Scruffy "No!"

"No!"-- Have you ever wondered how often do you say the word "no"?  Well, I have not said that word so many times in a day until Scruffy came into our lives.   



Dogs, in their natural habitat, run in packs or what they consider as family.  In a pack there is an alpha dog or the leader.  Dogs instinctively have this type of behavior in them.  So, when bringing a dog home for a pet, it is natural that the "alpha dog behavior" manifests in different ways.  It could be chewing on things, not listening to your calls, or pulling the leash when you take it for a walk.  Your new pet dog naturally wants to be the leader of the pack.  It is up to you to manage such behavior.  However, it is not an easy task to do.                   

The vet told us to make sure to let Scruffy know that we, the family members, are the alphas or the leaders of the family, not him.  And one way of letting him know is by telling him "No" every time he misbehaves.

Dogs learn through positive reinforcement.  When Scruffy is behaving well I give him a treat or say "good boy" and give him a belly rub, and when he misbehaves, I say "No" with a firm voice and let him sit beside me for a while (it is similar to time out for kids.. LOL!).  This has to be done repeatedly and consistently.

Well, disciplining Scruffy is still a work in progress.  Just like kids, he disobeys from time to time, or should I say most of the time.  

Caught in the act! 

He chewed my phone charger!

My eyeglasses too!