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Preventing Litigation

With Britain seemingly catching up with the litigious nature of American society, legal actions are becoming more commonplace.  You can be sued for millions if a cup of coffee, which common sense would tell you is very hot, does not contain a warning label to that effect prior to someone dumping it onto their lap and getting burns.  Parents are brought into court because their child kissed another child at school and someone called this sexual harassment.  A would-be thief sued and won in a case where he broke his arm by tipping over a soda vending machine in an attempt to steal from it.  All of these suits and more happen on what seems a daily basis and you just brought your own little lawsuit factory to live with you, in the form of an adorable little puppy. 

It is true that this innocent looking little ball of fur can turn into a nasty, snarling, lawsuit building monster within moments.  All it takes is one act of territorial aggression or even self-defence and your pet has just cost you thousands of pounds and, possibly, the animal itself.  So how will train assist this poor outcome? 

By teaching your pet, not to jump, nip, bite, threaten or behave as an aggressor, you save yourself possible legal actions and a lot of sleepless nights.  After all, who really wants to own the dog that just mauled the neighbours' two-year-old child for pulling its tail or killed the prize-winning cat of the lady next door?  So how do we stop the bad behaviour?

 Well, for starters, every dog should learn the "NO" command. This simple one word command is precise and definite in its meaning.  It tells the animal to stop whatever it is doing and instead give you full and complete attention.  This command should be trained consistently and often.  If the animal is trying to chase a cat, loudly and clearly say "NO" and restrain the animal.  If the dog is jumping up, again utter "NO" and perhaps a light swat to the nose as reinforcement of the command.  This simple command will stop most behaviour once it is learned.

A similar command is "Leave It" and is taught in much the same way.  For training in this command, let the dog approach the forbidden object of its attention and then pull the leash taut and pronounce, "Leave it".  After a few moments, the dog will give up and return to you after which it should be rewarded generously.  By doing this, the dog learns that no matter what temptation is presented; your reward for leaving it will be much greater.

A dog's natural instinct is to jump up and greet someone.  While this is cute in the puppy stage a one hundred pound adult dog can knock you to the ground and, for a stranger, be quite a frightening experience.   Your dog can be taught to stay down by starting when they are pups to curb the jumping behaviour by ignoring them when they jump and rewarding them when they sit calmly.  To break the habit in older dogs, you may have to resort to more strenuous enforcements such as a squirt of water when they jump up or even an electrical collar.

Dogs should be familiarised with people who will enter the yard on a daily basis such as the mail carrier or package delivery personnel.  They should learn that these individuals are not threats by taking the time to introduce them to your pet and perhaps even asking them to offer the pet some kind of treat.  The animal should, at all times, be taught that nipping or biting is unwanted behaviour and will result in a punishment of some form, for example, a squirt of cold water followed by the "NO" command or a light but convincing swat on the nose.  In worst-case scenarios, a muzzle may be in order.

With these simple suggestions, you are certain to have a safer environment for your pet and those around you as well as lowered risks of legal actions being brought against you.

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Disclaimer:  This article is supplied for informative purposes only. Seapets Ltd has done its very best to make sure that the above information is up-to-date and correct, but takes no responsibility for any consequences resulting from the following of this advice. As always, it is recommended that you consult with your local vet regarding any concerns that you may have for your pet.