A man has impressed TikTok users after he shared how he has managed to train his dog, who keeps trying to get out of walking, to get ready to go for a stroll with him.
The London-based dog owner had managed to get his dapple dachshund Archie to exercise by pretending to walk his favorite toy instead. This appears to have triggered the sausage dog's jealous streak, which led to Archie volunteering to be walked himself.
How Should You Train Your Dog?
The dachshunds are known to be particularly stubborn and difficult to train, but instructing any canine to follow complex commands is no easy feat.
All instruction for dogs should be reward-based, says the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The animal should receive a treat or toy that they are known to enjoy after following a command correctly. The positive reinforcement will instil in dogs that they will receive a valuable prize after following their owner's orders.
The RSPCA says that people without a toy or treat at hand should reward their obedient pets with praise. This is why the TikTok poster's tactic of dangling Archie's favorite toy in the dog's full view has worked so well.
"When they show a particular behavior, it means that they're more likely to do it again," the RSPCA writes on its website. "It's important to find out what your dog really likes and what their favorite things are. Favorite treats are often small pieces of meat or cheese. The better the reward, the more your dog will enjoy training and learning!"
The animal-welfare organization also says that owners aiming to train their dogs should minimize the distractions around them, and be patient with them to take their time learning new tricks.
"Always start lessons for new tricks in a quiet room in your house away from any distractions," the RSPCA writes. "Break training up into short but regular sessions so your dog isn't overwhelmed. Just like us, dogs all learn at different rates so don't worry if your dog doesn't pick things up straight away."
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it was shared to the social-media platform by @archiethedapple on September 13, the TikTok post has been liked by over 8,200 users and has attracted dozens of comments.
"Mine does this too," one user wrote. "It is so weird I tell him we are going for a walk get his harness he runs away or under the table. Once I force him out he's happy," they added.
Newsweek reached out to @archiethedapple for comment via TikTok.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
