Dogs need stimulation. They were all originally bred to do some type of task, whether it was to chase rats out of castles or herd sheep, dogs are programmed to help. Dogs need purpose in their life, so give it to them!
Every morning have them perform a task for you. Doing this in the morning is important as it sets the ‘accomplished’ tone for the rest of the day. It gives them a sense that they started off the day by doing something good and helpful.
First off, your dog needs to have a cache of tricks. Nothing fancy but sit, shake paw, roll over are all good starting points. If they don’t know any tricks spend time each morning teaching them.
Once they’ve got some tricks under their belt practice these every morning. Build onto it until they have perfected each one, then add a new one. Repeat every morning.
Bottom line: give your dog a sense of purpose and the feeling that they did something great; it’ll create a habit of good behaviour and more importantly a stronger bond between you.
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