h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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training a dog is easy........ as long as you are persistant and get their attention.I have always had rescued dogs, sometimes dogs that had many homes before mine.I train in 2 ways... reward and reward! stop bad habits by holding the dog and making it do what you want, then reward. I.E put it in a lie down and hold it there while praising and giving tid bits. Harder is getting it to stop doing something and the ideal *stopper* is a sudden noise! I always carried a battery in a old tin one shake and the dog looks at me. then you can tell it what to do. Anything that makes a sudden noise... pebbles in a plastic bottle, a bell anything that you can get a loud noise from.Once you get their attention and they stop eating the cats food... digging the cabbage patch.. chasing rabbits.. jumping up etc. give them a treat. I used to dry liver in the oven a cut into tiny pieces only give them this treat for obeying commands Never shout or hit, dogs want to please the pack leader.. make sure you are the pack leader

Thanks for your advice. I find that my dog is very obedient when I'm around, but she does bad things while I'm gone, like digging through the trash (if she can get to it) and tearing open anything in a plastic bag (she thinks it's food). How do you get your dog to stop doing things when you're not there?

dogs do things due to boredom....... when you go out give her a big bone or something that will keep her occupied...... I have made a parcel of dog biscuits in toilet roll holders in cereal boxes in more cereal boxes...(do not use tape or string though, dog could choke)or pushed minced meat or corned beef in a cleaned bone and then put the box/bone where it is easy to find, you will come home to a *snowstorm* of chewed card but other things are left alone... trash smell interesting to a dog so bin it before you go out.Never make a big fuss of her when you go out, but welcome her when you get back so she gets used to you going out as a quiet thing.If possible keep her confined to one room while you are out.Although I say her..... I have had male and female dogs