How to Encourage Good Behaviour from your Pet
Loving your four-legged companion is easy. Getting them to learn the rules? Not so much. Here’s what you need to know to have the most pawesome pet ever!
- 1. Set the rules and don’t break them. Remember, your pet has to fit in with the family routine, not vice versa, so make it clear who’s boss.
- 2. If your pet behaves inappropriately in certain situations (e.g. children’s parties), then limit their exposure to those situations whenever possible.
- 3. Stick to set meal times (for your pet) and discourage begging at the family table or jumping up on benchtops where meals are prepared.
- 4. Encourage good behaviour with praise, attention and rewards.
- 5. Never punish your pet physically or with undue force: this may only lead to aggression or further bad behaviour.
- 6. Expose a new pet to other family members (including other pets) as soon as possible, in the environment you want them to live in.
- 7. Seek help for major behavioural problems before they seriously disrupt family life. Retraining is possible with most behavioural problems; ask your vet for advice, or research pet behaviour on the Internet.
