What I do with my dog's is whenever they are about to get into something they shouldn't be getting into I say "leave it" and when they look at me I praise them with "Good boy/girl", "Excellent Job", etc., and then when they come I offer a reward. Not much, just a pinch of string cheese, but the amount doesn't matter. Dogs don't feel slighted if you praise them well. They will make mistakes, but just stick with it and it will work. Way's to incite their curiosity is to place something tastey on a plate right on the floor. When they go near it say leave it; if they leave it then immediately reward with praise and cheese, if not then remove the plate and start again. Eventually they will get it to the point where just praise will suffice. One thing you don't want to do is have them associate Porcupine with a bad experience, because that will create fear, and anxiety, and ultimately may make the dog snap. Just encourage the good responses, and restart the process when they fail. They will catch on and won't need any sort of physical touch to respond in due time. I've only had Rajon for a year to the day, yet right when I say "leave it" now he rushes right towards me. Then I say "good boy" and rub his belly. That earns both love and respect, and makes him beyond eager to learn more. If you seriously have any problems with dogs, odds are I've seen it and I would be more than glad to help out. That's not being arrogant, I've just learned how to make it work with positive reinforcement. Ideally the breeder you go through will have already worked on the basics with your puppy, but problems may show up down the road, and building a loving bond with the dog is the best tool you have!. Just be consistent and you will have a perfect dog in no time!.
