It is estimated that the first dogs were domesticated 23,000 years ago in Siberia when humans and wolves were both isolated due to the Last Glacial Maximum (during the Ice Age). That was quite a long time ago. And so humans are pretty well-versed in dog training.
Or that’s what you would imagine. Even so, there are many humans out there who have a hard time training large dogs or small ones because they are too afraid of making dog training mistakes.
Maybe they just don’t know that they are doing something wrong. Are you one of them?
Keep reading for some dog training mistakes to avoid so you can get on the right path to improving dog behavior and having a peaceful home life.
1. You Lack Confidence
Do you believe in your ability as a dog trainer? Or do you think you don’t have what it takes to train your dog right?
Dogs are quite intuitive and smart, so they can sense when an owner isn’t really into their dog training routine and will break the rules just to sense how far they can push the boundaries. This is quite similar to how children will behave, so you need to show them who’s boss.
Not that you need to start ill-treating your dog or yelling at them every opportunity you get. There’s no need to become a tyrant.
But make sure they realize that you are their master and that you won’t be intimidated by their behavior no matter how large the dog is or how aggressive it becomes.
2. You Are Inconsistent
Do you allow your dog on the bed a couple of times a week because you are too tired to argue, but then get upset when it gets on the bed on other nights? This is inconsistent behavior that will fluster, annoy, and misguide your dog.
Your confused dog isn’t going to understand that they are allowed to do some things some days and not others.
They might be smart, but they aren’t that smart. You will need to stay consistent with your dog training methods. This will build trust between you and your pet, so your relationship can get stronger over time.
3. Your Training Sessions Last Too Long
Just like you get bored after doing a certain task over and over again for too long, your dog will get bored after a training session lasts too long as well. So you need to understand what your dog’s limits are and keep to that.
No need to keep going on and on even when you see your dog is tired or getting impatient. Give your dog a break and begin again the next day. This will be a better use of your time, as the dog training will be more effective.
4. You Think Training Behavior Is Generalized
So your dog understands the command of sitting quietly in the kitchen while you are cooking. Great! But that doesn’t mean that they will sit quietly when you are taking them for a ride or in someone else’s kitchen.
Dog training behavior isn’t generalized to every situation out there. That’s why you will need to work on making it so. There are a lot of dog training classes on this, so be sure to look them up.
5. You Use the Wrong Rewards for Dogs
Dogs, just like humans, love being praised. They like feeling like they are the center of attention, like they are celebrities, and they are being loved.
You need to take advantage of all these emotions that your dog has rather than just using treats all the time. Not only will this be expensive for you, but it might make your dog gain too much weight, which will be hard to get rid of.
Praise your dog when they do something right, especially in front of others, so they know that they are being a good or smart dog.
6. You Wait Until They Do Something Wrong to Train
In every aspect of life, we are told to be proactive, rather than reactive. This applies to dog training as well. You don’t want to wait until your dog does something wrong before teaching them.
Be proactive by teaching them the right behaviors from the get-go.
7. You Are Too Emotional When Training
Do you get angry or upset when your dog does something wrong or during your training sessions? This is going to upset your dog and they are less likely to do what you want them to do.
Staying calm and not letting their misdemeanors or mistakes get to you is the best way to train your precious furry baby.
8. You Repeat Commands
This is a classic mistake that dog owners make when training their dogs. You believe that if you repeat the command over and over again, your dog will understand it better. But that’s not the case.
The reason for this is that when you repeat commands, your dog believes that the first few attempts are just for fun and then they finally sit or roll over at the 6th or 7th command. This stalling behavior becomes a habit and then it will be hard to break your dog out of it.
Give commands only once. If your dog hasn’t learned the behavior properly or they are going through a rebellious phase, then you will want to take them aside and go back to the basics.
Obviously, you haven’t taught your dog this trick properly yet. When you do it right, you won’t have to repeat the command at all – they will jump to it on the first command readily and happily.
Dog Training Mistakes: How Many of These Are You Making?
There’s a reason why your dog isn’t listening to your commands properly. Do you see yourself in any of the dog training mistakes listed above?
If you are having a hard time training your dog on your own, then it’s time to go to some dog training classes at your local animal hospital in Phoenixville, PA. Contact us today to see how we can get your dog to be better behaved.