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Correcting your pug’s behavior problems can be challenging

While many Pug owners have mastered basic training commands and have their pet “sit” and “stay” when ordered, there usually comes a time when these basic training techniques are not enough. Often times, a Pug, or any dog, will develop behavior that you really don’t want to continue. It is important to remember that the guiding principles of effective training still apply, but the approach will need to be a little different. You will still have to be patient and consistent, but now you will have the added task of stopping the unwanted behavior when it starts and getting your dog to focus on an alternative behavior to replace the unwanted behavior. To do this successfully, you need to take a basic two-step approach.

For example, many Pug owners complain that their Pug is a constant barker and clearly this is behavior that will need to be controlled. This is especially true if you have neighbors who complain or live in an environment that has rules against dog barking after certain hours. So how do you get a dog to stop barking? The first step is to stop the unwanted behavior. This can be done with a noise that will catch your Pug’s attention when he starts barking. Any other noise will work. Shaking a metal can with pebbles or nails will produce a sound that will momentarily distract your Pug and stop the barking. You should also say “no” in a tone that you associate with unwanted behavior. Modifying your voice is one of the best tools you have at your disposal to let your Pug know that you approve or disapprove of his behavior. Generally, the positive voice is softer and higher-pitched than the severe, high-pitched “no.” You shouldn’t yell at your Pug. Using the same words in each positive situation, such as “good boy” or something similar, will also help your dog associate the words with good behavior. A different tone for negative behavior with different words, such as “no” or “stop”, will let your Pug know that you are not satisfied with his current actions.

In the case of a barking Pug, you should say “no” and shake the can to stop it barking. When it stops you want to take the second step in this approach and reward the silence with your positive words and a show of affection. Let your dog know that you appreciate his silence. That is the behavior you want to encourage. At first you can reward him with a treat, but we know many specialists in animal behavior who say that you should never have food as a reward. Good behavior should be rewarded with positive words and other signs of affection. Pugs are happy when they make their owners happy, and you can achieve amazing results from training and behavior modification with words of praise and displays of affection. What you want to avoid is a Pug that will only do things for food. However, we confess that we don’t see much harm in an occasional treatment, especially at the end of a successful training session. They always seem so happy to get that little whim.

Any hope of modifying your Pug’s behavior will be lost if you are not consistent with your expectations. If you don’t want your Pug to do certain things, you should never allow that behavior. For example, if you don’t want your dog to ruin your cute clothes by jumping up to greet you, you shouldn’t allow that behavior when wearing clothes that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. The biggest training mistake owners make is that they forget that their Pug is just a dog. They will not know when certain behaviors are acceptable and under what conditions they are not. Be consistent and patient and do short training sessions with your little friend and you are sure to have a well behaved Pug.

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