need to intervene before your garden begins to look like a mine field.

The best way to control your puppy's urge to dig is to give him a spot in the yard where he can dig to his heart's content. This might be a place where you've already seen him digging if you don't really mind that he digs there. Or, you may want to entice him to dig in an area that is out of the way and not visible from most parts of your yard.

If you catch him digging in a place that is not allowed, correct him by saying "NO DIG!" and take him to his allowed spot. If he digs in this designated digging area, praise him to let him know he's got the right idea.

Even though he has his own digging spot, you may find that your puppy still likes to dig in places he shouldn't. Protect these areas with temporary fencing (like chicken wire) until your puppy gets in the habit of digging only in his designated spot. Eventually, you should be able to take down the fencing and give him the run of the yard.