A polite pet isn't one that keeps its elbows off the table
(though what a fun party trick!). But trainers have started
referring to the skills they teach to family pets as "manners"
instead of obedience. Rather than learning how to walk circles
in a show ring, pets are taught things that help them in
everyday life. "Manners teach them how to communicate with a
completely different species -- humans," says Mychelle Blake, a
certified dog behavior consultant. Repetition, consistency, and
reinforcement are the keys to making good behavior stick.
Problem: Jumping on people An excited dog often pounces with joy
when someone walks in the door. Besides being obnoxious, the dog
could easily hurt a child or an elderly person. Solution:
Positive reinforcement Ignore the dog if it jumps; when it has
all four feet on the floor, reward it with a treat and praise it
profusely using its name --"Good Francesca!" --says Nicholas
Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist at Tufts School of Veterinary
Medicine. Or use a command such as