New Year's Day is a time that most people vow to stop bad habits and create good habits.  Quit smoking.  Start exercising.  Pay off credit cards.  We also develop bad habits as dog owners and the new year is a great time to make some resolutions that benefit our dogs.

I will set my dog up to succeed 

When your dog does something you consider bad, ask yourself three questions:

1. Have you taught him the "right" behavior?
2. Have you proofed your training so that the dog is compliant 80% of the time in 80% of the situations he is in?
3. How did he have the opportunity to be "bad"?

If the answers to 1 and 2 are "no," then you cannot place blame on the dog.  Dogs are dogs and do doggie things.  They are scavengers, so they will take whatever food is within reach.  Dogs are social creatures and jumping gets them closer to our faces for a "polite" doggie greeting.  Dogs walk at a faster pace then we do, so they are not pulling on the leash, they are walking at their natural pace.

The answers to question #3 are going to give you the key to your dog's training problems.  Training a dog or puppy is at least 50% managing the dog so he doesn't have the opportunity to get into trouble. Just as your parents used cribs and playpens to keep you out of trouble, use crates, tie-downs and exercise pens to prevent your dog from practicing "bad" (also known as normal) dog behaviors.

I will become a person worth listening to

Everything your dog wants at any given moment is a potential training reward. The more you give away for nothing or when your dog demands it, the more limited you become in the rewards you can offer.  The less incentive your dog has for following your cues, the more value everything else in the environment will have to your dog.

Change this by taking back control of the things your dog finds valuable.  If your dog wants to go out in the backyard to chase squirrels, he can sit and wait in exchange.  If your dog wants to be fed breakfast, wait until she is lying quietly on her bed before getting up, NOT when she is whining at you. Attach the leash for walk time when your dog is sitting calmly, not running around the house like a maniac.

By requiring good behavior in exchange for the things your dog wants, you will become a person worth listening to.

I will tell my dog what I want

Once we get success teaching our dogs new behaviors, we often fall into the trap of expecting them to know how we want them to behave in every situation. Don't forget that dogs are very literal.  If you teach them to sit at the back door, they won't "know" that they should sit at the front door.  Your dog is not a mind-reader!  If your dog is not giving you the behavior you want, take a step back and ask yourself, "Have I told him what I want?"  You might be surprised.

Your dog can only do one thing right, but he can do 100 things wrong. Make it easier on both of you and tell him what you want!

I will give my dog more physical and mental exercise

One of our resolutions is to get out and exercise, and that's something that our dogs can participate in!  That said, don't forget that mental exercise is equally as important for your dog as it is for you.  You would not be satisfied if you walked the same route every day, but returned to an empty room without books, radio or television to stimulate your mind. 

Start or finish your walk with a short training session that ends in a fun game of chase or tug for your dog.  Better yet, integrate training into your walks!  Pick up a book on teaching tricks and spend 5 minutes teaching a new trick each night.  You might be surprised how fast your dog catches on!

I will stop making excuses for my dog's behavior

"He's barking at me because I'm in his chair." "He won't go outside because he doesn't like to get his paws wet."  How many excuses do you make for your dog's bad manners or non-compliance?

Excuses don't change behavior. Training does.

I will stop attaching labels to my dog

Humans feel such a need to wrap everything into nice, neat labels.  This is especially true in the dog world, where we label certain breeds behaviors as "aggressive" or "dominant".  Both of these terms are subjective and don't describe what the dog is actually doing. 

For example, some dog owners report that their dog is very aggressive when jumping on people.  To one person, this may mean that the dog is snarling and growling while jumping, while to someone else it may mean that the dog is especially persistent in the jumping.  See the difference?  When describing your dog's behavior, avoid the labels and stick to the facts. You will be able to address those specific behaviors more effectively.

Remember: Our dogs are a reflection of the time and effort we have put into training them.