Teaching Impulse Control in Dogs
“My dog knocks me down when I try to feed them. ”
“This dog! It tries to drag me down the porch steps every time we go outside.”
“If the doors open, my dog just bolts out!”
“He’s crazy when I’m giving him water, he knocks it out of my hand and spills it jumping on me every time.”
Impulse Control makes dogs stop and think about what they’re doing and give them the chance to correct it. A dog’s first impulse may be to jump on you when they first see you, impulse control means they know better. This teaches your dog to choose between jumping on someone (which gets them negative attention for 1 minute) or sitting and getting petted (positive attention for 2-3 minutes) - think of it as your dog “choosing to be a good dog”. Impulse control is something that comes with age and training so I suggest starting early. But this is something you can teach your dog at any age!
Impulse control needs 3 things:
1. Teach your dog a strong sit - Sit is easy to teach, so many owners just check it off their list. But sit is not a trick, it is a command, and therefore it needs to be implemented into your dog’s daily life.
2. Teach your dog “Wait” which means that they stay sitting for a moment before you allow them to do something.
3. A Release word – Say “OK!”, “Free Dog” or whatever word you want to use to tell your dog that they may be released from the sit & wait.
Where to implement:
Sit & Wait before putting on their leash
Sit & Wait at the door before going outside.
Sit & Wait at the tops or bottoms of stairs (call your dogs after)
Sit & Wait before being petted/meeting new people
Sit & Wait before meals
Sit & Wait during play time! Throw them for a curve ball by making them sit before you throw their toy again!
Persistence is KEY! You have to do these things every time. Lift the bowl up if they bounce up, make them wait it out. I make the dogs I keep at the kennel dog this and within 2-3 meals they already know how to do it. I’m sure your dog will figure it out in no time! Happy Training - KB