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Dog Obedience Training in Your Home

Everyone loves to have a dog at home. But has your dog been through obedience training? Do you cringe when your dog jumps all over your house guests or when you neighbor knocks on your door to complain about something your dog just did? Don’t worry, dog training can be fast, easy and efficient.

No longer do you have to endure weeks and weeks of classes to train your dog. Who wants to sit with a big group of dogs, spending your time keeping the peace between your dog and your classmates’ pets? Forget about embarrassing and expensive sessions with a private trainer, where afterwards you feel like you have gotten nowhere with your dog. Now it is simple and easy to train your dog in your home.

How To Train A Dog, Simply

To train a dog does not have to be difficult. There are a couple of basic things that can help you train your dog at home.

Start with the basics when a dog is a puppy. Good behavior is something dogs can learn at a young age, making obedience training when they get older much easier.
Rewards and praise are the best way to have a more obedient dog. Offer treats when your dog does something he or she is supposed to do.
Don’t always reach for food as a reward. This can lead to an unhealthy diet in your dog. You can also reward a good dog with attention, praise, and toys.
Repeat what you want the dog to do until he or she does it. This is a basic dog training technique that again reinforces behavior.
Do something every day to obedience train the dog. It does not have to take a long amount of time, in fact shorter sessions are better.
Don’t expect too much, too fast. It takes work and consistency to train a dog properly.
You are the best person to train your dog. Obedience training is about building a relationship between a dog and its’ owner.
Obedience training does not have to be all work, it can also be fun for you and your pet! It is an opportunity to build a relationship with your dog that will last throughout the dog’s life. And you will reap the benefits of having a well behaved pet.

Why Obedience Training Is Important

Obedience training is an important part of being a responsible dog owner. Without training, your dog will find it hard to enjoy other animals, enjoy your family or enjoy other people. Other people will be constantly complaining to you about your dog’s behavior, leaving you embarrassed and spending even less time with your dog. And even worse, you will be constantly yelling at your dog, making the dog further confused about how to behave. Your dog needs guidance and you, as an owner, can train a dog, easily. Take charge of your situation with your dog. Your dog must respect you as the dominant personality. Asserting yourself will lead to a healthy relationship between you and your pet.

There are good resources online to help you train your dog. Websites can offer tips and tricks to help with obedience training that is easy, effective and helpful to both you and your dog. You can find whole dog training courses dedicated to helping you and your dog build a better relationship between one another.

The key to obedience training is consistency. By giving your dog a consistent environment, where she or he understands the rules of behavior, you can have an obedient dog in no time at all.

Learn How to Train A Dog in Your Home.

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Getting Started With Dog Crate Training

Dog Crate Training

You know what it is like. You have collected your new dog and very excited to have a new friend. All you want to do is love and cuddle him, but you know deep down the training starts as soon as you get him home. Do you crate train or not? Dogs’ instincts will help with this sort of training as they are by nature den animals and he will therefore feel happy and secure in his crate. Because of this he will not want to soil where he sleeps. This will make house training a lot easier for you. Your part in crate training your dog is to persuade him that the crate is his bed now.

Dog crate training involves rewarding a dog for entering the crate and staying in there.The idea is to use the crate as part of a play session, letting the dog feed in the crate, and having your dog explore and use until it is part of his daily life. Always pick a crate that is the right size for your dog. The crate needs to be just big enough for the dog to stand in and turn around. If the crate is too big it defeats the purpose of crate training.

When your new dog or puppy first gets home and he is first in his crate he might howl and cry wanting to get out. Expect this and restrain yourself. It is very natural for your dog to be out with you. Remember you need to let him know where his place is in the family unit. Crate training is the best way to house train your dog or puppy and if you let him out and allow him to free reign in your house be prepared for the mess that will surely happen.

Getting started with dog crate training.

Make the crate a comfortable, pleasant place for your dog. It is a good idea to let him have his favourite toy in the crate with him. It can be a toy or a piece of clothing he is fond of but if your dog destroys these things then minimise what goes into the crate.

Associate the crate with pleasant things so feed him in his crate and give him reward treats.

If he has had an accident scold him then put him outside and not in the crate. If you scold him then put him in his crate he will associate bad feelings with the crate and will make training him very difficult.

When it is time to put your dog in the crate at night, leave him and do not keep checking him. He will settle down in his own time.

It is worth remembering that your dog will mess his crate at some point. Try not to put anything in his den that cannot be easily cleaned. Crate training works though because your dog does not really want to mess his den so will encourage him to hold it for as long as possible. Take him outside in the garden or open area at night before you put him in his crate for the night. In the morning put your dog out as early as possible.

Remember young puppies cannot hold their bladder for too long. When they are younger than 12 weeks they really need to go outside every couple of hours or so. You will have to use your own judgement on the duration you keep your dog in his crate.

Make the crate training positive

Always do your best to make the crate a positive experience. Never use the crate as a punishment. You want your dog to see his crate as somewhere safe. When you first use the crate be prepared for your puppy or dog to make a fuss. Your dog will get used to his crate even though to begin with he will cry and howl but have patience because crate training your dog is the right decision. Give your dog lot of treats when he goes into his crate and he will eventually go in on his own accord. As with any kind of dog training take it slowly as you do not want your dog or puppy to feel uncomfortable.

Is dog crate training cruel?

Some people look upon crate training as cruel to dogs. Obviously if you leave your dog in his crate for hours at a time, it is. When you are at home let your dog out of the crate. Sometimes it will be impossible to be at home during the day, when you are at work for instance, try to get someone to take him out for a walk or consider taking your dog to a doggie daycare if possible. This will also help your dog mix with other dogs as well.

When you need to travel in your car and you take your dog with you, a crate is the safest way for your dog to travel. It will keep him from getting in your way and causing havoc if he sees a cat or other animal on the side of the road or in a field. If your dog is already used to a crate it will help him to go into the crate without feeling stressed. All in all less stressful for you as well.

It is really up to you whether you decide to crate train. Use it properly and it will help with your house training which it turn means a happier dog and a happier you.

Enjoy training your dog.

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Simple Dog Obedience Training



Is Your Dog Driving You Crazy? – Secrets that Turn Your Dog into an Obedient Puppy, No Kidding.

Effective Dog Obedience Training

Please don’t give up on your dog yet – There is nothing worse than having a dog that does not obey you and that is not well trained. You will soon be feeling helpless and overwhelmed with all the chaos, if you aren’t already. Of course, sometimes this can make the joy of owning a dog a bit challenging.

Unfortunately, every year many dog owners give up their dogs after many frustrating attempts to introduce discipline and correct the problems. Please don’t despair, and don’t think about giving up on your canine buddy just yet. I know… easier said than done, after the dog just chewed through the antique chair, “re-designed” your couch, and decided to snack on your favorite new pair of shoes.

There are effective dog obedience training methods that really work and are easy to implement, but first let’s quickly understand why we should even train a dog, aside from the obvious. It is very healthy for a dog to be trained and the only reason they get chaotic and disobedient is because they are frustrated just like a human would be frustrated if you did not teach him or her what the ground rules are. If you don’t properly set the boundaries, then your dog will decide what those boundaries will be and usually this creates problems at home.

Most dogs, no matter their training or intended purpose, live with people who want them to behave in a way that makes them enjoyable to be around, keeps them secure, and provides for the well being of other people and pets. Dogs tend not to figure out basic obedience on their own; they must be guided and the most difficult part of training is communicating with the dog in a compassionate way that he understands. Regardless of whether you have just gotten your first puppy or are already an experienced dog owner – learning a few training secrets could change your life as a dog owner, and you’ll have a much happier dog. However, the underlying principle of all communication is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring or correcting undesired behavior, and for this to work, you need to know how to change your dog’s behavior.

So, what makes a dog obedience training system a good and effective dog obedience training system? Well, the method should be easy, fun, but also allow you to build a strong owner-dog relationship, based on trust and mutual respect. It should also provide you confidence in, and control of your dog in any situation, working with your dog’s natural energy and instincts. Last but not least, absolutely no cruel or harsh “old fashioned” training techniques should ever be used – there is no need to “break a dog’s spirit” in the training process. Oh and, did I mention it should be fun.

One of the easiest and coolest dog training methods around is clicker training. The name “clicker training” is used because the main tool is a very small mechanical noisemaker called a clicker. Clicker training is a very effective (positive) training technique when it is used correctly. In clicker training we don’t lure or bribe the dog. The treats are well hidden in our pockets until the dog offers the right behavior on his own. THEN, and only then, we click and treat. This is a huge difference from many other approaches.

Clicker training can give you excellent, reliable behaviors. But it can also give you something no other training method can: A happy and competent learner ready to learn new behaviors in record time! This accelerated learning capacity is what makes clicker training so fascinating. Most owners cannot believe their dog is the same dog, after learning just a few techniques.

Clicker training is easy to learn and, by the way, it’s required training for all instructors at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. in California. They have incorporated clicker training into their program for several years. It delivers great results while being gentle and humane. Aside from really being the answer to your dog troubles, you’ll start to enjoy and look forward to spending time with your dog once you know the basic secrets of the clicker training.

Brad WA

Learn the Secrets of Clicker Training – Easy Dog Obedience Training that Really Works

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The Importance of Consistency in Basic Dog Obedience Training

Training your dog is important. A dog that has been properly trained can even save his master’s life, should the need ever arise. In dog training, there are many basic things that you should be aware of for your training to be effective. Without these basic guides, you won’t really be successful in training your dog.

One of the basic concepts in dog training is consistency. Unlike us humans, dogs have simple brains. They can adapt to a situation once they figure out by means of our consistent application of what we want them to do. For example, you have a dog that, every time you take off your shoes, will tend to take and run away with it. Now every time your dog tries to take your shoes and you consistently do not allow it, your dog will sooner or later figure out you don’t want him taking away your shoes so he’ll eventually stop trying to take them away from you.

Your dog can easily get confused if the consistency that you apply in your training is made inconsistent by others, like family members. It is then important to have a uniform application of what you and your family members would want your family dog to do. Inform your family members of how do you want to train your dog, so that they will act accordingly.

If you are training your dog and applying consistency, do not let your young children mingle with your dog during the time it is being trained. This is to avoid unnecessarily confusing the dog because young children know nothing about the consistency application that needs to be followed.

It’s not just the dog’s behavior where consistency is required; consistency is also required for obedience commands — including yourself. If you want your dog to learn to obey commands, you need to be ready for this area of dog training from the very beginning, and keep at it for the duration of the training. The reality is that many dog owners are not willing to train their dogs to obey commands. So if you want to incorporate obedience commands into your dog’s training, make sure that you are ready for it by having the right mindset.

Dog training is a combination of compassion and a little bit of manipulation. For instance, don’t punish your dog the first time you give him a command and he doesn’t obey. Instead, find a way for your dog to learn the command. You can give your dog a reward (a treat) for obeying a command. Basic dog training is basically teaching your dog to follow instructions based on reward and encouragement. Encouraging your dog to learn a trick and rewarding him when he does it is the most appropriate way of training him. Remember, however, that consistency should always be applied in any aspect of the dog training to make it successful.

Keep in mind that basic dog training doesn’t just involve training the dog; it is in a way also training you, the dog owner. If your dog does not get properly trained, it was not your dog who failed, it was you. It’s important that you understand basic dog training concepts (e.g., maintenance, reward, redirection, prevention and correction) and have a good strategy in place. If you do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the remarkable achievement of your dog in learning the things you want him to learn and do.

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Looking For A Great Collar? Try A Tri-tronics Sport Electronic Dog Training Collar

For owners of working dogs, a training collar that works as hard as your dog is a necessary tool. The Tri-Tronics Sport series are the most durable training collars on today’s market, being one hundred percent waterproof and designed to take the abuse given them by an active working dog. For example, hunting dogs will thrash through underbrush to grab game, dive into water, crawl into tiny spaces that are far too small, and do other things that average family pets don’t do. For this reason, you will require a very durable collar that will stand through the toughest abuse.

Once you’ve made the decision to use a electronic dog collar you’re making an investment into training equipment that you’ll want to make sure works for you. As an industry leader, Tri-Tronics will guarantee its products’ durability, and this is what keeps them at the top of the market.

Tri-Tronics understands that you want a convenient and lightweight system and they’ve taken advantage of state of the art technology to provide compact and durable receivers and transmitters that are of the highest quality. One of the advantages of their systems is that they are designed to work well whether it’s in warm weather and bare hands or in the coldest weather with gloved hands.

In addition to their compact size and their durability, you can even use the Tri-Tronic sports series to train up to three dogs at one time. Multiple dogs can easily be confused if you’re using systems that are not set up to deal with them properly. Tri-Tronics sports series are specially designed with numerous (20) levels of stimulation in both continuous and intermittent settings. One of the most significant advantages to this number of settings is that some behaviors may be easily corrected with one level of stimulation but others may require more or less correction. Tri-Tronics has taken all of this into consideration in developing their sports series.

Tri-Tronics has also taken into consideration that your working dog isn’t always going to be close by and allows you to control up to three dogs that are as much as one half mile away from you making it easy to keep track of what’s happening with each of them.

If you’re interested in not only electronic stimulation but also sound correction, you will still find what you need with the Tri-Tronics sports series since they also have a beeper option. Remember that when you are attempting training, not only is electronic and sound correction helpful, but praise is also another helpful (and often more effective) method of training – using all of the tools available to you when training your dog makes training much easier and much more lasting. The Tritronics system provides a full range of tools to help you train a happy, healthy, and obedient working dog.




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Train Your Gun Dogs With Either a Bird Launcher or Bumper Launcher

Training your gun dogs to hunt, whether it’s for flushing, pointing, or retrieving, there are great tools at your disposal. Bird and Dummy Launchers are available with remote control devices that can be used together or separately to fill your training needs.

Remote Bird and Dummy Launchers

Whether you are using a dummy launcher or a bird launcher, you can use a remote control that allows you to train your dog without having another person present with you. Without the remote, you would need at least one other person to assist in your training which of course can distract your dog.

Other extras with bird launchers include bird calls, sounds, and beeps that can be used to train your dog in field craft and hunting. Which kind of launcher (bird or dummy) will depend on the specific type of training you are doing with your dog. Your goal is to make an effective and confident hunting companion and launchers can be an essential tool towards this goal.

Bumper Launchers

This is your secret weapon in teaching your dog to learn to retrieve came. The dummy launcher is for those who work alone and you allow you to launch your dummies at a height and distance that is far greater than throwing it yourself. This allows your dog to learn to retrieve game that is further away. This is especially helpful when you consider that if you were using hand launching followed by shooting; your dog would become accustomed to fetching game at close distances. One of the best features of the remote launchers is that you can use the accompanying sounds to train your dog to react as if he were hunting actual game (ducks, pheasant, etc.).

Bird Launchers

For training pointing or flushing dogs, bird launchers will work perfectly. A great benefit to bird launchers is that you can actually set it up to launch multiple birds to simulate real hunting. The good thing is, dogs are bred to hunt so your main focus is to train your dog to respect another dog’s point, as well as flush out birds. A bird launcher will give you a good shot at achieving this type of training. Trainers of pointing dogs have been successful in using these for years now, and even those who train flushing dogs are starting to use these tools more often. Because a bird launcher is designed with a spring latch which will release prey fairly low, it can quickly help your dog learn the skills needed for hunting quail as well as pheasant.

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Dog Terrors

One morning I was watching the news and a special about disciplining dogs came on. The program had taken four disobedient dogs to Washington DC dog training in hopes of turning them into refined pets. They worked with each dog individually until it had mastered a skill. Dog clicker training was a main focus of the program A command would be followed by a click, and if the dog obeyed it received a treat. Eventually, if the dog heard a click it would do the command. I was astonished at the progress the dogs made in such a short time. They went from bad to good in a matter of days.
Had they held auditions for this show, my dog would have been a shoe-in. Jesse, my dog, and I have a very rocky relationship. As it seems, he is the king of the castle. I didn’t think dogs could wear pants, but Jesse has showed me differently. Jesse has always been spoiled. I have spent countless nights sleeping on the couch because Jesse wouldn’t share the bed. Any pillow I have must be tested and approved by him first, and if he likes it, he might choose to take it for himself. He also has taken on the role of my personal taste-tester, even if I didn’t ask for his service.
I feel like I’ve done all I can to try and reform Jesse. I tried using tips from a book from my brother-in-law; called Good Masters make Good Dogs. I followed this book to the t, child-locking my kitchen, putting shock systems on things, but it did absolutely nothing. Jesse just out-smarted it all. I was at a loss. I then turned to my veterinarian. The vet taught me tricks to correct misbehavior in animals that was “fool-proof”. I’m not sure if Jesse is a genius or a dunce because it didn’t work. Jesse seemed to repel any type of constructive reformation.
This special seemed like my last hope. If it could fix the terrible dogs I saw on TV, Jesse would be an easy task. After all, Jesse was harmless at heart, he would never hurt anyone. He just needed some expert discipline. After watching the news special, I ran to the internet to see if I could get Jesse into the program. The news station website had a contest entry form for a sweepstakes that could land Jesse a trip to D.C. for dog training. I am normally not the type to enter contests, but I was hopeful.
Three weeks later, I got a message on my cell phone from the dog expo in DC. I was quite surprised because I had almost forgotten about the entire things. I was to bring Jesse to the training center in two weeks on a Thursday ready to work. I took him to be groomed and get a checkup just in case. Now that he was presentable, Jesse and I got in my car, him in the front seat of course, and set off. By the end of the workshop, Jesse was a new dog. He sat in the backseat on the way home, slept on his dog bed for the first time, and started a new diet void of human food.

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What You Need To Know About Roundworm and Hunting Dogs

Heartworm, or roundworm, is very serious can affect all types of gun dogs. With gun dogs, working dogs, and other outdoor dogs, you must be especially concerned because they are more susceptible to heartworm. The worse case scenario is that an affected dog can pass it on to humans, as well as other dogs. In turn, you can also pass on heartworm to your own dog.

Prevention of heartworm is crucial, especially when you consider that once your dog is infected with this parasite it made lead to death. Of greater concern is other in animals that come in contact with your dog such as coyotes, fox’s, and others may have roundworm and may transmit that disease to your dog.

Preventing Roundworm/Heartworm

Prevention can come in the form of tablet or food additive when given to your dog as a preventative measure. A tablet can be ingested orally and mahy come in the form of a dog treat, and food additives can be added or mixed with food. Most of these treatments are monthly applications. Remember to give it to your dog each month. Use a calendar if it helps you remember.

In areas where there are four seasons, the primary carrier of roundworm is mosquitoes, which ingest infected blood and then give it to another animal as they sting them. In areas with less harsh seasonal changes, roundworm is more often transmitted from animal to animal. In all cases, giving your gun dog preventive treatment every month, no matter the time of year, is a best practice.

Symptoms of Roundworm

In its early stages, roundworm is very hard to detect since your dog won’t show any physcial signs of illness. Your vet can test for the disease, or skilled vets can tell by observation. It is typical of heartworm to gestate for several months before affecting your dog. During this stage of the illness, the disease can easily be treated, but it is best when your dog is asymptomatic.

Typically a dog infected with the round worm becomes lethargic and not necessarily interested in is normal daily activities. You may notice a cough or weight loss in addition to these other symptoms. Contact your veterinarian immediately because in addition to roundworm there may be other infections that may be causing the symptoms.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Roundworm

Diagnosing roundworms requires a blood test. During the blood test one step will be to determine whether the roundworms are male or female which will help direct your veterinarian to the proper treatment course.

Roundworm treatment is extensive and may be very expensive to treat. Aside from that the treatment is very difficult for your dog and in fact may result in his needing dialysis. Almost all dogs will be listless, suffer weight loss, and has other symptoms while the Worms are discharged. Follow-up treatments will be necessary to ensure that all of the Worms are eliminate it from your dog system.

Damage to organs can also be a result of roundworm infection and can mean lifelong treatment for that as well. This is why it’s so important to catch the infection as early as possible and to not delay in getting treatment for it.

When you have any sort of hunting dog, you should always keep in mind that you should always keep your dog’s health as top priority. There are also lots of different hunting dog supplies that you should have on hand for your dog such as electronic dog collars or dog collars.




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Should My Dog Get A Job?

As much as many of us love dogs there are some dogs that have jobs to do.  These are dogs that are not satisfied with being couch potatoes or love bugs.  They need work and things to keep them busy.  They need work to occupy their minds.

You may have seen dogs acting as service dogs for the disabled or as therapy dogs.  Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and some other breeds take to this kind of training very well, becoming helpers for people who need assistance.  Training for service dogs begins when the dogs are puppies and they are placed with families who are willing to teach them basic training.  This involves a great deal of socialization and taking them out to places they would go as adult service dogs.  They will learn that when they are wearing their service dog vest they are working and they shouldn’t look for petting.  When the vest comes off they are pets again.  When the dogs become adults they go to school for more intensive training and to meet the disabled person they will be paired with so that the two of them can learn together.  Service dogs usually remain in service until their age begins to catch up with them when they may be retired and live out their years with their disabled partner or be placed in a home with someone who wishes to adopt them and take care of them.

Therapy dogs usually begin as someone’s pet.  These are dogs who may display a great deal of empathy with people.  Any dog can be a therapy dog including mixed breeds.  Therapy work requires that the dog have good manners and social skills.  It helps if your dog knows a little obedience.  Organizations such as the Delta Society train volunteers and screen owners and their pets for therapy work.  Dogs become approved, with their handlers, so that they can visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, schools and other facilities.  Therapy dogs and their owners bring a great deal of comfort and happiness to people’s lives.

Other dogs have much more athletic jobs, such as hunting dogs.  Dogs such as Pointers, Setters, Beagles, Coonhounds, Salukis and many other breeds were originally bred to hunt various game.  Although these dogs make wonderful pets many dogs of hunting breeds still have strong hunting instincts.  If you have a dog from hunting bloodlines your dog may not be completely happy unless he has the opportunity to do some field work.  Many people still field trial their dogs or go hunting on the weekends.  As soon as their dog sees them getting out the hunting gear the dog is at the door ready to go to work.  Hunting is a deep instinct in dogs that survives despite all the generations of domestication.  Many breeders still try to breed superior hunting dogs.  If your dog shows an interest in hunting or you are curious about it try to take your dog out and let him enjoy it.  If you are no good with guns your dog can still enjoy some aspects of field sports with events like hunt tests or lure coursing which simulate hunting conditions.

Other dogs perform jobs that are very important to our society today such as police work, bomb and drug sniffing, war service and detective work.  A dog has many abilities that can be trained for these necessary jobs, from using his nose to his guarding instincts.  Some police forces are beginning to breed their own dogs for this work but many of the finest law enforcement dogs still come from Europe — dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois.  These well-bred, highly trained dogs excel at the skills required for tracking, obedience and protection.  War dogs have been used by armies for centuries.  The U.S. military currently employs many K9 teams in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are in the process of developing a breeding and training center for their future canine needs.

If you have a dog who seems bored at home he may need a job.  Perhaps there’s something he was bred to do or something that he excels at.  Maybe there’s something enjoyable that the two of you can do together.  Look into the things he’s good at doing or consider his heritage.  You may find that your dog needs a job.

What kind of job does your dog have?  Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Until next time…..

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Why Is The Dog Jealous Of My Spouse?

This is a problem I see quite often with my dog training clients so I thought I would write an article about how to deal with a jealous dog.

We value our dogs for many reasons, including the close relationship we can enjoy with them. Dogs are loyal, devoted and loving. They are often our best friend. So, it’s not surprising that many dogs can be very attached to one person even when that person is part of a couple. You may find yourself asking at times why your dog is jealous of your spouse.

Your dog can be jealous of your spouse for many of the same reasons that a child would be. Your dog can feel bonded to you. He may feel that you are his “special person.” He may look upon you like a substitute mother or, at the very least, like a pack leader. Any other relationships that you form threaten to distance your dog from you and reduce the amount of time you spend together. Your other relationships may reduce the importance of your dog in your life and your dog instinctively knows this.

If you prefer more concrete reasons for your dog’s possible jealousy, your dog may be jealous of your spouse for reasons as simple as the time that your spouse spends with you. It could also be because your spouse gets the best place on the bed. Maybe your dog used to be able to sleep on the bed before you were married and now he’s not allowed to do so anymore. Your dog may be jealous of your spouse because he sees you lavishing affection on your spouse and your dog feels left out.

Although it can be a bad idea to anthropomorphize your dog too much, when it comes to jealousy, it’s likely that your dog gets jealous for many of the same reasons that people do. He may look upon you as someone special to him, and him alone, and he doesn’t like to see your spouse intruding on your relationship together.

There are plenty of tales about jealous dogs and how they can act out in the home. They range from dogs that may ignore your spouse to dogs that may pee on your spouse’s belongings. Some dogs may set out to destroy things that belong to your spouse. In extreme cases a dog may wage a battle with your spouse for your attention, inserting himself between the two of you both literally and figuratively. He may try to sit between you on the sofa, for instance, or interrupt kisses by jumping up on you. If your dog is jealous he will probably give some not very subtle clues about his feelings so your spouse knows that he or she is not welcome.

If your dog is jealous it can make things difficult in the home. Your spouse may try to win your dog over but, depending on the dog, this may or may not be successful. Some dogs may become friendlier to the spouse but some dogs won’t. With time most dogs will eventually accept that the spouse is not going to go away and some kind of détente can be worked out.

If your dog is jealous of your spouse you should support your spouse and let your dog know that you expect him to respect your spouse in the home. For instance, if your spouse wants to sit down and your dog is occupying the space next to you, it’s a good idea to back your spouse up and make your dog get down. You want to send your dog the message that he needs to obey the spouse, if for no other reason than because you say so. The same goes with your bed. Make sure that your dog understands that your spouse belongs there and has higher status than the dog.

On the other hand, you should also make time to spend with your dog. Do not ignore him or leave him out. Make sure that he gets plenty of your time and attention. His role may be different with your spouse in the house but he should still feel loved and wanted. If you find ways to include your dog in your activities, along with your spouse, then you will have fewer problems with a jealous dog.

Do you have any jealous dog stories to tell us about?  Use the comment area to tell us about your experiences.

Until next time…..

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