Top 5 Common Mistakes New Dog Trainers Make

Let's examine some common mistakes made in dog training:

Unusual Commands, Obscure and Hard to Understand

Even the smartest dogs are animals, and their language is vastly different from ours. Some owners, when naming their dogs or giving commands, prefer to use cool, hardtocomprehend words. Not only do these commands often go unheard by the dogs, but they might also be confusing to other people as well.

Training a dog involves using clear, behavioral cues to help them remember specific actions. Therefore, it's crucial to use simple and straightforward commands to facilitate the dog's understanding and memory of the behavior.

Lack of Patience and Violent Training Methods

There are numerous online videos where, upon a dog's misbehavior, the owner resorts to using a stuffed dog dummy to violently strike it in front of the real dog. This method is not only ineffective but also poses significant safety risks to the dog. It serves no purpose and can actually make the dog more fearful, associating the dummy with punishment and the "weapon" with danger. Such stimuli might lead to aggressive behavior as the dog perceives these actions as threats, necessitating defensive responses.

Every bad habit in a dog's training has its corresponding correction method. Owners must be patient and avoid resorting to violence. Such training methods should not be emulated.

Incorrect Rewarding Techniques, Leading to Counterproductive Results

During training, when a dog successfully comprehends and remembers a command, owners often reward them, such as with treats. However, this method must be immediate and consistent. If a dog performs well, rewarding them promptly and positively reinforces their learning. Consistent use of this technique can help dogs correctly grasp the desired behavior.

It is crucial to avoid inconsistency in rewarding. If a dog performs the same action and is sometimes rewarded and sometimes not, it can lead to confusion about whether the behavior is right or wrong. Animals have simple thought processes; one is one, and two is two. Therefore, training should be straightforward and consistent.

Too Many Emotional Fluctuations, Affecting the Dog

Training a dog is akin to teaching a child. When owners are misunderstood or emotional, they may inadvertently let their feelings show, bringing negative emotions into the training session. This is incorrect.

Dogs, though not as sensitive as cats, can still pick up on their owner's emotions. To ensure the dog adheres to certain behavioral standards, owners must be serious and avoid training when they are in a bad mood. This prevents the dog from receiving mixed signals and ensures the training is effective and positive.