Pet Articles
Dogs – Nothing in Life is Free – NILF
Does your dog: Get on the furniture and refuse to get off? Nudge your hand, insisting on being petted or played with? Refuse to come when called? Defend its food bowl or toys from you? “Nothing in life is free” can help. “ Nothing in life is free” is not a magic pill that will solve a specific behavior problem; rather it’s a way of living with your dog that will help it behave better because it trusts and accepts you as its leader and is confident knowing its
place in your family.
How To Practice “Nothing In Life Is Free:”
- Using positive reinforcement methods, teach your dog a few commands and/or tricks. “Sit,” “Down” and “ Stay” are useful commands and “Shake,” “Speak” and “Rollover” are fun tricks to teach your dog.
- Once your dog knows a few commands, you can begin to practice “nothing in life is free.” Before you give your dog anything (food, a treat, a walk, a pat on the head) it must first perform one of the commands it has learned.
For example:
| You | Your dog |
|---|---|
| Put your dog’s leash on to go for a walk | Must sit until you’ve put the leash on |
| Feed your dog | Must lie down and stay until you’ve put the bowl down |
| Play a game of fetch after work | Must sit and shake hands each time you throw the toy |
| Rub your dog’s belly while watching TV | Must lie down and rollover before being pet |
The Benefits of This Technique:
- Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. Requiring a dominant dog to work for everything it wants is a safe and non-confrontational way to establish control.
- Dogs who may never display aggressive behavior such as growling, snarling, or snapping, may still manage to manipulate you. These dogs may display affectionate, though “pushy” behavior, such as nudging your hand to be petted or “worming” its way on to the furniture in order to be close to you. This technique gently reminds the “pushy” dog that it must abide by your rules.
- Obeying commands helps build a fearful dog’s confidence; having a strong leader and knowing its place in the hierarchy helps to make the submissive dog feel more secure.
Why This Technique Works:
Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish a social structure within the group called a dominance hierarchy. This dominance hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict and promote cooperation among pack members. In order for your home to be a safe and happy place for pets and people, it’s best that the humans in the household assume the highest positions in the dominance hierarchy. Practicing “nothing in life is free” effectively and gently communicates to your dog that its position in the hierarchy is subordinate to yours. From your dog’s point of view, children also have a place in this hierarchy. Because children are small and can get down on the dog’s level to play, dogs often consider them to be playmates, rather than superiors. With the supervision of an adult, it’s a good idea to encourage children in the household (aged eight and over) to also practice “nothing in life is free” with your dog.
Article courtesy of Dumb Friends League
Reproduced by permission
www.ddfl.org – All Rights Reserved.
Other related articles of interest may include:
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? A lesson in becoming Alpha
Puppy socialization – socializing your dog
Canine Rivalry
Can someone out there help us with our Bassett Hound. She is 9 yrs old and is getting us up at 4 AM to go to the bathroom. She will NOT stop whinning until we let her out. We took her to the Vet and she does not have a UTI. But this can NOT continue. Is there a solution to the problem? Any ideas?
Barb, even if she doesn’t have a UTI, she still may be starting to have difficulty holding it due to her age. I hate when my dogs wake me up to go out!. But I hate it even more to think that they are uncomfortable trying to hold it, or having to clean up after them if they can’t hold it. Take her out as late as possible before you go to bed, or if you happen to get up to use the bathroom yourself in the middle of the night let her out then. Or, is she crate trained? Maybe if you put her in her crate it might help, but then again, when you gotta go, you gotta go! If she has to go and you make her hold it, then she could possibly END UP with a UTI from having “old urine” in her bladder.