8 Dog Training Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

Getting a new furred friend can be a source of excitement and happiness. But having a dog comes with responsibility too. Even though every dog has its own personality, dog owners can help them react healthily while interacting with other dogs and obey with the help of training. 

Most people think that dog training is something simple and intuitive, after all these years of friendship between humans and dogs. However, most dog owners are not professionally specialized in dog training, so they are prone to making mistakes when training their dogs.

Even though these dog training mistakes might seem irrelevant, some of them can be hardly repaired. Dogs that are not well trained will end up misbehaving and disobeying their owners. 

Being more aware of your dog training mistakes will help you change your approach and be more successful when training your dog. 

1. Show consistency 

Even though most of the time they seem distracted and playful, dogs pay attention to their owners’ behaviors. Day by day, the bond is strengthening and you become the most important one in his life. However, this bond can be broken if your dog does not trust you anymore. This happens because dog owners often do not stick to the rules they set and display changing behaviors in the same context. 

At first, it might take some time until your dog learns a new trick. If you use different techniques to teach him the same thing, you diminish his ability to learn. Dogs need consistency, both of the training techniques used, and your behavior. Do not lose your temper and maintain consistent behavior while training. 

The same goes for the rules you set. If your dog is not allowed on the couch, he should not be allowed on the couch, no matter the circumstances. According to assignment help australia in two out of ten times, dog owners allow their dogs to break the rules. 

2. Training for Too Long 

Dogs can lose their enthusiasm, just like humans. This happens especially when you try to teach your dog all tricks in one day. Keep in mind that dogs need time and positive reinforcement to learn new tricks. It takes at least three weeks of practice to master a new skill, so be sure you do not bore your dog by trying too much. 

You can train your dog a couple of days per week for about 5 to 15 minutes to achieve good results. Once or twice per day should be okay. Dogs need breaks, just like humans, and it is better to foster a cozy and engaging environment than never-ending training. 

3. Patience 

Not many people can be proud of their level of patience, and this is normal. We are human beings; we work for our goals and we are looking forward to achieving them. You might want to learn your dog a few awesome tricks, but be prepared to invest time, effort, and a lot of patience. 

Because it takes quite a little time and practice to train your dog, most dog owners give up on the way. You must continue training and polishing your dog skills and do not give up when your dog starts responding to commands. You want to train him to do the trick ultimately without any food incentive, so arm yourself with a lot of patience. 

4. Start Training as Soon as Possible 

There is a common misconception that perpetuated itself among communities of dog owners. In the past, people used to think that dogs are unable to learn new tricks or be trained until they are six months old. This is wrong. Misha Johnson, an editor at essay writers and superior essay writers, loves dogs. She lives in a beautiful house with a patio with her boyfriend and three dogs. Misha says that she started training with their dogs from day one. 

The worst mistake you can do while training your dog is to wait until he grows up to start training him. He will learn a lot of behaviors until then because he will pick them from the environment and some of them might not be desirable. 

5. Scolding

One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make is scolding their dog for accidents. One of the best examples is during potty training, which may take some time. Some dog owners scold their puppy for not responding (yet!) to potty training and even push his nose into the mess. 

Even though this might seem the most appropriate approach, it is one of the biggest mistakes. Dogs are always living in the moment. If you discover the accident after he had already done it, you lost your chance of scolding him. If he had done something bad and after some time you will start scolding him, your dog will not know what exactly he is scolded for. Do this only when you catch him in the act and he will learn faster. 

6. Be Confident 

We all know those puppy eyes our dogs make when they want something. And you cannot say they do not give you the cutest look. However, it is in your dog’s nature to exploit your weakness and lack of confidence. Remember that usually, the most frightened people are the most frequently bitten by dogs. This is because they deep down are natural predators, so they can face others’ weaknesses. 

Be calm and confident that you can train your dog and show him that he can trust you. Befriend other dogs and be sure you are a binder between them and your dog. 

7. Change the Training Place 

As you spend a lot of time inside, you will be tempted to train your dog only in the house. This means that he will learn the tricks and how to behave inside. But as soon as you go out, everything might change and he might act like an untrained dog. 

Change the place you usually train your dog and practice in all kinds of environments. You need to train him to be attentive to you in any context: in the park, in the house, during a hike, in the dog park, and so on. 

8. Treats 

Dogs can be trained easier by using positive reinforcement. This means that whenever they do the trick, they receive an incentive, mostly food treat. Dogs learn quickly to associate the food reward with the trick they have to do, and this is called operant conditioning. 

However, relying too much on the food incentive will do worse than good. Dogs are lovable and sensible and they need more than food. They need praise, pats on their heads, toys, and play. They love you unconditionally and they want to spend all their time with you. A short play session can turn out to be a great reward for trick learning. 

Conclusion 

Dogs are among the most popular pets in the world. Every dog owner wants to have a dog that is not misbehaving and is obeying. However, every dog has its own personality so you need to adapt your training techniques according to this. Some dogs might have a fearful personality, thus using the usual techniques might not work as good. 

Invest time and effort and always be consistent and patient. Change the environment frequently and avoid training him for too long. Offer him positive rewards, such as food incentives, praise, and short play sessions.

Author Bio:
Scott Mathews considers himself one of the biggest animal lovers. He studied animal psychology and aims to design training sessions for dog owners. He is used to working with all kinds of dog personalities and knows that every one of them needs a different approach. Scott’s hobbies are hiking, playing basketball, and exploring the marvels of nature.