Is the courier a dangerous intruder?

Did you know that your dog learns from you all the time, not just during his formal training? Dogs learn nonstop. 

See if you can find yourself in the following lines :-)

• Did your dog get a piece of food off your plate? So you started teaching him to beg at the table.
• When the dog learns that the doorbell means a scary intruder (courier) is coming, he decides that whenever he hears the doorbell, he will set off his own alarm.
• When someone opens the fridge at home and dog gets something out of it, he learns very quickly that every time he hears the sound of the fridge opening, he should run to the kitchen.

Some of these experiences can teach the dog bad behaviour such as begging and barking. But on the other hand, there are many things in everyday life that can encourage good behaviour.

• Does the dog want a bite from your table? If you tell him "no" briefly and stop noticing him, he'll soon learn that begging is pointless.
• You can give your dog a treat every time he hears the doorbell and if you are consistent, the doorbell can become his favourite sound over time.
• When you start giving your dog a treat or a piece of food from the fridge by taking it to his bed, he will stop running to the kitchen, and when he hears the fridge open, he'll run straight to his bed instead.

Try to think about which everyday situations you can use for training and you will see that your dog will start to cultivate good manners quite naturally. 

Feel free to message me on instagram and let me know what you've come up with that worked or conversely, what didn't work. Together we will move forward🙂