Read the blog and the reader post. Ben’s Doggone Dog Blog BEN: What’s the best way to get a pooch to behave? Reward him (or her)
! Rewarding good behavior works better than punishing bad behavior (at least with dogs). Think about it. No one likes to be yelled at, and that includes canines! Dogs are a lot happier if their owner isn’t yelling “STOP BARKING!” My dog Yoda barks a lot. So what I do is this: If he stops barking when I ask him to, I make a little tiny clicking sound with a clicker (like a castanet) and give him a treat and say, “Good doggie.” This encourages him to behave. COMMENT: The clicking method doesn’t work in big cities. Where I live that tiny clicker would get drowned out by sirens and music blaring from cars. Also, giving dogs a lot of treats will make them gain too much weight. BEN: Don’t underestimate the power of your dog’s hearing, especially when treats are involved. Dogs actually have amazing hearing and can detect sounds in the frequency range of approximately 67 to 45,000 Hz. You’re right that it isn’t healthy for dogs to eat too much, but small treats won’t make them overweight. Which idea below is a rebuttal to the counterclaim? Dogs should not be underestimated, so the clicker method might work. Dogs have poor hearing, so the clicker method does not always work. Dogs have amazing hearing, so the clicker method should work. Dogs have amazing hearing and eating many treats won’t harm them.
