Understanding Dogs and Cats
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| Understanding
dogs and cats
Dogs and cats don’t have a sense of right or wrong. They don’t feel "guilty" when they have done something "wrong". If you reprimand the animal and it cringes, it is simply anticipating the punishment signalled by your words and body language. It won’t know that it has done "wrong" and it is unlikely to associate the punishment with the crime. The traditional "rubbing his nose in it" approach will only serve to distress the animal. Proper training requires a structured program. You can train a dog or cat to change its behaviour patterns, but to do this successfully you should have a well thought out training program which is logical, consistent and ongoing. There are many good reference books available on the subject and numerous websites on the Internet offering advice and guidance. Remember, firstly, that you must punish or reward within a few seconds of the event, otherwise the animal will not be able to associate effect with cause. And secondly, training dogs and cats is all about repetition and reinforcement, so persistence is definitely the key to success. Dogs and cats have a sense of smell which is 100’s of times stronger than that of a human. Smells play a very important part in the animal’s life. Sniffing around your garden will tell the dog or cat whether or not it is free to visit! It is normal behaviour for dogs and cats to mark out their territory with urine or faeces. In this way each animal leaves its own distinct "calling card" which lets other animals know they are not welcome. It also brings a dog or cat back to the same spot for repeat visits. They won’t urinate near their food or sleeping basket. So if you have problems with dogs and cats messing in your garden, the first step is to remove any droppings and carefully wash away any urine. This should be done as soon as possible after the event. KEEP OFF is designed to tackle problem behaviour by prevention rather than cure. You can use it to create "no go" zones in your garden or in other areas around the home. KEEP OFF has been specially developed to confuse the animal’s sense of smell and mask the residual odour of any previous excrement or urine. With KEEP OFF you can mark out your territory and let animals know they are not welcome! |
You’ve
probably heard it said that "…dogs and cats are people
too". In fact, it’s a mistake to think of animal behaviour in
human terms. Dogs and cats have a very simple thought process which is
based mainly on instinct and subsequent learning experience. To
satisfactorily address behavioural problems it helps to have some
understanding of why dogs and cats behave as they do.