There’s nothing like a well-behaved, well-trained dog to make people smile. Whether you want your pooch to learn basic manners, or you’re trying to teach an old dog new tricks, adhering to proper training protocols is important.
Judging the right training protocols for your dog’s unique personality isn’t always easy. Much as with humans, dogs sometimes differ greatly in both how they are motivated and how they learn.
For one pup, the promise of a treat may be enough to push them to learn. For another, food isn’t so attractive, but the promise of snuggles from a beloved human may be enough. In many ways, this means that owners learn right alongside their pups when training – just one of the many reasons working with a professional trainer is so highly recommended.
Although a wide range of approaches exists in the training world, there are certain methods that are simply downright negative. Engaging in them comes with a significant amount of risk to both you and your furry friend. At best, your dog will learn nothing but bad habits; at worst, you could even cause him to become fearful, anxious, or aggressive.
Using Corporal Punishment
Dogs are a bit like children in that corporal punishment rarely serves the purpose people think it will. Furthermore, the fine line between punishment and abuse is very often difficult to see and much too easy for pet owners to cross.
It may seem to make sense at first; your dog messed on the carpet. Rub his nose in it – it’s unpleasant, and he won’t do it again. Use a shock collar and each time he barks, the painful stimuli will remind him that the behavior is undesirable. Unfortunately, research has proven time and time again that the concepts behind this type of approach are inherently false.
The problem is that punishing your dog doesn’t look at the problem behavior holistically. Why is your dog misbehaving? Is he bored? Anxious? Upset? Fearful? These are all extremely important questions for pet owners, especially with regard to fearful or anxious animals. You respond physically to fear and all you do is create more fear. That can and often does eventually turn into aggression.
Instead of using corporal punishment, start by assessing the situation. Is your dog fearful of upset because of another dog? Remove him from the situation and calm him down first. Did he soil the rug? Ask yourself if maybe he’s been home alone with no opportunity to toilet for too long. Did he nip you during feeding? Have him assessed for food aggression and work to resolve that problem step-by-step.
Giving Multiple Commands All at Once
Imagine being a child in math class. Suddenly, the teacher asks you to solve 5 different math problems, all at the same time. Then, she also asks you to fetch her a piece of chalk from her desk while simultaneously asking you to rhyme off the names of every President of the United States to date.
Most likely you’d struggle with providing even one of those answers, let alone all of them. This is what your dog experiences when you give him multiple commands at the same time during training. It’s too many requests and too much stimulation, especially for a young puppy who may be distracted by everything (including the wind, other humans, the carpet, a ball, needing to relieve himself and about 100 other things).
Instead of delivering commands simultaneously, pick one command and repeat it over and over. Praise your dog when he gets it right in whatever learning style works best, be it affection or a treat. Once you’re confident he understands the first command, you can move on to another.
Being Inconsistent
One day, you let your dog jump on the couch. The next, you tell him he’s not allowed up and make him get down. What’s wrong with this picture? It’s inconsistent, and much too likely to confuse your precious pooch.
Dogs require repetition and consistency to learn (alongside positive reinforcement). Each time you don’t stand firm in what you want her to do, you’re sending mixed messages. Is she supposed to stay down, or not?
This approach is even worse if you often give in to your dog’s demands simply because you don’t want to “argue” with her at the time. She’ll learn that if she’s insistent enough, you’ll give in, and that can lead to behavioral problems down the road.
Relying Too Heavily on Tools
Training tools should always be used as an augment to solid training practices. While they do have their role in helping your dog to learn more effectively, they can also be misused by pet owners, especially if they provide fast results.
Here’s an example: you use a leash on your dog in the backyard. Since the leash prevents him from running, you leave the leash on at all times. Sure, he won’t run, but that’s not because he’s learned proper recall or the command “stay.” It’s because he doesn’t have a choice.
Likewise for dogs that pull when out on a walk. You could use a no-pull lead (In fact, you should use one temporarily for safety reasons), but if you don’t actually work with your dog to curb that behavior, the correction is temporary at best.
Using a Crate as Punishment
While this point technically falls under the classification of relying on tools, it’s important enough that it’s worth discussing all on its own. Far too many owners use crating as a form of punishment, and doing so can be extremely detrimental to your dog’s mental state. It can lead to or worsen destructive behaviors, and may even cause depression.
Punish with crate time often enough and Fido will even start to dislike the crate, and may balk at entering.
So, when should you crate? When you need your dog to calm down for a few minutes, in an emergency, or when you want him to settle down for the night. Make your crate your dog’s sanctuary, with a favorite blanket it in and his favorite snack.
Fail to Moderate Your Own Emotions
This one has more to do with you, the pet owner, rather than your furry friend. It’s important that you always moderate your emotions when training your dog. If you become frustrated, angry, or fearful, your dog will read into those emotions and feed off them, making it more difficult to train her effectively.
Before you start each training session, take a few minutes to yourself. Meditation, yoga, or even just relaxing in silence with some deep breathing will help you to center yourself so you can start training positively. If your dog does engage in bad behavior, and you become frustrated, take a few breaths and remind yourself that most dogs really do want to behave, they just need help from their human.
Failing to Discipline Quickly
Although research makes a strong case for the use of positive reinforcement, it’s equally important to discipline your dog swiftly and effectively from time to time. That being said, you must remember that discipline is not punishment; it’s correction and should be used as such.
When you catch your dog “in the act,” so to speak, you should immediately counter the behavior. Discipline should occur within the first five to 10 seconds after an incident. Trainer Expert behavioral specialist Victoria Stilwell recommends brief timeouts – especially helpful for rowdy or upset dogs – ignoring the behavior, and using vocal interrupters like a firm but measured “no.”
Training your dog takes patience, time, and effort from both parties, and sometimes you don’t see immediate results. If this happens to you, don’t become frustrated. Stick with it, avoid the negatives, and be a positive leader for your pup. You’ll reap the rewards long into the future.