House rules for dogs - free training plan for clear rules

Before you get started, download the workout guide for Week 02:

Basic Obedience: Day 7 of 56

This video and training session are part of the Grungehorsam concept, a structured program designed to promote obedience and strengthen the bond between humans and dogs. The concept is carefully designed from a didactic and methodological perspective to ensure that each exercise builds on the previous one, thereby achieving maximum effectiveness. It is crucial that you follow the training in the intended order to achieve the best possible results for your dog.

Do you sometimes feel unsure about how to establish clear rules with your dog at home without constantly getting into conflicts? Don’t worry—we’ve been there. House rules are a key part of training and provide the clarity your dog needs to understand what’s expected of him. They form the foundation for your life together—not just at home, but also outside.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to consistently implement house rules that provide structure for both you and your dog. This isn’t about strict rules, but about creating a safe environment where your dog knows what’s allowed and what isn’t. And the best part: After just 21 days of consistent enforcement, these rules can gradually be relaxed. Are you ready to tackle the house rules? Let’s get started!

Goal: You will learn how to establish clear house rules to provide your dog with structure, security, and guidance.

Equipment:Dog Bed or crate, a partition if needed, food and water bowls, dog toys, and treats

Location: Home

Duration: Always at home

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The Importance of House Rules for Your Dog

Clear house rules are the key to a harmonious life with your dog. They provide security, guidance, and structure —and it always starts at home. Dogs feel especially comfortable in a consistent environment with clear rules and boundaries. Home is the place where your dog feels safest, which is why basic obedience training should begin there.

At its core, establishing house rules is about showing your dog where he can move freely and what rules apply. These guidelines not only promote his well-being but also make training outdoors easier. Once your dog has internalized the rules at home, he’ll be better able to follow them in other environments as well.

So if you can’t get the basics right at home, there’s no point in even starting outside. On the other hand, if everything works at home and the division of roles between you and your dog is clearly defined, it will make your future training together much easier. By the way, when we talk about role distribution, we don’t mean the outdated dominance principle, but rather the responsibilities of each team member. However, agile teamwork and a degree of independence can only happen if roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

The house rules should be consistently followed for at least 21 days. After 21 days, new routines become ingrained and new habits form—for both you and your dog. After these 21 days of strictly adhering to the house rules, the rules and measures can be gradually relaxed without completely abandoning the framework. This training is designed to help you and your dog find common ground, define your resources, and actively practice relaxation. Current research shows that rules provide dogs with a great deal of security, and where there is security, there is also a clear mind for learning: And that is exactly what we want to achieve!

ℹ Info

While initial habits begin to form after about 21 days, it takes approximately 66 days for habits to be effectively incorporated into one’s behavioral repertoire. This shows that training must take place over several months to become an integral part of proper behavior.

"If you don't know your place at home, you won't know it outside or in conflicts either."

Vitimalia

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Measures at the dog facility

You can think of dog training as a pyramid. You lay the foundation for dog training through general measures. On Day 14, we move on to management. Management prevents unwanted behavior and, consequently, unwanted learning.

All basic obedience training begins where the dog’s most important living space—and therefore its territory—is located: its home. Home is the place where our dog (ideally) feels most comfortable; this is where it is regularly Eat, and where its other basic needs should also be met. Your dog’s home is its safe haven, which is why we start our basic obedience training right here. General measures encompass all aspects of a dog’s life. Without a solid foundation, training cannot proceed at all, as the underlying conditions do not allow for successful learning.

Territory

Every dog has an innate territorial instinct. So it’s perfectly normal for our dogs to want to inhabit, guard, and protect their territory. Even if we humans don’t always think that’s great—or at least if the neighbors find it disruptive. With our dogs, we distinguish between territory and roaming area. You could also call them core area and activity area. The dog defends its territory, while it stays in the roaming area or activity area but does not defend it. The areas where the dog’s important resources are located—such as its sleeping spot or food—are defended particularly intensely. This is then referred to as the core territory.

Territories are important to our dogs because:

they are a source of food
they have meaningful social connections
they generally minimize risks and thus ensure safety.

Your dog’s territory is occupied by him for extended periods of time, and he and the other occupants (you, your family, other dogs, or other animals) spend time there. The territory is also regularly patrolled. You can think of this as a patrol during which the territory is checked. In addition, dogs mark their territory. Marking refers to depositing feces or urine, but also includes scratching, growling, and barking. And last but not least, a territory is also defended against any kind of intruder.

Your dog's territory may include:

the apartment / the house (though perhaps not all the rooms)
the garden
the car
the walking path
other places where the dog regularly goes (dog park, dog daycare, walking area…)

core territory

Your home should have a special designated space—your dog’s main resting spot. This is where your dog can retreat during exciting, unfamiliar, or stressful situations, or simply relax. Kennels, dog crates, or cave-like dog beds are particularly well-suited for this purpose. You can also set up a corner with partition fences. This helps your dog feel secure and gives them a chance to calm down. This is especially recommended if you have children in your household, a large family, or frequently have guests over.

Sleeping area

Every household with dogs should have at least one more sleeping spot than there are dogs in the household. In the main rooms where you and your dogs spend time, ideally there should be a sleeping spot for each dog. If you have one dog, there should be at least two sleeping spots; if you have two dogs, there should be three sleeping spots, and so on. If possible, your dog should be allowed to sleep in the bedroom. This is especially important for young dogs, but older dogs also prefer to sleep with their owners. This promotes your dog’s well-being as well as your relationship. In a pack or a larger group of unrelated dogs, the dogs always sleep together. Whether you decide to let your dog sleep in bed with you or not is entirely up to you. There are no cynological arguments for or against sleeping in bed. If you decide to let your dog sleep in bed, he should only be allowed to get into bed after you give permission—he shouldn’t be the one to decide.

When it comes to kennels or dog crates, you must make sure your dog can stretch out and stand up inside them. A kennel that’s too small can actually have the opposite effect of what you intend: your dog will feel helpless, cramped, and abandoned. With dog beds, on the other hand, it’s not a big deal if they’re small and cozy, because a dog can always get up and leave them.

Food

When it comes to food, it is essential to ensure that food is not constantly available in the food bowl. Keeping Dog Food available at all times is one of the biggest mistakes in dog nutrition. Constant access Dog Food can encourage your dog to guard its resources, and it can also lead to severe obesity. We now know that obesity is linked to joint problems. Additionally, it helps during training if food isn’t constantly available. Especially when introducing new exercises, luring and motivating with treats works particularly well if the dog hasn’t been able to eat constantly beforehand.

ℹ Info

The dog should not be intentionally starved for the sake of training. However, if a dog is fed twice a day, you can schedule training for the morning—before the first meal—or for the afternoon, once the dog has already digested its breakfast.

A fully grown, healthy dog should be fed twice a day. Feeding twice a day is better than feeding just once a day because it helps prevent the dog’s stomach from becoming overly acidic. For dogs that tend to get very hungry, feeding three times a day may also be a good idea, or you could consider giving them an afternoon snack. If there is food left in the bowl, you can remove the bowl and put it away. You are welcome to put the leftovers back out after a few hours so your dog can finish eating them. Under no circumstances should you make the mistake of coaxing your dog to Eat. If you notice that your dog tends to have stomach problems, you may want to seek advice from a veterinarian. However, as long as your dog is healthy, it’s important to put the bowl away. As always: keep a close eye on your dog! If your dog doesn’t finish its bowl a few times, there’s no need to worry yet. However, if your dog isn’t eating at all and isn’t interested in other food either, you should monitor the situation and consult a professional if necessary. How much you feed your dog depends partly on the food manufacturer’s recommendations, but also on your dog’s activity level, individual needs, and age. In a healthy dog, the ribs should be easily felt with your fingers. If you cannot easily feel your dog’s ribs, this is an indication that your dog is overweight. We humans can manage our weight and thus our quality of life ourselves, but our dogs cannot. An overweight dog suffers more in daily life than a dog that is slightly underweight. Overweight dogs have a shorter life expectancy, suffer from illnesses more frequently, and have limited mobility.

Quiet Room

In addition to the core territory, you can establish a quiet room. This is a room that can be used during particularly stressful situations. For example, when there are a lot of visitors at home and things get very loud and chaotic for the dog. In such situations, it’s actually better for your dog to take him to the bedroom or another room where a dog bed is also available. Unlike the core territory, a quiet room is not just a spot but an entire room where the dog may need to stay for several hours. You can use this room as a management tool to relieve your dog of stress, but also to help visitors who are afraid of dogs.

Off-limits areas

A dog lives with us in our home, but that doesn’t mean the dog needs to have access everywhere. It’s perfectly fine to establish so-called “off-limits zones” for whatever reason. For example, the kitchen can be designated as an off-limits zone. Off-limits zones must always be respected, because otherwise it will cause great confusion for the dog. Off-limits zones are not a requirement. So it’s up to your own ideas, preferences, and hygiene practices whether you establish off-limits zones or not.

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Summary

A well-thought-out set of house rules lays the foundation for a harmonious life with your dog. It provides your dog with a sense of security and clear guidance, which is especially important in everyday life. By establishing and enforcing rules, your dog learns where its boundaries are and how it is allowed to move around the house. This not only strengthens the bond between you and your dog but also makes training outdoors much easier.

The 21-day rule is a helpful guideline for ensuring that new habits take root for both you and your dog. After this period, you can gradually relax the rules without losing sight of the bigger picture. By giving your dog a defined core territory and clear off-limits zones, you encourage his independence and create a safe environment where he can relax and learn.

With consistent house rules and clear routines, your dog will know what’s expected of him. And when you give him this sense of security, he’ll be more relaxed, more willing to learn, and generally more balanced.

[Day 07] The Marker Signal – How to Improve Your Timing and Training with Your Dog

The authors: Paulina & Lui

Paulina and Lui are the heart and soul behind Vitomalia [Dog Training & Store]. Their journey in dog training began with the adoption of their first high-risk dog, Vito. This experience sparked a deep interest in sharing knowledge about dog behavior and training with other dog owners. Initially, this was merely a hobby, but with the adoption of Amalia, an American Pitbull who had been rehomed multiple times due to severe behavioral issues, their passion evolved into a true calling. Amalia’s unique behavioral challenges deepened their interest in dog training and behavioral therapy. This turning point led Paulina and Lui to leave their original career paths, pursue intensive further training, and devote themselves entirely to the field of dog training. Their work with human-dog teams also revealed a gap in the dog market: there was a lack of safe, high-quality dog accessories specifically designed for medium and large breeds.

Based on this insight, Vitomalia [Dog Training & Store] was born—a combination of their commitment to professional dog training and the need for high-quality dog supplies. Paulina and Lui bring their personal experiences, extensive knowledge, and passion for dogs to every product, with the goal of supporting human-dog teams in their daily lives together.

[Day 08] House rules for dogs - rules create clarity and security when living together