The Two Sides of Dog Training: The Right & Wrong Way

Some scientists have theorized that the reason humans were able to advance past their cave-dwelling past is because they grew and evolved alongside their domesticated dogs. Dogs have been human helpers, guards, companions, and hunters for thousands of years, and it is important to understand this when beginning to train a new puppy or a rescue animal.

Most professional trainers have their own particular style and method of dog training, but they agree that there is a right way and a wrong way to train a dog. However, like people, dogs have different abilities to learn, and some canine researchers have even suggested dogs can have learning disabilities and can even register on an autistic scale. This means that the trait you must cultivate in yourself before any training program is patience. Getting impatient with a dog is like taking giant leaps backwards, and it harms the trust relationship between you and your charge.

Building trust is the most important step in training, no matter what style or method of training you then go on to use. Dogs want to have something to do and want to have the attention of their human caretakers, but if you provide activities that are boring or too hard, they will act up in a similar manner to human children. Gaining trust is about showing your dog that you will never ask a dog to do something dangerous or completely out of its comfort zone. Many trainers use positive reinforcement training with great success, but it only works when the bond between owner and dog is strong.

Any dog  training program that treats dog as if it were a human is the wrong way to train. Dogs do not think like humans and when people insist their dog is as much human as they are, it is when trouble happens and dogs become misbehaving terrors. If you are having troubles training your puppy or have a grown dog that is acting up, it is not too late! Speak with a professional dog trainer about your situation and start getting results.