A disciplined pet is a happy pet. We have to get away from the negative connotation the word ‘discipline’ often has. Disciplining ourselves to wake up at a certain time, or to eat healthily, are two lifestyle examples that make us feel more in control in our own life. Well, the same effect applies to your pets. Disciplining them adds order in their lives in order to prevent or stop bad habits from being acted out. It certainly seems like a better option than punishing your pet when bad habits or behaviors are acted out, don’t you agree!? In the words of veterinarians at VCA Pets are People Too vet hospitals: “Many behavior problems have a component of fear, anxiety or excessive arousal so that retraining cannot begin until a calm, relaxed state can be achieved on cue.”

While much of the research-based advice we offer pertains to many species, we write with a focus on dogs. Training should focus on two aspects: the behavioral response and the emotional state of your pet. The behavioral response of your pet is how we physically see him/her respond to commands; i.e. we have to consider whether the pet follows commands with a wagging tail, or by finding a corner to hide while whining when commanded. In order to maintain the loving relationship you have with your pet, it’s highly important to recognize the emotional state of your pet when they are disciplined or given commands with positive reinforcements. A wagging tail indicates a positive emotional state because your dog is evidently tolerating your commands well. In this scenario, when your pet responds to your command to “sit” or so, he/she does so in a relaxed and stress-free manner. In contrast, when your dog is hiding and whining he/she is fearful and in a negative emotional state, likely due to the tone or nature of a command. Sometimes, a command (however kindly it is given) can trigger a negative response in pets because of his/her past traumatic situations. Especially in these instances, a behavioral specialist must be sought for proper training.

The purpose of this article is to explain the importance of training and disciplining your pet, as well as some of the best ways of doing so!

Why you should train your dog

Training is an important part of every pet's life because of several reasons: it provides mental stimulation, which helps to keep your pet happy; and it helps your pet be less anxious when he/she meets strangers or other pets. If training (or disciplining) is combined with morning exercise, your dog will be mentally and physically tired at the end of the day. This physical activity and mental stimulation will cause your dog to be far more likely to sleep well during the night, and the engagement you will have with your pet while training him/her will strengthen your relationship between you two.

Learning occurs by establishing the relationship between behavior and consequences. If you want your pet to behave in a certain way, you should give him/her the motivation and incentive to do so; and this creates a win-win relationship between the pet and pet-owner. An example of motivating your dog to be physically active is by going to his/her favorite park where there is freedom to run around and be mentally stimulated by many smells. Another example for physical and mental stimulation, but for a cat, would be to place a cat tree in your house where he/she can enjoy the sun, while watching his/her favorite birds from a nearby window!

As the vets at VCA Pets Are People Too say, “Training your dog to respond to a verbal cue or command, or when it sees a visual cue, might be described as cue-response-reward or command-response-reward training. Generally, the training sequence goes like this: find a reward that ensures that your pet will immediately and consistently exhibit the desired behavior; then reinforce the behavior consistently. Additionally, you may find it effective to add a visual cue/hand gesture prior to reinforcing the behavior with a command. Some of the behaviors that can be useful to place on command, especially for pets with behavior problems, are “sit”, “down”, “heel”, and “go to your mat”. Especially while your pet is in the beginning stages of training and consistently responding to your commands, it is important to motivate them to continue to do so by rewarding them with treats as to provide a continuous incentive to follow your commands. (You can gain more insights here.)

In order to discipline your dog, you have to separate training in three parts: 

• Stimulus
• Action
• Reward

Stimulus

A stimulus is a word or sound that catches your dog or other pet's attention. The most common ones for dogs are: “sit”, “watch”, “steady”, “focus” and “no”. There are a variety of different methods by which the initial response after your command can be achieved. Usually, it's by rewarding your pet with food or a toy the pet likes.

Action

The action is how we want our pets to respond to our commands. When we say “sit”, we expect him/her to do so. Teaching the specific action we want takes time, so patience, consistency, and love from pet-owners are musts in cultivating disciplined pets. 

Reward

The truth be told! Rewarding your dog or pet with delicious food/treats, is frankly, often the only way to make him/her follow your commands! Food is one of the best rewards although proving your pet with his favorite toy may also be effective. The food offered as a reward doesn’t have to be his/her balanced food. In fact, it’s best if it’s something different and enticing. It can be delicious fruits, such as apples or bananas, or it can also be a delicious vegetable like carrots! You can check out our other article regarding some of the best fruits and vegetables to feed your dog, here.

Something to be mindful of is the importance of training a dog to “settle” and “focus” should begin in an environment where your dog is naturally calm, familiar, and there should be minimal or no distractions. Training cannot be effective until you have a means by which the target behavior can be reliably and consistently achieved.

Why punishment should be avoided

“Punishment is any intervention intended to decrease the occurrence of an action or behavior.” Unfortunately, the most common "punishments" pet owners use are:

• electric shock devices
• physical "corrections" (not to say violence)
• yanking on a choke collar

By definition, punishment is supposed to stop a bad or unacceptable behavior of a pet. Well, that doesn’t work with pets and it is simply unkind to “spank” your pet. 

In the words of VCA Pets Are People Too vet hospitals: “Some pets may see it [punishment] as a form of reinforcement, while others will become increasingly more fearful or aggressive. Punishment focuses on stopping the undesirable but does not teach what is desirable. For example, if the pet barks, lunges or is aggressive toward children, dogs or strangers, punishment only serves to make the pet increasingly more fearful and anxious each time it is exposed to a child, dog or stranger. 
On the other hand, calming the pet and reinforcing the desirable behavior (such as “sit” and “focus” on the owners) teaches the pet how to behave in the situation and that each new exposure might have a positive outcome.”

"Punishment may teach a pet that something [some behavior] is unpleasant, but it does not teach the pet what is desirable."

Instead of punishments, we should think of positive reinforcements we can provide for our pets like dogs. By definition, “positive reinforcement is anything that is added that increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated.” There is a positive relationship between behavior and consequence. When a pet exhibits a certain good behavior, he/she should receive consistent positive enforcements as consequence. The more this scenario takes place, the positive relationship between the pet and pet-owner strengthens; and in turn, the pet becomes more disciplined and inclined towards taking more commands from his/her owner. It’s truly a win-win situation! 

At Pawprint Depot, there is no specific reinforcement or treat we recommend as a reward for your pet’s training. This is because every pet is different, so what motivates them to behave in a disciplined manner varies! Some pets may prefer a tasty treat, others may prefer to go for a daily walk in the park after a training session, and others may prefer to be petted with supplementary “good boy” or “good girl” pats! As a pet-owner who should be in tune with your pet’s desires and happiness, should try to identify what motivates your pet the most and use it to teach him/her good behaviors.

Importance of socialization to address behavioral problems

Separation anxiety is an extremely common and serious behavioral problem that affects many dogs and pets in general. This disorder results in problematic behaviors when dogs are left home alone. Often their natural response to long or even short periods without the company of their pet owner, is to damage household items like furniture, toys, bedding, and/or peeing/pooping indoors.  

Such as with humans, socialization plays a leading role in the happiness of pets. Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioral Medicine at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln explains that until now, separation anxiety has been considered a single condition caused by dependence on the owner and treated by making the dog more independent.

However, as our understanding of separation anxiety increases, we find that this is not always true. In fact, the study suggests separation anxiety is actually a symptom with many potential causes and can take many forms, which means both assessment and treatment need to be much more focused.

How to help a dog with separation anxiety

Until we learn even more about it, the best we can do is to reduce our dog's dependence on us so he/she can feel safe when we are not home. It's important to be as loving to him/her as possible. Remember, dogs (compared to cats) really suffer when they’re left alone, so it's better to keep them in good company when you, the pet owner, is not able to be around. A helpful tip may be to find a fun and engaging pet- sitter, walker, or a boarding facility when you intend on being away, especially for a longer period of time. Instead of a boarding facility that may offer a couple of 5-minute walks daily just to allow enough time for your dog to urinate and defecate, we suggest selecting a facility that offers plenty of playtime, not only with humans, but also with other dogs (as long as there is no aggression involved with your or others’ dog).

It's also important to teach your dog to assume a calm state when you are separated. The goal is to make him/her feel at ease when being in different rooms or environments, but cultivating this behavior in your dog can take time. At first, you should consider repeatedly leaving your dog by him- or her- self for a short duration and then rewarding him/her upon your return. Also consider establishing a word or phrase such as “be back soon” while petting your dog, before leaving, in order to establish an understanding between you and your pet about what is about to occur. The younger your dog is when being trained to not anxiously await your return, the better. 

Overall thoughts

Disciplining and training are important not only for good behavior in pets, but also for their mental health and stimulation. A disciplined dog, for example, is also less prone to suffering anxiety when meeting strangers and/or other animals. The best way to train your dog is with word/sound stimuli, action and reward; and you should avoid any type of punishment.

It is worth clarifying that rather than aggressive scolding, simple "No" or "uh-uh" sounds consistently used to stop bad behavior are best. Also, when your pet listens to you, you should consistently or at least often, reward him/her immediately after the desired behavior is shown. Follow up on your disciplinary vocalization of the 'No signal' by calming the pet and reinforcing the desirable behavior. Here's an example of this reinforcement: ask your pet to sit, then repeat 'sit' multiple times as your pet continues to be in a sitting position, while you hold treats in your hands for your pet to focus on; after your pet has continued to sit for a bit, you can finally reward him/her by finally giving it away!

[Please note that this article does not replace or take importance over actual intervention and advice by a trained veterinarian or behavior expert. In fact, here at Pawprint Depot we suggest you trust your dog’s expert over our general guide of how to train dogs effectively. Bear in mind that recommendations often change over time based on renewed scientific findings. ]

References:

• https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2020/09/09/misunderstanding-about-dog-separation-anxiety.aspx
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-and-training-teaching-calm-settle-and-relaxation-training
• https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/why-punishment-should-be-avoided
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200318104429.htm
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00499/full
  

[Published: September 23rd 2021
Edited: October 18th 2021]