Common Dog Training Mistakes You Want To Avoid

I know that you do not want your dog to end in the proverbial
cage. And no dog wants to be there, too. Dogs are loving animals
characterized by their constant need for attention and craving
to please their masters. As pack animals, dogs feel a sense of
completeness and fulfillment if they have pleased the master of
the pack. And you, as the dog owner, are what they see as their
pack's leader so you are responsible for training dogs, too.

So many people make the mistake of yelling at their dogs and
hurting them. As a dog owner, the first thing you must realize
is that hurting your pet will not result in the trained dog that
you want. So let us all do away with the sanction type of
behavior modification.

The best time to start dog training is when it is still young,
that is, it is still a puppy. Postponing the puppy training,
believing that puppies cannot understand training just yet, is a
simple mistake that results to huge unwanted behavior. Later on,
dog owners will realize that the puppy is growing and has
developed a stubborn behavior. The puppy won't cooperate anymore
and its behavior, which it has become used too, is just a
horrible experience to the entire household.

Another dog training mistake a dog trainer or dog owners do is
tolerance and not paying the attention required to their dogs.
If you see your dog munching on your slippers, you have to
immediately tell it that what it's doing is unacceptable.
Tolerance, just like with humans, is a prelude to acceptance. It
is an indication that a certain behavior is considered as a norm
and not destructive. It is wrong for dog owners to assume that
dogs will later understand what is wrong or what is right.
Training and letting dogs know what is unacceptable or not
should start at the very onset of the action or behavior.

As I mentioned, dogs like pleasing their masters. During dog
training, whenever your dog does something good, you must let it
associate that action with good feelings or emotions. Many dog
owners and trainers do this by offering treats. This is not bad
and this is highly suggested since dogs like food. In the
absence of food, the kind of reward that you can offer is
praise. Dogs like high-strung voices that signify praises. Right
after a dog does something acceptable, praise it immediately,
pat its back, or cuddle it. The dog will then associate its
actions with the good emotion it felt.

Never make the mistake of neglecting good behavior. If a dog
does something good and was left unrewarded, the dog may not do
it anymore. This is very integral to training puppies as the
early stages of a dog's life are significant in training.

I think the last I want to include here is mis rewarding your
dog, if there is such a word. Sometimes, owners just cannot get
past the idea that their dog is cute when it does unacceptable
things like begging for food. So what they do is to give their
dog a scrap. This is a big mistake because you just let your dog
know that what it did—begging—is acceptable and resulted to the
very thing it wanted—food.

To avoid this from happening, you must let your household know
what you want to dog to learn. Training a dog is a collaborative
effort. Therefore, the goal should be shared by the family much
like the family does if there is a new baby at home.

About The Author: Increase the happy years of your dog by
checking out my free e-book. In it I reveal all the secrets I've
used to develop a happy, healthier dog. Visit Dr. Alfonso's
http://www.cooldoghalloffame.com/dog-training/dog-training-miscues-to-
avoid/2595
dog training blog right now…

Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=246955