We all make mistakes, even when it comes to training our dogs. We briefly review which are the most common with some brief tips to avoid and correct them:
One of our most important duties as dog owners is to educate and train them properly. Something essential to have a happy, balanced (in every sense) and sociable pet Houston dog training for aggressive dogs.
Despite what most may think, the basic training that we must give our four-legged friend does not only consist of teaching him to do his things where he must and follow our basic commands such as “sit” or “give me your paw.”
Puppies should be trained to be educated, balanced and happy animals, who always know what is expected of them.
And to do this they need an authority figure and some basic rules.
But falling into basic mistakes is very easy if we are not clear about some guidelines.
And no, you cannot trust the videos of the first self-proclaimed dog trainer or “whisperer” that you see online. Unfortunately, it is very easy to find bad advice or techniques of dubious credibility.
So we are going to try to give you some basic advice in this article, based on the most common mistakes that those of us who have ever had the beautiful task of training a dog tend to make:
1st Mistake: Using methods based on punishments
Many dog owners make the mistake of using punishment as a training method.
And we are not just talking about aggressive or abusive training methods such as yelling at the animal, hitting it or using punishment collars (which until very few years ago were more than common in large dogs).
Unfortunately, there are other methods of negative stimuli that have just as detrimental an effect as the previous ones but that, for some reason, are widely accepted as adequate training methods.
The most common is to rub the animal’s snout against what it has broken or the place where it has relieved itself by mistake.
Many owners make these mistakes because they believe that rubbing the nose will teach the animal why it is being scolded or what it has done wrong.
But the reality, according to experts, is that this only confuses them or, in the worst case, scares them . Because they don’t understand it.
Furthermore, using this type of methodology can hinder the relationship with your four-legged friend, because they may end up fearing you, instead of respecting you as the leader of their pack.
Positive reinforcement training ( rewarding your dog for good behavior instead of punishing him) is infinitely more effective and helps you build an unbreakable bond with your pet.
2nd Mistake: Betting everything on candy
And from the first error and its solution we move on to the second. Another of the most common. We’ve all heard that thing about “getting to your heart through your stomach . ”
Okay, in dogs it’s something similar and… yes, it works. But be careful, because food is a great reinforcement… which can throw training away if not used well.
Make good use of treats or prizes (pieces of sausage, for example) for the first repetitions of your training sessions .
But only until the animal positively identifies the desired behavior.
Then you will have to reduce its use. Just give him one every few repetitions , combining them with praise or caresses every time he does things well or the way we want.
Remember that dogs love positive attention almost as much as they love treats , but your love won’t make them obese, so don’t hesitate to praise and pet them when they behave well.
Additionally, several studies reveal that the little voice we usually use when we reward them improves the creation of a bond between the two.
So don’t be shy or feel ridiculous for talking to your dog and even less for complimenting him when he has earned it.
3rd Mistake: Not training frequently enough
The key to training your dog is to do it regularly. But, unfortunately, spending an hour or two a week training your dog isn’t going to get you many results .
Although many dogs are intelligent enough to learn very quickly, it still takes many repetitions for a behavior to become ingrained and for a dog to respond repeatedly and consistently to a specific command or order.
You should do several short training sessions each day when you are starting to train your puppy. And then you can reduce the number of sessions to one or two a week.
4th Mistake: Love and authority are not incompatible
During training you must establish yourself as an authority figure so that your dog respects you and listens to your commands. Be their leader.
It is very likely that you will want to pet him or snuggle with him and play “crazily” at all times.
But you should take training and learning times as “work” time (as if you were in the office, even if you have a colleague who is your friend, you don’t start shouting jokes in the middle of a meeting).
Of course, be careful not to miss the point. Because you should not go overboard either or force your dog to become submissive.
Because this will lead him to fear you, not respect you. Always seek to find a balance between being an authority figure for your dog and at the same time developing a bond of love and trust with him.
5th Error: Training that is too long or too short
In many ways, dogs are like little children.
And a clear example of this is your attention span. It may be very short , but that does not mean you should allow the dog to set the pace or times of training.
Obviously, if you do training sessions that are too long, your dog may end up getting bored or even frustrated .
When that happens, they will stop paying attention to you and listening to you, so you can end up just as frustrated and turn training into an unpleasant experience.
On the other hand, if the sessions are too short, this may cause your dog to not be able to adequately identify the behavior or action you are trying to teach him and reinforce in him.
Most dogs need a little time before they figure out what exactly you want them to do.
Several 10 to 15 minute training sessions a day can help you achieve your goal. Cut when you see that he starts to get bored or lose interest.
6th Mistake: Not being consistent with your training methods
Consistency is the key to everything when it comes to training a dog. And yes, you can teach your dog to do almost anything if you are consistent in your training methods.
The first and most fundamental thing is to be consistent when using the same verbal command every time . And then you should also be consistent in praising and rewarding your dog every time he responds correctly.
When the command or behavior has become ingrained we can reduce food rewards, but you should always (always!) praise or congratulate your dog when he does well .
Even when it’s the thousandth time he’s sitting around like a good boy. Don’t forget to congratulate and reinforce his good behavior, because he has earned it. Not reinforcing already learned behaviors is one of the most common mistakes.
The best thing is that you can train your dog to do almost anything if you employ the right method and use the right motivation.
It’s fun and very rewarding to make progress with your furry friend. But, if you discover that you are making one or more of the mistakes on this list, absolutely nothing happens. Correct it and move on. You will not regret.