7 Mistakes Every Dog Owner Should Avoid
Not everything we do with our dogs while training or just coexisting together is good for strengthening the dog-owner bond. Check yourself for these common puppy owner mistakes to make your life easier
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7 Mistakes Every Dog Owner Should Avoid
Training is a process that starts the moment you get your puppy in your hands for the very first time. From this moment, everything you do when interacting with your dog is either good or bad for reinforcing different kinds of behavior. Therefore, every dog owner is prone to a multitude of bad habits that hamper the training process or outright reverse the positive results. So here is the list of the most common things a puppy owner should never do.
Training is a process that starts the moment you get your puppy in your hands for the very first time. From this moment, everything you do when interacting with your dog is either good or bad for reinforcing different kinds of behavior. Therefore, every dog owner is prone to a multitude of bad habits that hamper the training process or outright reverse the positive results. So here is the list of the most common things a puppy owner should never do.
1. Hugging
As heart-breaking as it may sound to the majority of dog owners out there, dogs are not that fond of cuddling. Most dog trainers and behaviorists have come to the conclusion that while hugging is normal for us, primates, for canids it is highly unnatural. In fact, hugging can be very stressful for dogs, as they demonstrate by muscular tension and other stress signs when you give them a hug. Instead, limit your physical interactions to touching and stroking.
As heart-breaking as it may sound to the majority of dog owners out there, dogs are not that fond of cuddling. Most dog trainers and behaviorists have come to the conclusion that while hugging is normal for us, primates, for canids it is highly unnatural. In fact, hugging can be very stressful for dogs, as they demonstrate by muscular tension and other stress signs when you give them a hug. Instead, limit your physical interactions to touching and stroking.
2. Having long training sessions
In people's minds, a regular training session is around 40-60 minutes long. And when they are asked to make it shorter, they come up with a number somewhere around 20 minutes. In dog training what is normally considered "short" is still extremely long. We recommend having short training sessions that take 1 or 2 minutes. While this may feel counterintuitive, such micro-sessions are more effective when it comes to learning tricks and reinforcing correct behavior.
In people's minds, a regular training session is around 40-60 minutes long. And when they are asked to make it shorter, they come up with a number somewhere around 20 minutes. In dog training what is normally considered "short" is still extremely long. We recommend having short training sessions that take 1 or 2 minutes. While this may feel counterintuitive, such micro-sessions are more effective when it comes to learning tricks and reinforcing correct behavior.
3. Not starting training immediately
Most new dog owners focus purely on housebreaking training when they get a puppy leaving general training sessions for later. The truth is, even an 8-week old dog is capable of undergoing basic command training. You can start teaching your puppy such commands as "sit", "down", "stay" and "come" literally on the day you bring it to your home. If you start early, you will have a better chance of getting a well-mannered companion in the future.
Most new dog owners focus purely on housebreaking training when they get a puppy leaving general training sessions for later. The truth is, even an 8-week old dog is capable of undergoing basic command training. You can start teaching your puppy such commands as "sit", "down", "stay" and "come" literally on the day you bring it to your home. If you start early, you will have a better chance of getting a well-mannered companion in the future.
4. Allowing free feeding
Some dog owners choose to leave food accessible at all times and just add more when it runs out. While such an approach works with cats and may seem convenient, for dogs it is far from being ideal. If you want to be a proper dog owner and trainer, you must create a strict feeding schedule for your pet, which is one of the most important things to know when getting a puppy.
There are multiple benefits to feeding your dog on a schedule. First of all, you will be able to predict the times when it needs to go, making housebreaking thousand times easier. Also, you will be able to make use of your pet's hunger in training, since it will do anything for a treat 20 minutes before mealtime. And it is simply more convenient to control the amount of food your dog consumes, which eliminates weight and health problems.
Some dog owners choose to leave food accessible at all times and just add more when it runs out. While such an approach works with cats and may seem convenient, for dogs it is far from being ideal. If you want to be a proper dog owner and trainer, you must create a strict feeding schedule for your pet, which is one of the most important things to know when getting a puppy.
There are multiple benefits to feeding your dog on a schedule. First of all, you will be able to predict the times when it needs to go, making housebreaking thousand times easier. Also, you will be able to make use of your pet's hunger in training, since it will do anything for a treat 20 minutes before mealtime. And it is simply more convenient to control the amount of food your dog consumes, which eliminates weight and health problems.
5. Repeating commands
When teaching your puppy a new trick, it is crucial to keep in mind that saying the same command over and over is wrong. If you do that, your dog will be picking up the entire sequence of commands instead of just one. So when you say "sit" 5 times in a row, your dog thinks that this is the command. If your dog fails to react to commands said once, take a step back and try to repeat the training routine.
When teaching your puppy a new trick, it is crucial to keep in mind that saying the same command over and over is wrong. If you do that, your dog will be picking up the entire sequence of commands instead of just one. So when you say "sit" 5 times in a row, your dog thinks that this is the command. If your dog fails to react to commands said once, take a step back and try to repeat the training routine.
6. Reinforcing undesirable behavior
Allowing your dog to do what it wants often contradicts the desired behavior. The rule here is simple: don't encourage when it does something you don't like. Don't let it pull on your lead, don't give your dog attention when it barks, don't pet your dog when it jumps on the couch, etc. You have to be strict and resolved if you want to train a faithful companion. Dogs love being submissive, it makes sense for them and doesn't diminish their ego.
Allowing your dog to do what it wants often contradicts the desired behavior. The rule here is simple: don't encourage when it does something you don't like. Don't let it pull on your lead, don't give your dog attention when it barks, don't pet your dog when it jumps on the couch, etc. You have to be strict and resolved if you want to train a faithful companion. Dogs love being submissive, it makes sense for them and doesn't diminish their ego.
7. Hitting
Resorting to violence should never be an option for a proper dog owner. Don't ever hit your dog unless you want yourself a fearful creature completely void of trust. It is cruel and wrong, as simple as that. You are the one with the superior intellect here, so be smarter and don't let your negative emotions get a hold of you.
If you want your training to be textbook-perfect, try using eTrainDog, where we have gathered the most effective training programs that are easy to follow and quick to remember. Our puppy training app will ensure top-notch results with minimum effort.
Resorting to violence should never be an option for a proper dog owner. Don't ever hit your dog unless you want yourself a fearful creature completely void of trust. It is cruel and wrong, as simple as that. You are the one with the superior intellect here, so be smarter and don't let your negative emotions get a hold of you.
If you want your training to be textbook-perfect, try using eTrainDog, where we have gathered the most effective training programs that are easy to follow and quick to remember. Our puppy training app will ensure top-notch results with minimum effort.
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