7 Common Dog Training Mistakes
New dog owners often make some of the same basic mistakes when it comes to obedience training. Here are just a few that you should be aware of as you begin training.
1. Choose Your Dog Wisely
The first tip is not really a training command or technique but definitely one of the most important steps to having a well trained dog and that is picking the right one. It is very difficult to train a dog to be quiet and docile if it is totally against the natural instincts of the breed. Therefore, you have to sit down and think about what kind of dog is going to be the best fit and not choose the wrong one.
2. Improper Use of “Come” Command
One of the most common mistakes seen is when dog owners use the come command because their dog is doing something wrong. At this point, they are normally upset and yelling at him to come. Needless to say, the dog either ignores your command altogether or comes back to you in total fear. The bottom line is to never use the “come” command when you are upset.
3. Using Multiple Commands
Another common problem when it comes to ineffective training is using multiple commands for the same action. A good example of this is giving the command “shake” to get your dog to do a handshake and then switching it up to the command “paw” later. Although it is possible that he could learn both commands, it can be confusing so you should stick to a single command per action required.
4. Leash Pulling or Improper Heel Command
How many times have you seen a dog taking its owner for a walk down the street? For experienced dog owners, this can be a very frustrating sight. First, we realize how uncomfortable it is to have your dog pulling on you for an hour or more, but it also signifies a dog that could have major obedience issues later if the owner does not take action now.
5. Failing to Correct Misbehavior Immediately
If your dog is doing something that you don’t allow or dislike, it is critical that he is corrected immediately. Let’s say you see him in the kitchen but you don’t allow him in that particular room of the house. It’s important that you stop whatever you are doing and correct the situation right away. In other words, you have to take corrective action while the misdeed is being done. If you correct him 60 seconds later when he has already moved on to something new, the dog will be confused. Contrary to what some owners think, dogs don’t speak english and you can’t explain to them verbally that you are disciplining them for something they did a minute ago.
6. Hitting or Choking
Let’s keep this one super short because it is basically one of common sense. There is no need for an educated owner or trainer to hit or choke a dog to get him to obey. They want to obey so all you need to do is teach them what you want.
7. Laughing at Bad Behavior
One of the things that some of us do is to laugh at our dog’s bad behavior. This is more common with puppies as they are often treated like babies and anything they do is considered “cute” and no big deal. However, it is a big deal and should be corrected sooner rather than later. It won’t take long for your new pup to develop bad habits fast that you could have easily corrected at a young age.
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