Want a Better Behaved Dog? Apply Affection Strategically.

By Terie Hansen

We all love to shower our dogs with attention, love, praise and most of the time for no other reason than they are cute. But many times, too much affection and not enough structure is hurting your dog.  It can create a bratty, ill behaved, entitled, nervous, even aggressive dog. As a trainer I’ve worked with many families who’s dogs have gotten to the point where the family just can’t stand the bad behaviors any longer. The answer to a better behaved dog is structure discipline, boundaries and using affection strategically and dare I say, sparingly. [Read more…]