The biggest and best way to help with How to prevent your dog or puppy from embarrassing you in public is through obedience classes and basic training, although there are several different ways an individual could learn how to prevent a puppy or dog from doing things they shouldn’t.
Teaching old dog new tricks is just as easy as teaching a puppy to behave. However, getting a puppy to perform basic skills like sit, stay, come and heel, which is walking next to you, should be done as early as possible so that when they are older, they know what is expected of them and will listen to their owners.
Puppies need to know they are going to be cared for and loved as well as where their boundaries are. Boundaries are important for a dog so they know what they can and can not do, so they know what is expected of them and so they won’t embarrass their owners. Although it can be both frustrating and rewarding, training a puppy is well worth the long hours and time put into it because eventually, you will have a well behaved dog.
It is most embarrassing when people come to your house and a puppy or dog full of energy comes bounding around the corner and jumps up on the visitor. This is especially difficult when the person visiting does not like or care for dogs.
Helping your puppy or dog learn the basic commands such as sit, stay or down will help them to calm down and be a better pet. Dogs and puppies especially are simply playfully and don’t realize they are actually attacking your guests and visitors. Having a trained puppy or dog that will stay on command until you tell them to move is priceless. They will remain in the position you put them in, such as a down stay, no matter what is going on around them. That is the beauty of dog training and how it will cut down on embarrassing times.
Dog school is a great place for puppies and dogs to learn good manors and how to control their energy. It will depend on the breed of dog and the amount of time and effort put forth by the owner as to when a puppy or dog ‘gets’ the training right and learns the appropriate commands for sitting, staying and heeling next to the owner.
One of the more important commands a puppy should learn is ‘leave it’. This command is very helpful when taking a puppy or dog on a walk and they want to sniff or investigate everything or anything along the way. For example if there is something on the sidewalk, a discarded cigarette or a sandwich wrapper, a dog’s natural curiosity and hunger will send them barreling towards the item, but if they know the command ‘don’t touch’ they will continue on with their walking and leave the item alone, not giving it a second thought. There is another time in which the ‘no’ command would be necessary and that is when the dog or puppy would come face to face with another dog. This is because proper dog welcoming is to sniff the rear and not lick the face. Some dogs are sensitive to other dogs getting in their face.
In puppy or dog classes, owners and their dogs will practice what is known as the ‘meet and greet’ in which the class splits up into to groups and walks towards each other. They stop about a foot apart and put their dogs on a sit stay next to them. Then they shake hands with the other person and sometimes the teacher will have them swing their arm out over the dog and pat each other on the arm or shoulder. This exercise shows the dog that it’s okay for their ‘parent’ to interact with others while they sit by and watch. No jumping or barking is requires.
Learning How to prevent your dog or puppy from embarassing you takes a lot of effort and time on the part of the owner but it will be worth it to have a dog that is well behaved at all times. A commitment to practice with your dog is also needed and to follow through with that commitment so that you and your dog are working towards a goal of no more embarrassing moments either in the house or in public.
Puppy training can be frustrating. Training a dog requires discipline and consistancy. When experiencing problems, consult a professional.