Common Dog Training Mistakes Part 3

Anniina is a Sydney dog trainer with 10 years of experience in training dogs.

You are too emotional

Excessive emotion can stop a dog’s ability to learn. Anger, frustration and irritation can intimidate him and turn training sessions into a negative experience. Likewise, over-excitement on your part can stoke his energy levels far beyond what is needed to focus and learn.

You are reactive, not proactive

Dog training might seem simple but it’s not. It’s all about timing and understanding the dog’s point of view. And best trainers don’t only correct behaviours when they happen but plan ahead. If you simply react to your dog’s misbehaviours, you lose the opportunity to teach him. Instead, if you anticipate his reactions ahead of time, you become more proactive in the learning process. For example, if trying to stop your dog from barking at other dogs, instead of waiting for the barking to start, catch him right before his brain says “bark,” and distract it into some other, better, behaviour. Basically, whatever stimulus is triggering the barking needs to be either eliminated or redefined as a “good thing” in the dog’s head. This takes a proactive role on your part.

Inconsistency

You need to be consistent in your training. If you change training techniques too often, you’ll diminish your dog’s ability to learn. If one day you stay patient with your dog, but the next day lose your temper, he won’t be able to predict how you’ll react at any given moment. This harms confidence and trust between you and your dog.

EZY DOG TRAINING – YOUR POSITIVE CERTIFIED SYDNEY DOG TRAINER!

“Do you know what drives your dog and how to take advantage of it? My training method works, because it’s based on your dog’s natural drive and decision making process. There’s no need for forcing behaviours out of your dog by using questionable methods, let’s let the dog do the thinking and working!”