We all know it’s hard to train an outside dog to stay inside and be calm, destroy as little as possible and behave nicely. Especially if the dog was used to running around a big yard, the transition will be close to impossible, because your dog will get bored easily. And besides, everything seems more exciting inside, everything seems chewy and perfect to jump on. If you add up the leaving house issue, your dog will get separation anxiety. It’s easier for him to deal with you not being home if he stays outside because he can take his mind off of things by doing whatever he does. If he’s stuck inside it will be pure hell for him, because he has limited space and limited opportunities, so you may come back home to a disaster. There are, however, some things you can do to ease this big change for him.
[See image gallery at www.hereinthishouse.com]Take it easy
Patience is the best ability you should develop. Trying to train your dog to be compliant, especially if he’s a big dog with an outstanding personality, can be very tricky and nerve-racking. But all you have to do is take everything step by step. This is not only new for you, but it’s also new for him too, so both of you should adjust to the situation.
If you newly adopted your dog, he can even be very anxious, not knowing what will happen and being afraid you may not keep him. Be strong, gain his confidence and don’t try to punish him, because it won’t work. You’ll just get on each other’s nerves all the time.
Rewards for every small accomplishment
There are plenty of possibilities of what you can give a dog for anxiety. There are a lot of chew toys with little rewards that you can put inside and, word has it, dogs really like them. They keep the boredom away and their brains busy. It’s like a puzzle, finding out how to get the treat from it.
Then there are treats for dogs with anxiety that can help calm them down. Give some to them when they do something good, pat them on their head and show them you agree. Dogs are very smart and they catch up on things faster than you’d think, even when they are already adults. They really appreciate your understanding and patience.
Show them love and affection and encourage appropriate behaviours for inside. Make them understand they are loved no matter what. There are a lot of ways to calm down your best furry friend. You just have to understand what works best for yours.
Communicate
Communication is key. That’s a cliché, but don’t say it doesn’t work. It’s very important to talk to your dog, and we all know they get it one way or another. They don’t speak our language, but they can catch up on what we want from them even from the tone of our voice. Maybe they don’t get what they did wrong right away, but eventually, they will. You just have to be trustful, firm and supportive.