A terrier holds up a sign that says "Three Truths About Dogs"…that every owner should know.

© Stacy Braslau-Schneck, CPDT

A Tired Dog Is A Good Dog

Golden retriever looks at handler while walking
A tired dog is a good dog

Give the dog the exercise he needs – physical and mental –  and he will spend much of his day resting – not chewing, barking, digging, escaping, or destroying things.

For some ideas on how give your dog more active and mental stimulation without exhausting yourself, see “Ditch the Bowl“. 

Your Reactions Affect Your Dog’s Actions

If you allow your dog to be rewarded for some action, he’s likely to repeat it. Consciously allow rewards to happen for actions you like, and prevent your dog from getting rewarded by you or the environment for actions you don’t want to encourage.

For more information on how to capture rewardable moments, see the Clicker Training Introduction.

Dogs Do What Works

Big Bernese Mountain Dog jumps up to be scratched by a smiling woman with long, dark hairDogs will act in ways that they’ve learned are successful, ways that gain them Good Things and help them avoid Bad Things. Behavior that is rewarded is going to be repeated.

To learn more about how consequences affect behavior, see the Animal Trainer’s Introduction To Operant and Classical Conditioning.


All material copyright Stacy Braslau-Schneck.

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