Four Legged Scholars LLC – Middlefield – Obedience and Surrounding Areas
Do you feel stressed because your dog feel fear in certain locations? You are not alone, and we can help you.
Many dogs have fears of stairs, hardwood floors, grates on the street, etc. I personally have found that “target” works great to helps dogs overcome their fears.
Target is a great command because it gets your dog to touch your hand. Many owners will find this command helpful in Middlefield. Obedience is a great result from using the target command.
Here are some steps to follow with a fearful dog.
1.) Teach your dog to target in a fun location first. Say target with a treat between your thumb and pointer finger. C/T as soon as your dog touches your hand.
2.) Move to an uncomfortable location and encourage your dog to “target” your hand in that location.
3.) Baby step it. Don’t expect your dog to target your hand one foot into the hardwood floor. Start with small increments of targeting. This mean the distance might 1 inch at a time.
4.) Don’t increase the target distance until your dog is comfortable with the previous distance. You may find it easy to push your dog to progress quickly in Middlefield. Obedience will not result. Your dog will get stressed and instead will shut down.
5.) Give your dog plenty of breaks so he doesn’t get overly stressed.
6.) Use yummy treat rewards so that it is pleasant for your dog. There are plenty of places where you can buy yummy treats in Middlefield. Obedience is easier with a good reward. Cheese and hotdogs can work great and you can that at Giant Eagle.
7.) Keep sessions short.
8.) End on a positive note.
Johanna Teresi, Middlefield Dog Trainer, Four Legged Scholars LLC, Middlefield, Obedience
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