Improve Your Dog’s Behaviour with the Help of One Product

Find Out How Dogs Beds Help Develop Good Habits in Training

One of the great joys of being a dog-owner is watching your pets grow up, adapt, and change as they become adults and seniors. Realizing that they learn and develop in many of the same ways humans do can be the foundation for an incredible emotional connection, and often also facilities a long and healthy life for any animal. However, it’s not always an easy path to get there — dogs who possess strong and deeply ingrained habits developed with previous owners, like incessant chewing, biting, begging for food, and clinginess can be difficult to train. Many of these patterns are psychological in nature and require lots of patience and love to work through. Below are some tips to help you and your pet foster a great relationship.

1. Create a “Time-Out” Space

Dog professionals frequently remind us that positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative reinforcement or punishment when dealing with unwanted pet behaviours. However, what lots of pet-owners don’t realize is that they can do real damage by offering the dog treats, affection, and attention at the wrong moment. When your pet begs for food at the table, for example, giving him a crumb even just once means that he will associate begging with a reward, and continue to beg at every one of your mealtimes. To break the pattern, send your dog to a space that is purely his own. One of our double donut couches or foam mattresses is perfect for this, because they’re soft, supportive, and much better for your dog’s joints than a hard floor. At first, you may have to coerce or lift him to get him into his “time-out,” but soon it will become routine. Especially if you use a bed as comfortable and cozy as a Mammoth, he’ll be eager to get in and take a nap!

1. Create Strategic Rewards

After you’re finished your meal, reward the dog for staying in his bed with a dog treat. This way, the dog will remember that he only receives praise and food if he does not beg for a certain amount of time. He’ll associate good behaviour with a good feeling more strongly than he would bad behaviour with a bad feeling. If it’s difficult to keep him in time-out for your entire mealtime, try five minutes first, and then extend the time when your pet has learned that there’s a treat waiting at the end of it.

2. Remember: Exercise and Rest

Often, dogs let out their excess energy by chewing, digging, or otherwise destroying possessions or backyards. It’s incredibly important to take canines, especially big breeds, out of long walks or hikes, or to play vigorously with a ball so that they don’t gain weight and develop problems out of pure boredom. Not only will a dog leave you alone to sleep when he’s tired, but he’s also much less likely to develop joint issues later in life if those muscles are in good shape. Combine that exercise with daily sleep in an expertly designed orthopedic bed, and you’re sure to spend many years free of joint pain with your pup!