Teaching Your Old Dog New Tricks

Owning a dog can be one of the best experiences in a man's lives, but this can also be a difficult proposition, because of the natural instincts of dogs. Dogs live in large groups, this is one of the reasons that dogs and man have been living side by side for centuries. Dogs were first domesticated for the services such as hunting, rodent prevention, security, and companionship. However, human social groups function on a completely different set of rules, than dog packs. For example, human interaction is based on hierarchical relationships. These can be seen in the relationships between parents and children, or employees and managers. However, the systems that govern life in a pack of dogs is based on strength, aggressiveness, and dominance. These rules work well as long as pack-rules remain in the wild, and human-rules remain in the confines of human civilization. However, since men and dogs have worked together for centuries these rules are destined to collide. The battleground is not the streets, and it is not the fields. It is your house, if you own a dog. These battles have been traditionally fought with leashes, spray bottles, and rolled up periodicals. Despite man's best efforts, the use of violence and intimidation rarely works. Instead of subduing the dog, these methods usually simply antagonize the dog, and leads to more confrontations. Dogs can be trained. For instance, if a dog will not stay off the bed, then you can purchase one of the many types of dog beds, which includes memory foam beds. Dog beds are made to fit the dog they are intended for. There are dog beds for small breeds such as Dachshunds and Terriers as well as large dog beds. Dogs can learn which bed is theirs by scent, since a dog's olfactory senses are far greater than any human's. Simply by adding the dog's favorite blanket and toys to their beds, as well as placing the dog in its assigned spot for several days, the dog can learn which space is theirs and which space is yours.

This method of training does not rely on intimidation or violence, but preys on the dog's natural instincts and strengths. Based on the information presented here in this article, anyone who cannot keep their furry friend off the couch or out of the bed should consider purchasing a dog bed. Teach your old dog some new tricks, and take control of your house.