BUILDING TRUST

BUILDING TRUST
Picture your dog getting loose and chasing a cat across the road. Your heart is in your mouth because you are afraid a car might hit him. When he finally returns, you are angry and soundly scold him for chasing the cat and giving you such a scare.Here is how your dog looks at this situation. First, he chased the cat, which was a lot of fun. Then he came back to you and was reprimanded, which was no fun at all. What you wanted to teach him was not to chase the cat. What you actually taught him was that coming to you is unpleasant.
One of the commands you will want to teach Felix is to come when called. To be successful, remember this principle: Whenever your dog comes to you, be nice to him. Reward this behavior. No matter what your dog might have done, be pleasant and greet him with a kind word, a pat on the head, and a smile. Teach your dog to trust you by being a safe place for him. When he is with you, follows you, or comes to you, make him feel wanted.
When you call your dog to you and then punish him, you undermine his trust in you. When your dog comes to you voluntarily and gets punished, he associates being punished with coming to you.
You might ask “How can I be nice to my dog when he brings me the remains of one of my brand new shoes, or when he wants to jump on me with muddy paws, or when I just discovered an unwanted present on the carpet?” For the answers, you will have to read this book; it will show you how to deal with all these situations without undermining his trust in you.