Mistakes to AVOID when training your dog

Our four-legged friends make our families complete - at least that's what we animal lovers believe!

Yet owning a pet involves work, especially when it comes to dogs. Because they're intuitive, sensitive, and often energetic, dogs need more than just physical care: they need love, exercise, mental stimulation, and yes, they even need (gentle) discipline!

That's why it's essential that you, as a dog owner, know how to train a dog - for the benefit of everyone.

Not only do humans appreciate good behavior, but dogs thrive on rules and structure. Training will also help you communicate with your puppies, allowing them to coexist harmoniously.

But communication between you and your pet isn't always easy, and if you're not careful, it can lead to training mistakes.

Although these are usually unintentional, these mistakes can lead to distress and weariness on both sides, and may even reinforce your friend's bad behavior.

We asked 169 dog training professionals* from around the world to share their best training tips and explain the mistakes they see most often. Wondering if you're unwittingly making these mistakes too? Read on to see what they have to say.

Common Training Mistakes Dog Owners Make

Lack of consistency

Lack of consistency is the “easiest way to confuse a dog,” says Jamie Naggar of Happy Pets NYC, LLC .

To illustrate this, Nicole Rigger of Pets A Go Go shares an example. “Allowing your puppy to come onto the couch when they jump up on it one day or in a certain situation, when they normally wouldn’t, [is a common training mistake],” she says. “Owners need to think about what they [ultimately want] and comply with it.”

In other words, if you've decided not to allow Fido on your furniture, you must stick to this rule at all times. Making exceptions for "special occasions"—or when you simply don't feel like enforcing the rule—will only confuse him.

Inappropriate reprimands

When it comes to ineffective training methods, "scolding for the wrong reasons plays a big role," says Melissa Burg of Companion Animal Behavior Training . She adds that commanding your dog to "come" and then disciplining him will teach him not to come when called. Want him to obey? When you call his name, it's best to shower him with positive reinforcements like treats, cuddles, and praise.

Michelle Jackson of Michelle Jackson Dog Training agrees that too much negative feedback will only discourage your companion. She asks, "If a dog is always wrong, why would [he] want to work for [his] owner?"

Missed learning opportunities

So your dog has mastered something particularly difficult… that's great! He may have this locked away in his mind for now, but it's imperative to keep practicing to keep his skills fresh.

Ann Davidson of Canine Therapy Corps says she often notices pet owners missing out on daily opportunities to continue training. “[Dog owners] view training as something they do in a specific time frame and not something that continues throughout their daily lives,” she explains. “Many owners miss out on great learning opportunities available to them to reinforce desirable behaviors or teach valuable skills. This is simply because these opportunities aren’t part of their ‘training time’—when training time is ALL the time!”

How to reinforce good behavior in dogs?

Communicate clearly

It is clear that animals and people do not always speak the same language. It is extremely important for puppy owners to learn how to communicate with their pets.

Additionally, they need to be able to understand what their dogs are trying to tell them. “One of the biggest issues I encounter as a dog behavior consultant and trainer is clear communication,” says Sue Brown of The Light of Dog . When training is a problem for her clients, “often the problem isn’t that the dog is trying to be naughty or ‘mean,’ but rather that the dog doesn’t understand what is expected of it,” she says. “A big part of my job is helping owners learn to communicate more clearly with their dogs.”

Jaimie Scott of Jaimie Scott Dog Owner Training also says communication is key. “Sending mixed messages is the most common and serious mistake I see when dog owners interact with their dogs,” he says. For example, “Letting your dog walk in front of you sends the message that they are in charge and makes them MUCH less likely to listen to you.”

One last point: giving your dog multiple commands at once will likely leave him confused.

Instead, be patient and go slowly. “Work on one [command] at a time so as not to overwhelm the dog,” suggests Kerry Southern of Southern Training . “Once they have acquired one command, move on to the next.”

Remember, training should be fun (not disappointing)

While training can be serious business, remember that it can also be a wonderful bonding opportunity!

There's nothing better than spending some one-on-one time with your pup, and dogs naturally love to please their favorite people.

“ Training should be a fun experience for both you and your pet,” says Ann Davidson of Canine Therapy Corps . However, “it requires a good deal of patience and emotional management.”

If you feel frustrated, stop the training session and start again at another time when you have a clear head.

You will never have a successful training session if you feel upset from the start.”

Reduce rewards

Often, pet owners train their companions with dog treats , then wonder why they won't listen when there's no reward in sight.

The cause of all this?

"They never diminish the rewards," says Mary Thompson of Happy Hound University .

"This means they train dogs to learn behaviors by food baiting (e.g., putting a piece of food in front of their nose to encourage them to sit, then giving them a treat), but they never teach the dog to sit without the reward of a treat. [This] creates a dog that will only perform the requested behavior when 'bribed'; this can be easily resolved using positive methods."

Don't give in to bad behavior

Just as positive reinforcement can reinforce good behavior, when used at the wrong time, it can encourage bad behavior (even if it's unintentional). For example, if your dog steals your shoe and you chase him around the house, he'll probably be happy that you're "joining in" on his game.

Even if you are angry, participating in his mischief positively reinforces the behavior!

Jody Karow of Go Anywhere Dog™ says many pet owners fall into the trap of giving in to attention-seeking behaviors. “When your dog lunges, it’s to get attention. When you start flapping your arms and yelling ‘go away,’ ‘down,’ ‘stop,’ ‘enough’… that’s exactly what your dog is looking for: attention.” Instead, “withdrawing and ignoring him is a much more effective strategy.”

In other words, if your dog jumps on you when you walk through the door, one way to discourage the behavior might be to turn your back and walk away.

Consult a professional dog behavior trainer

Overall, getting help from a professional trainer is by far the best way to instill desirable behavior in your dog.

Angel Wasserman of Paws in Training says that pet owners often "receive false information or advice from the internet or well-meaning friends."

This is where training expertise comes in. “To solve a behavior problem, the root cause of the behavior must be properly identified before applying any training principle,” Wasserman emphasizes. “If you don’t start with this, the ‘training’ probably won’t work.”

She recounts a real-life experience: “One day, I received a call from a potential new client. Her friend (an existing client) had given her the training protocol I recommended to solve her dog’s barking problem. The protocol hadn’t worked for her dog, and she wanted to know why! The “reason” was due to the fact that her dog was barking for a different reason than the other client’s dog. When we addressed the root cause of why the new client’s dog was barking, we were able to apply the protocol that was appropriate for her own problem.”

In conclusion, let us quote Mr. Burg again, who sums up the situation perfectly: "What works with one [dog] may not work with another." This is why it is essential that each animal be individually assessed by an expert.

Want even more dog training tips? Watch for the next installment of this guide, packed with dog training advice !

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