Life seems so beautiful when after considerable research you are able to bring home the pup of your dreams. You cannot stop thinking about the fun it would be when trying to train the pup. Interestingly, training a dog sounds rather simple on paper. Most people believe dogs would learn basic commands like sit, stay, rollover, and so on in a matter of seconds. However, the reality can strike you hard. Often, dog owners find training the most difficult job they ever come across.
You must understand, that training the puppy is more like teaching a toddler with the only exception here, this one has four legs and lots of fur. And here comes the most surprising part. If a pup is not learning well, believe it or not, it isn’t its fault, but you are going wrong in making it understand. Let us quickly take a look at the most common dog training mistakes owners make, and how to fix them before it is too late.
Inconsistent training sessions can be confusing for the dog
The most common mistake dog owners make is to confuse the dog with inconsistent commands. For example, one day, you train it to lie down whenever you say “down”, and another day, you are using the same command, asking it to get down from the couch. These can be very confusing for the dog.
Thus, you must stick to a particular word and its associated action which you want the dog to perform. Furthermore, as the dog owner, you should also ensure everyone in the home uses the same command preferably in the same tone. Always remember, dogs excel on regular routine and clarity.
Resorting to punishing instead of positive reinforcement
Not every dog owner has a calm mentality. They may be busy, or dealing with a lot of stress. However, by no means one should reflect these feelings when trying to train dogs. For instance, yelling, scolding, or physical abuse will never make them learn. On the contrary, they will do exactly the opposite. To make matters worse, they will develop trust issues with their owners and will remain afraid always.
No matter, what you are going through, leave everything behind and train the dog in a positive mindset. Let them be rewarded with positive reinforcement which comprises treats, praises, and their favorite foods, when they perform an action accurately. It will not only help them to learn better, but develop an urge to learn further.
Expecting instant results
Here again, some dog owners believe, their pet dogs would learn to obey commands after practicing them a couple of times. So, it may happen, that you have been trying to teach the same command for the last four days and it is still not getting a hang of it. In such situations, do not label it as a stubborn dog. Remember, just like humans, training dogs requires patience and repetition.
So, hold your nerves, and opt for a short, consistent session comprising 5-10 minutes a day. As mentioned earlier, celebrate even the smallest achievements, and it will motivate them to learn better.
Overusing treats
Indeed, treats can be considered as one of the best ways to motivate the dog during training. However, if the dog listens only when you have a surprise (which is most likely their favorite food) in your hand, it means, unknowingly, it is being accustomed to a bribe-based system, which cannot be termed as a training session.
You must therefore remember to use treats to teach them and not use them as a means of controlling them. Once they learn a behavior, only then should you phase out treats gradually. The idea is to keep them guessing and not take things for granted.
Poor timing can have a negative impact
Most of the dog breeds at present are very smart, and they live by the moment. So, if you reward or scold them late after they did something good or bad, they might find it confusing to connect it with the event that led them to exhibit such behavior.
Thus, you must be precise in your timings. You should reward it immediately as soon as it successfully performs a task as per your command. Remember to keep a cheerful voice when training them, and they will love the energy, making them eager to learn more fluently.
Encouraging bad behavior without realizing it
Picture this situation, your pet jumps on you from nowhere, and in response you laugh, pat them, and show love. Your dog gets the hint, whenever it jumps on someone it will get attention. They tend to repeat it with everyone and imagine how awkward the situation can be if they do this with a stranger.
Be mindful of ignoring behaviors you do not want to see them displaying, though you should not discourage them either. Ignorance is the best solution in such circumstances. Soon, they would realize, this particular behavior is unacceptable, and they would stop doing it.
Skipping socialization training
Your dog might be the most obedient one when at home, but as soon as it gets outside, it turns into something else. Many dog owners complain of the above. Here again, they are to be blamed for not making them familiar with obeying commands in places that offer distractions.
To overcome such unwanted situations, you should train the dog everywhere possible. When you make them habituated to grasping commands in different locations, along with other people and noises, they will learn to socialize better and exhibit the same behavior as they usually do at home.
It is never too late to start afresh
No matter, whichever breed you choose, whatever size it may be, every dog is trainable. Even if a dog earns the tag of being the most stubborn, it will still learn as a pup. As you can see, what matters the most isn’t perfection, but patience, consistency, and understanding of the unique personality of the dog. With proper training, even the fiercest dogs can act gently and be praiseworthy. Lastly, if you do not know this already, it is the best-trained dogs who build trust with their owners the most.
