Many owners complain that their dogs are stubborn and refuse to listen to commands. There are several reasons that a dog might seem stubborn. He could be confused or simply not motivated to work for his owner. He might be a member of a breed developed over centuries of selective breeding to trust its own instincts rather than obey human commands. Stubborn dogs are just as trainable as any other dog. The key is to learn what motivates your dog and adjust your training methods to fit his personality.
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Dogs Not Motivated by Food Rewards
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Dogs that don't want food rewards are often seen as stubborn. It's frustrating for any owner to offer a delicious treat in exchange for a behavior like "sit" and instead watch the dog walk away to sniff a tree. While most dogs will work for treats, there are many dogs who don't value food rewards. These dogs must be motivated in a different way to learn.
If your dog doesn't like treats, spend some time before your next training session observing what your dog does like. Does she enjoy her kibble but turn her nose up at biscuits? If so, instead of feeding kibble meals all at once in a bowl, turn mealtime into a training session. Use individual kibbles instead of training treats. You have to work for your supper--so can your dog.
For dogs that don't enjoy any food enough to work for it, play is a possible motivational tool. Ball-crazy dogs will perform behaviors in exchange for a toss of their favorite tennis ball. Dogs that enjoy tug-of-war can get a brief tug session each time they obey a command. Some dogs will work simply for praise or a good scratch in their favorite spot. Dogs that are easily distracted by squirrels, people and other dogs can be trained by requiring a behavior before the dog is permitted to chase a squirrel or greet a guest.
If you're having trouble figuring out what motivates your dog, complete the following sentence: "There's nothing my dog loves more than...." Then, find a way to use whatever finishes the sentence as a motivational tool during training.
Dogs Who Train Their Humans
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Some stubborn dogs aren't stubborn at all. They're just a little too smart. When a dog realizes that he can achieve the same results by ignoring commands as by obeying them, in the owner's mind he is being stubborn, but in the dog's mind he's figured out how to live a comfortable life with no effort on his part. If your "stubborn" dog gets whatever he wants simply by waiting until you give up on getting what you want, he's training you.
Stop allowing your dog to train you to meet his needs without asking anything of him. Implement a Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) program in your household. All family members must participate in order for this training technique to work. If someone isn't on board, the dog will simply learn to turn to the "soft touch" in the family to give him an easy way out. Call a family meeting and explain that, from now on, your dog must do something you want in order to get something he wants.
For example, if the dog wants to go outside, he must sit on command before you open the door. If he would like his breakfast, he must sit and stay while you set the bowl down and wait for a release cue before he approaches the bowl to eat. If your dog wants a walk, he must lie down and wait quietly while you put on your shoes and his leash. If the dog wants to get on the sofa and receive a belly rub, he must first sit on the floor and shake hands with the human sitting on the sofa.
Dogs will initially resist a NILIF training program, but within weeks you will see improvement. Your dog will become more manageable and obedient during training sessions and throughout the day. Stick to your guns and don't allow a pouting dog to talk you out of requiring him to perform a behavior correctly in order to get what he wants. Soon your friends will be wondering what happened to your old, stubborn dog and where you got your new well-behaved pooch!
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