Part of my resolutions for this year in the Pets Blog included writing more articles that you, Dear Reader, would like to see. To gauge just what those might be, I posted a poll in the forum and welcomed replies.
One request that came back was about behavior. Mostly modifying it to encourage better behavior.
First off, let me plainly state I am no animal behavior expert. Like many of you, I am simply owned by my pets and am lucky enough to have a forum where I can also indulge my passion for writing about animals.
However, even though I’m not officially accredited by any institution when it comes to altering behaviors, I’m naturally intuitive about such things. Be it when I was a little girl with my first dog Mackie or with the three amigos I live with currently, anyone who has ever seen me and my pets together comments about our connection and their well-mannered behavior.
“It’s as if they understand what you’re saying to them. They’re so good!”
But they don’t just marvel at my relationship with my own pets. It’s the rare animal I meet that I don’t automatically get along with.
How do I do this?
I’m no Dog Whisperer or Tamar Geller. They’ve both had far more practical practice than me. However, one thing I do share in common with them is my ability to “read” animals.
That’s the first step in training or disciplining them. You know what you want them to do, but you first have to understand where they’re coming from and what’s making them act a certain way.
Are they bored? Afraid? Frustrated? Lonely? Nervous? If you and your pet are currently at odds because they’re exhibited behavior and the one you want them to display differ, you’ve got to understand what’s triggering their behavior. Then you can take steps to change it.
Keep in mind, they want to please you and be the best companion possible. But you need to be the best companion to them too. That means paying attention to what they’re telling you. Bad behavior is one way for them to communicate that they need something more from you.
Once you’re able to isolate the root of the evil, you can move on to Lesson 2: Trial and Error (forthcoming).
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