Some Common Dog Training Mistakes?

One of the most common mistakes people make with dogs is not giving them enough exercise. Dogs that are cooped up inside all day with no outlet will almost certainly develop bad behaviors out of boredom. As one trainer says, a tired dog is a good dog. Tired dogs are less likely to get into trouble when left on their own in the house or to develop behavior problems.

Not only are many dogs not getting enough exercise, but many premium foods are touting higher and higher protein levels, suitable for canine athletes. Dogs that are on diets too high in protein will have excess energy to burn. Before you buy a high protein, grain-free food, ask yourself if it’s really appropriate for your dog and his activity levels. Is there a reason you’re feeding your dog as though he is a sled dog running the Iditarod? Make sure you are buying food which provides the right diet for your dog’s activity and energy levels or you will have a hyper dog with behavioral problems.

Too much energy, not enough exercise, and the wrong diet — these are just a few of the mistakes people make with their dogs, but they contribute to dogs which are hard to train.

In training, make sure you don’t accidentally reward bad behavior. For instance, don’t soothe a puppy who throws a tantrum in his crate. Don’t pet a dog that jumps on you. Sometimes it’s best to ignore bad behavior because any kind of attention, even punishment, will give the dog what he wants — your attention.

Another mistake many people make is to do things the hard way when there is an easier way. The easy way is to use good management techniques for dealing with dogs. That means to set up your house and yard in a way to keep your dog out of trouble as much as possible. Put the remote up high so your dog can’t reach it. Put socks and shoes away so your puppy can’t chew them. Basically, put everything away, all the time, so your dog can’t ever reach anything! This should be the practice a
t least until he’s past the age when he wants to chew on things. The same principle applies for many other problems, however. It’s much easier to avoid some problems with dogs than to have to solve each bad thing a dog might figure out how to do. Here’s a tip: “baby gates” are the answer to many problems.

Many people fail to give their dogs enough toys and chew things of their own, which can also lead dogs to chew on furniture and things in the house. It’s much easier — and cheaper — to give dogs $5 toys to destroy than to replace a $1000 sofa. That $1000 will buy a lot of dog toys.

Other training problems are caused by things as simple as bad timing: the bad timing of praise, reinforcement, or correction. If you simply “click” at the wrong time, you can have a problem. You have to stay focused when you’re training and make sure you’re clicking and treating for what you want to reinforce and reward. For any kind of training it’s important to be consistent and time your praise and rewards well. Otherwise your dog will get the wrong messages and be confused.

If you and your dog are having a bad training session it’s important to call it quits before you become aggravated or lose your temper. People sometimes make the mistake of trying to push their dog to do one more thing right, but they insist on trying to learn the new lesson. It’s much better to take a step back and let your dog finish the lesson well by doing something you know he already knows well. Reward him for doing something easy that he knows. That way you can both leave the lesson feeling better and without anger. You can have a better lesson the next time when you both have your heads clearer.

Trying to train when you’re upset or angry is a bad mistake and very counterproductive with dogs. They will pick up on your emotions and react badly to them. They will most likely be unable to focus and will probably perform the lessons badly, which will, in turn, only make your own mood worse. Save training for a time when you are in a calm, good mood. It should be an enjoyable experience with your dog. When you are calm and happy your dog will pick up on that mood and be happy to learn.

Don’t try to do too much too fast with your dog. Dogs learn best in small steps. You can teach a dog complicated things to do but you must teach each small step separately. Take your time. Your dog may catch on very quickly but don’t skip steps.

Don’t forget to praise and reward generously. Training is a partnership. Show your dog you appreciate him.