CHARLOTTE, N.C.- If only a Dog Whisperer could tell you what your dog is really thinking. Some pet owners struggle with dogs barking at strangers or jumping on people.
The first big complaint pet owners have is when dogs aggressively bark at strangers. Dog Wizard Trainer Danielle Kharmen says people typically think dog’s are being protective. In actuality, they’re just scared, “The dog is saying I’m afraid of this thing and when I bark it goes away and when it does go away, I won.”
The second big complaint is jumping on people. David Welles and his wife love Cooper; their 1 year old brittany-spaniel mix. What they don’t like, is when he jumps all over their friends, “He’d jump up on you when you come in the door, you couldn’t even take a second. Jumping up on the furniture.”
Here’s what trainer Danielle says, “What’s really happening and what’s going on in the dogs mind is, okay, if I jump I get attention faster.” Train the dog by only giving attention when they’re calm and sitting.
Another complaint, when your dog is chewing on something they’re not supposed to be chewing on. Some pet owners think it’s separation anxiety, but they’re just bored and chewing on the sofa makes them feel productive.
If you don’t give them a job, they’ll find one and it may be your new shoes.
Now this last complaint also hits home for David. He says it’s frustrating when Cooper doesn’t come when called, “You open up the front door and he would just bolt out that front door good luck you would have to run after him to get him back.”
Here’s the trainers solution, “The solution to that certainly is training your dog to come when called and giving all kind of freedom as a result of that and all kinds of praise and all good things come when you come.”
Getting to the root of what your dog is really trying to say is the trick to having a great, long lasting relationship with man’s best friend.
