Got a mischevious mutt on your hands? Then you may know this scenario. You walk in the door and your pal greets you with elated tail wagging, wiggling and sloppy doggy kisses. Then suddenly, he's overcome with a guilty look and it's off to cower behind the couch. Uh-oh. You know what this means. Sure enough, a telltale trail of eggshells, coffee grinds, grease stains and tattered wrappers leads you to the scene of the crime: the kitchen. Your dog's done it again, raided the garbage.
You've tried whacking him, you've tried gating him, you've put him in dog house solitary for a few hours as punishment. Still, no matter how much you holler and scold, your dog's still up to his no-good hijinks with that darned kitchen trash pail every time you leave the house. What's a frustrated dog owner to do?
First of all, let's think about who we're dealing with here. It's a DOG. He might be your lovable pal, and at times he seems smarter than your husband, but the truth is, here's an animal that's at least two steps down on the food chain. Just remembering that fact alone may help you realize that your dog does not have advanced reasoning capacity.
Okay: now that we have the pooch perspective on higher learning, we can reason out the situation in a way that your dog will never be able.
If your dog is home alone, bored out of his doggy mind, he's eventually going to find his way into the kitchen. Sniffing around for a dropped crumb under the table, maybe doing a little counter-surfing on the sly. Then, he follows his nose to the fermenting dog buffet that you call garbage... and, half crazed from having to beg for his every meal, he immediately begins harfing down every delicious morsel. He can't help himself!
When you come home hours later and push your dog's nose into the mess while spanking his fanny, his limited brain is not ever going to master the long-term cause-and-effect of why garbage-raiding is bad and leads to a beating. In this immediate situation: he knows three variables: him, you, and the garbage. From that simple vantage point, your pushing his nose into the garbage equals a scolding.
However, when you're NOT there, that's only TWO variables: him, and the garbage. To him, that means "Let's chow down!" Later, when you come home, he's well-forgotten the garbage-raiding spree and only knows that 1. he's happy to see you, 2. there's garbage around, and 3. you're yelling at him. But he doesn't ask "Why?" because he has no ability to reason.
How are beatings and scoldings going to keep him from going on his trash rampages? They're not!
You can use simple Pavlov-style behavior conditioning to make your dog behave through positive reinforcement. The trick to this is repetition of a single stimuli: Command, execute, reward. All of this is immediate. It's also the reason dogs bark every time they hear a doorbell on the TV. But we'll never be able to explain to the dog that the doorbell on the TV is not the real doorbell. And you'll never convince him that if he stays away from the garbage he won't get a walloping. If you can, then I suggest you have him join MENSA, because that is one genius dog!
So, the real solution to the garbage raiding predicament is this: you're going to have to move the garbage out of your dog's reach. It's a simple fix for an annoying problem, and probably the only reason why you haven't done it already is because you don't want to change your stuff around for a dog. Well, you're not doing it for the dog! You're doing it for your own peace of mind.
Now, where can you move the garbage to? You can pick it up and place it on top of the washing machine, if that's behind a nearby door you can close. You can rearrange the cleaning products under your kitchen sink and fit it under there, and then buy or fashion a lock for the cabinet door. You can shut it in the garage on your way out. You can hoist it up on a countertop that your dog can't jump up on. You can stow it away in the bathroom.
There now, was that so hard? You didn't have to spend tons of money on dog obedience classes. You didn't have to go through the heartbreak of laying into your little pup when he's giving you those big, sad eyes. And best of all, you didn't have to come home and Febreeze the living heck out of your livingroom rug.
Move the garbage. For the love of dog!
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more information.
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Are you thinking about getting some discus then and want... Read More
You know that cats should always have a supply of... Read More
Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other... Read More
Having a dog is a little like having a baby.... Read More
Chihuahua Training is Easy! You may be wondering if Chihuahua... Read More
"On Trust" & "Paid For" for are one of the... Read More
It's been weeks since you went riding. Now you have... Read More
What's the best food for your Goldfish?Goldfish need food that... Read More
One of the reasons I strongly encourage horse owners to... Read More
General Info.Brine shrimps, or artemia, are a zooplankton used mainly... Read More
Every year, hundreds of thousands of cats and kittens are... Read More
Dog Travel SuppliesThe shopping part along for dog travel supplies... Read More
Boarding, Breeding, Training & Showing Stables:1. You need to fill... Read More
Like us, birds need variety in life. To be happy... Read More
I really do not hope your are eating something, but... Read More
Potty Training Your Puppy:Make sure you feed your dog at... Read More
"Where's the harm? My cat seems to enjoy chocolate and... Read More
Many cat owners believe that their good little kitty would... Read More
How important is a dog name? Well let's think about... Read More
Having a pet is an experiance that I think everyone... Read More
Talk to the animals?Yes.And what's more, they talk to us!If... Read More
Have you ever been to a dog kennel and listen... Read More
According to the American Humane Society, just 15% of dogs... Read More
Understanding where horses come from has been a long road... Read More
Witnessing your precious dog or cat having a seizure can... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Perhaps the best way to train your westie pups not... Read More
Training CollarsTraining collars are a tool many pet owners utilize... Read More
Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen... Read More
Having a cat allergy came as something of a surprise... Read More
Eclampsia, or milk fever, is an acute, life-threatening condition which... Read More
Dog careAccepting responsibility of your new pet friend is truly... Read More
Can cats and dogs live together without constantly being at... Read More
Here are 5 things to do to put the odds... Read More
Caring for your dogs teeth is a vital part of... Read More
Continued from part two.Epilepsy/seizure disorderWhen your Boxer is between 2... Read More
Is your home safe for your Furr Kids? It might... Read More
What kind of materials should you use when constructing a... Read More
When we talk about hypoallergenic dogs, we mean that they... Read More
One of the reasons I strongly encourage horse owners to... Read More
If you've ever watched as a cat "flipped" over fresh... Read More
Believe it or not boutiques for dogs are everywhere. Nowadays,... Read More
What does doing natural preventative care mean? I thought vaccinating,... Read More
You do clean your house don't you? Well you have... Read More
Get to know your beloved dog better with these insightful... Read More
Good filtration is the prime priority in the discus tank.... Read More
Do you own a horse? If so, then you have... Read More
Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people... Read More
The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With... Read More
You might think the most important bit of dog health... Read More
Cats need only be provided with decent shelter, food and... Read More
Pet |