It isn't uncommon for people with pets to treat and love them as members of the family. The challenge then becomes how to train pets to listen and respond to requests, says animal trainer Aretha Crout. Holly and Rodney talk with Aretha about how she trained the Peetes' family dog, Harriet.
When Holly and Rodney decided to purchase a dog, they chose a 115-pound Newfoundland named Harriet. A great dog for children, Harriet just needed a few behavioral lessons to mesh in with the family, they say. "Puppies grow up so fast, and we all have very busy lives—we don't take the time to teach them that they are not just a furry human, they are a dog," Aretha says.
Aretha trained Harriet to stop jumping and be more obedient by giving her structure and rewarding her with attention when she behaved properly. "We made it easy for Harriet to do the right thing and hard for her to do the wrong thing," Aretha says.
