5 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Training Your Dog
Training a dog at home can be extremely rewarding – but also frustrating when progress isn’t being made.
Every dog needs training for their safety and well-being. It is an essential part of responsible pet ownership, and you should make sure your dog knows at least basic commands. You can visit dog training classes, but that’s not necessary; with the right preparation, you can do it yourself. Besides, training is a great way how to bond with your pup and improve your communication with them.
Listed here are five mistakes you should avoid when training your dog:
Inconsistency
The most important aspect of dog training is consistency. Examples of consistency include always using the same verbal command, always providing a reward for your pet, and being firm with the house rules. For instance, if you do not allow your dog on the couch but your spouse occasionally lets your pup enjoy the furniture, your dog will struggle to know what is appropriate.
Poor Timing
Dogs have a short attention span and an even shorter memory. When you are teaching your dog a new skill, you must have the proper timing when administering a treat or praise. If you wait too long, your dog will be confused and not make the connection between behavior and reward. You should also make sure that your doggy is not too tired. One of the big mistakes is tiring your dog out before training. Rather than a long hike, take your dog for a short walk or play fetch for a while and then concentrate completely on training. Anyway, you can go for a walk after the training session as a reward.
Expecting Too Much, Too Soon
Many factors go into dog training, such as communication and the breaking down of one skill into smaller components. Oftentimes, pet owners become frustrated because their young dogs are not immediately mastering the commands. During dog training, it is important to take baby steps. For instance, if you are training your dog to sit, you must first reliably be able to get the dog’s attention. Next, your dog must be able to perform the sitting motion using a treat as a lure. Once your dog has mastered this skill, “sit” should be overlaid with the behavior. Finally, only after plenty of practice, the dog can be expected to sit on command.
Reinforcing Bad Behaviors
Another mistake that dog owners make is to accidentally reinforce bad behaviors. For instance, many pet parents do not realize they inadvertently reinforce jumping. Typically, dogs jump because they are seeking attention. When a dog jumps, humans interact with the dog, and the animal rarely distinguishes positive and negative attention. The best way to counteract this behavior is to turn around and ignore the dog completely, which will remove the reward (your attention) from bad behavior.
Not Phasing Out Treats
Dog owners often lament that their pets only behave if there is a treat in hand. While treats are great for encouraging the proper behavior, they should be appropriately phased from training (also known as “fading”) and replaced with verbal or physical praise instead.
By avoiding these five mistakes, your dog will be on his or her way to training excellence in no time! The training, together with feeding your dog right, mental stimulation, and regular exercise is the key to a happy and healthy dog!
Do you want to know more about Training your dog? Subscribe to our newsletter to have the rest of this series delivered to your inbox!
Health & Activity Tracker
- No monthly fees
- Anomalies alerts
- 24/7 tracking
- Healthbook in the app
- Multi-owner friendly
- Easy data sharing
- Dogwalker check
- Weights only 13.6g / 0.48oz
- Up to 20 days on one charge
- Fits both on collar & harness
- Safety LED lights
- Anti-lost system
- 3 silicone holders in the box
- Free Android & iOS app
- Real-time health tracking
- Suitable for any dog from 6.5lbs
