It’s not easy to live with a housemate or roommate.When that ‘mate’ is a dog, it is particularly important to set out from the start what is acceptable and what is not. Otherwise chaos and frustration will rule your house.When you are proactive, firm and consistent; it will vastly increase the odds for a harmonious house.
We all need boundaries, in relationships, at work, with friends, family and children. People may test boundaries and resist them, but they also provide security and guidelines for our behaviour. It is therefore necessary that a dog who lives with you and are allowed in the house need to know where the boundaries are. Unlike humans, dogs can’t figure things out for themselves, or instinctively know what they can and can’t do in a situation.
To live in harmony with your pet, it is crucial that he/she knows, right from the start, what is acceptable and what behaviour is not. It will only confuse the dog if, for instance, you tolerate sleeping on your bed (or in the bedroom) when it first arrives and then banish it to the kitchen after a few weeks.
Before you bring the dog home, decide were in the house the dog will be allowed, where it will sleep. As a result the dog will learn where it’s ‘space’ is; and where the human’s space is. It’s important that the dog has its special place where it can feel safe; whether a doggy bed or a corner of the kitchen. Dogs are pack animals and as the leader of the pack, you need to show the dog where it can go/lie down and where not.
Be consistent in your behaviour towards the dog; then the chances will be less that you’ll find the dog has chewed your leather sofa or left a puddle on your expensive carpet. This is particularly important when there are surfaces (like carpets) and furniture (like a beige sofa) that are difficult to clean. Make it clear to the dog from the start that it’s not allowed in certain spaces.
While dogs are often left in and sleep in the kitchen, it is a dangerous place where accidents can happen. It’s a place where the dog can be injured or cause damage and expense. Kitchen rule one: No standing with front paws on the table or counter. If left unchecked, at some stage, he/she will put a paw in your plate of food, spill boilingly hot liquid, or cause the special leg of lamb to land on the floor. The sooner your dog learns this valuable lesson the better.
A well behaved dog is a wonderful companion in the house, but it doesn’t just happen. It needs proactive, consistent, firm and fair behaviour from you as the Top Dog.
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