Does your dog have stage fright?

The truth is, there might not be a reason for the dog to understand this. When you train a dog, you have to realize that they learn by associations. If they're repeatedly corrected or punished for going to the bathroom, they probably begin to think that they have to conceal it from you in order to avoid punishment. This, obviously, is not the goal: you want the dog simply to go in a place you choose. So how do you get a dog with "stage fright" to go to the bathroom outdoors and not hold it in?

Remember the principles of punishment and rewards for dogs: they'll associate each with the specific action they produced. For example, if you punish your dog for going outside, it might not get the whole picture; it might think that it's being punished for its waste being discovered. In fact, this isn't the whole story, is it? You have to be consistent with your dog and offer it reward when it does go to the bathroom the correct way. This means you'll have to be present.

If a dog goes to the bathroom outdoors in your presence and receives praise or even a treat, it will begin to understand that this is the desirable behavior. Because it knows it is punished if it goes indoors, the dog will begin to hold it in until you can take the dog outside. But what about simply letting the dog out as well?

If you want to train your dog to go by yourself as well as with you watching, you'll probably want to train the dog to go with you present first. This way, they know they won't be punished for it; in fact they'll be rewarded. But once your dog starts coming to you when it's time to go outside, you can simply let the dog out and watch it from indoors, rewarding it when it's done the deed on its own. It will begin to realize that both behaviors - as long as it's outdoors - are perfectly fine and even sometimes earn a reward.

Stop thinking about talking to a dog and start thinking about what your actions say. You'll have to be consistent and deliberate, but eventually a dog will adapt to your actions and begin to act the right way habitually.

Photo Credits: Tambako the Jaguar

Dog Walking.

1. Don't let your dog control you.

If you're going to enforce any rules of etiquette with your dog, you have to get used to managing your dog's boundaries; not the other way around. This means that you should be used to correcting a dog if it makes a mistake like veering off into a neighbor's yard and going to the bathroom. Be quick to gently poke or prod your dog into walking in line with you; this will have enormous benefits when you try any of the other rules of dog etiquette. It will also help your dog to socialize with people and other dogs without getting aggressive, as you'll want to reinforce a happy, relaxed mood in your dog.

2. Clean up after your dog.

This isn't the prettiest rule of thumb, but it's something you should do out of respect for your neighbors. Follow the golden rule here: if someone let their dog excrete waste in your yard, you'd want them to pick it up. Do the same for your neighbors - they'll be less likely to complain about your dog and will feel that you've got things under control.

Also, you can help avoid this problem by housebreaking your dog and training it so that it knows to only go in your yard. Make sure that you watch your dog use the bathroom in your yard and reinforce this behavior through a positive reward like a treat or some affection.

3. Help your dog socialize and immediately correct aggressive behavior.

The reason it's so crucial to have good control of your dog is that an encounter between two dogs can turn bad quickly - even if your dog is well-trained. You'll want to make sure you've trained your dog to respond to social situations by being relaxed and deferring to you. If your dog starts to growl, don't just admonish it; get its attention through a quick tug on the leash and let it know that you won't put up with that mood. If your dog is having too much trouble, remove it from the situation as quickly as possible. Remember, you set the rules.

Photo Credits: danagraves