[Episode 35]

 

10 Common Dog Training Mistakes

 

1. Waiting until you’re at your wit’s end to start training before you start a training problem.

“You need a 911 number”

Adding a dog to the family is a big decision and responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly. That decision comes with buying dog food, dog beds, medical needs, and dog training. That adorable fluffy bouncy puppy will grow up and live in your home for 10 – 15 years. Teaching your dog how to live in your human house is your responsibility, not your dog’s. Dog training is an investment in your future. Many dog owners wait until a problem is driving them crazy before they finally seek help.

We’ve had Rockie for two years since we adopted him from your rescue. We did one training session and spent over $800 in dog trainers/behaviorists. He has bitten my husband and charged our guests. He needs to be in a different home. We need to return him to your rescue as soon as possible. My husband wants him out of our home as soon as possible. Tears stream down my face as I type this, but he needs to be returned to your rescue.

Dog problems don’t develop overnight, they start small and grow, like cancer, until they’re out of control. Waiting until you’re at your limit and expecting a quick fix won’t work. It’s not fair to you, your dog, or the dog trainer.  

Budgeting your time and money for dog training is the best way to be proactive and have a plan. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail – Benjamin Franklin. 

 

I didn’t plan or budget when I got Sadie years ago. I ended up frustrated, overwhelmed, and at my wit’s end. I almost rehomed my second dog because Sadie was out of control. A friend gave me some tough love saying that MY dog was MY responsibility and I needed to figure it out. That advice hurt, but she was right. Sadie was out of control because I wasn’t proactive. I don’t want that to happen to you. 

Find a Certified Professional Dog Trainer that uses positive reinforcement and get started today. We can help with private, online, and virtual lessons that are easy and affordable. You’ll get answers to basic questions below and help with more challenging problems.

 

 

2. Not Taking the Dog on Enough Walks

Most behavior problems can be solved with two 30 minute walks a day!  It’s amazing how this can help with chewing, barking, potty training, jumping, barking, digging and general naughtiness.

 

We love Cooper but he goes crazy in the morning, biting and jumping on the kids. Stealing their breakfast off the table and he is completely hyper and out of control. 

 

All dogs need to get outside every single day. I recommend all of my clients walk their dog twice a day for 20 – 30 minutes. If you need to wake up earlier so that your dog gets a walk before you leave for work, then you need to do it.  

 

You need to remember that dogs are animals bred to hunt, sniff, search and forge for food. We domesticated these amazing dogs because they bring so much joy to our lives, but we forget they have needs too. When those needs aren’t met, problems behaviors will spring up like a patch of wild mushrooms. 

 

An easy fix to most problems is walking your dog twice a day for at least 30-minutes. When pressed for time do a 15 minutes sniffing walk. 

 

Training Secret: sniffing will tire your dog out quicker than physical exercise. 

 

Adding interactive food toys will also help tire your dog out. Get our list of favorites and watch demo videos by clicking here.

 

3. Selecting the Wrong Dog Trainer | Not knowing how to find a qualified dog trainer

All too often well-intentioned dog owners seek help from a “professional” only to find their claims and reviews were false. 

 

“He had over 100 positive reviews. I thought he was going to help, but I refuse to let him do that to my dog again.” 

 

Websites that claim: 

I can Correct ANY Dog Behavior Fast. 

I WILL FIX ANY DOG PROBLEM IN 90 MINUTES 

OR LESS 98% OF THE TIME

Or

 

100% Guarantee on Behavior

If you see any of these claims, run! 

 

Dog training in the United States is not regulated. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer tomorrow and take your money without any experience or proper education to “train” your dog. 

 

Most inexperienced and uneducated dog trainers make false claims to get your money. The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers ensures that Certified Dog Trainers follow a Code of Ethics. According to the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, giving a guarantee of behavior is unethical. 

 

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends that:

• Veterinarians do not refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that follows from it. 
• Instead, the AVSAB emphasizes that animal training, behavior prevention strategies, and behavior modification programs should follow the scientifically based guidelines of positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, classical conditioning, desensitization, and counter-conditioning.
• The AVSAB recommends that veterinarians identify and refer clients only to trainers and behavior consultants who understand the principles of learning theory and who focus on reinforcing desirable behaviors

 

Sourcehttps://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dominance_Position_Statement_download-10-3-14.pdf 

 

Don’t make the mistake of hiring the wrong person. This can result in years of suffering for your dog and ultimately euthanasia. 

 

By the way, Rockie’s family had a similar experience to the one you read above. He couldn’t be fixed in ONE lesson and his family turned him in to the shelter for biting.  Without the right training, he will probably be euthanized. 

 

4. Using the Wrong Training Tools or Equipment 

With so much misinformation, confusion and changes in the industry, it’s easy to get overwhelmed about which dog training method is the best. 

 

“His first aggressive incident was when as a puppy he was being trained. Bo did not want to do the commands for the trainer. The trainer jerked on his leash so hard that he flew backwards for not sitting, and he continue to correct him each time he disobeyed. After several minutes of this Bo snarled, lunged, and snapped at the trainer.”

 

Bo was euthanized at 3 years old for aggression, specifically for attacking, jumping, and biting the teenage children he lived with. 

 

The AVSAB  cited that: Because fear and anxiety are common causes of aggression and other behavior problems, including those that mimic resource guarding, the use of punishment can directly exacerbate the problem by increasing the animal’s fear or anxiety 

 

Source: https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dominance_Position_Statement_download-10-3-14.pdf 

 

Correction collars, leash corrections, and thrusting a knee into Bo’s chest each time he jumped changed his personality, increased his level of fear, caused his anxiety, and ultimately led to his death. Bo and his family didn’t stand a chance. 

 

You must find a dog trainer that is certified (and you can look up their certification online AND one that uses 100% positive reinforcement). 

 

5. Improper Socialization

Thinking “socialization is something I can do later.” In all honesty, socialization is the MOST misunderstood thing about dogs and puppies. In fact, I’ve struggled with how to explain to get parents without getting them upset. 

 

Most barking, lunging, biting snapping and growls develop as a result of inadequate socialization. Most people don’t know that the ideal time to socialize a dog ends at 13-week-old. Some people try to socialize their dog to prevent mistakes and make them worse, usually with these mistakes:

 

• Thinking that exposure to something is the same as proper socialization. The experience MUST be positive or else you are creating a negative experience.  
• Forcing their dog to greet a person/dog once they’ve backed away. 

 

Proper socialization means making each new experience a positive experience. Mere exposure alone is not enough, the experience must be positive.

 

Creating a positive experience can be difficult if you don’t know or when your dog is nervous. Some obvious signs of incorrect socialization strategies include backing away, moving away, or hiding. Some less obvious signs are tongue flicks, turning head away, yawning, acting sleepy, and so on. Waiting for obvious signs like barking, snapping, or growling means that you’ve pushed your puppy way too far. 

 

 6. Expecting your dog to do something or act in certain ways when you didn’t train him how to do it

Some dogs just naturally listen to whatever you say. They don’t understand what you’re telling them, but since you’re talking, they move towards you whenever you open your mouth. However, most dogs need to be taught how to live under your roof with your rules and expectations.

 

You won’t expect your son to know that you want him to brush his teeth before bed without telling him nicely, right? 

 

You wouldn’t expect your husband to know what makes you happy?

 

And you wouldn’t expect your boss to write you up without first explaining your job description.

 

It’s the same for your dog. Putting in the time and using positive reinforcement will pay off in spades. Training your dog is easy when you have the right tools and guidance. 

 

6. Thinking that a dog’s BREED will determine his behavior.

“You can hit a Golden Retriever with a kids plastic bat and he wouldn’t do anything” a veterinarian claims. 

 

First of all, I’ve met plenty of Golden Retrievers with a bite history, and I would never recommend hitting a dog with anything. That well-intentioned veterinarian doesn’t solve behavior problems every day. He treats diseases so his recommendation on behavior should be taken with a grain of salt. 

 

It’s easy to stereotype a breed but it’s not accurate. Would you stereotype a person by the way they look? It’s the same for dogs. Studies of twins, separated and raised in different homes show that when genes have a potential for a given characteristic it is the environment that determines if the potential for that gene is expressed or not. 

 

And, those studies are done with the same pair of DNA, or the same mother and father. Golden Retrievers don’t all have the same parents.

 

There isn’t a “well-behaved” or “friendly” chromosome that Golden Retrievers have that Pit Bulls do not have. 

 

There isn’t a “potty training” chromosome that labradors have that Italian Greyhounds didn’t get. 

 

That means that Italian Greyhounds are as easy to potty train as Labs. That also means that Pit Bulls can be as friendly at Goldens. There are some behavior challenges that can be genetic, but the environment often determines IF those genes will be expressed or not. You’re in 100% control of your dog’s environment. 

 

What does this all mean?? It means that training your dog (using 100% positive reinforcement) is the best way to get a well-behaved dog. 

 

7. Using Positive Reinforcement Wrong 

 

I tried positive reinforcement but it didn’t work. 

 

We’ve all watched a baseball game. We’ve seen baseball players swing a bat, hit the ball and watched the ball fly through the air. 

 

So, if I swing the bat and I don’t hit the ball, does that mean that bats don’t work to hit the ball?  Or is it more likely that I’m swinging incorrectly and need some guidance and practice?  It is likely the latter. 

 

Positive reinforcement works on dolphins, 7-ton Killer Whales, Lions, Giraffes and sharks. It will absolutely work with your dog. 

 

You can do it incorrectly, wrong or just need a little tweak to get it corrected. 

 

8. Ignoring your dog’s or stress signals

Most dog owner think that a trained dog is one that can respond to commands like, sit, down or stay. They spend all of their time teaching their dog an ACTION, but they neglect the most important piece of the puzzle, their dogs emotions. 

 

This is more important than teaching your dog to sit because emotions control every action.

 

Think about it. If you have a dog that is hard to control on a walk because he’s barking and lunging at dogs or people, that’s an emotional issue, not an issue that can be changed with teaching a dog to heel or leave it.

 

If you have a dog that jumps like a jumping bean when your guests walk in the door, then that’s an emotional issue. He needs to learn to be calm around people. 

 

If you have a dog that bites and growls, that’s an emotional issue and teaching him to stay won’t change the biting and growling because it’s the symptom, not the cause.  

 

Your dogs emotional state will ALWAYS overrule a command or cue. You must change the emotion first. 

 

If you want your dog to be calm and relaxed then you need to work on exercises that teach him to be relaxed. 

 

Your dog’s emotions matter most in training. Sadly this important piece is often left out in most dog training programs. 

 

9. Skipping brain games that your dog needs.

 

This is one that most people miss, so listen up because this will make your life easier. All dogs were bred to do a job like herd sheep, cattle, guard property, retrieve birds, hunt rodents, mushrooms and on and on. Since we’ve domesticated these amazing creatures, we’re removed those tasks that use to take them hours and hours. Not to mention that the amount of time and energy it took for dogs to hunt for their own food. You need to add this back in the form of enrichment, brain games or mental games (they’re all the same). Click here to see a list of favorites that you can find on Amazon and some demo videos. 

10. Letting fear prevent you from moving forward

Being too afraid to try. “What if this doesn’t work and I’m stuck with this problem for the next 12 years.” It feels helpless when you don’t  know how to solve a problem. You’re not born knowing how dogs think, learn or how to raise them. You’re not b

 

Fear comes in several forms. One of the most common forms is a fear of failure. There’s also a fear of not being able to control your dog if he misbehaves, lunges or tries to bite someone (especially true for reactive or aggressive dogs). Fear of what other people think of you and your dog. Fear that you’re stuck with this problem. Fear that you won’t be able to change your dog. 

 

You fear your dog’s reaction (especially true for reactive or aggressive dogs). Fear of what other think.  Fear of not being able to change your dog. 

Fear that you’re stuck, when you’re actually not. 

The problem with these fears is that they could be preventing you from getting the help you need with your dog. It’s important for you to know that you will make mistakes when training your dog. Learning isn’t a perfect process. Any mistakes you make can be a guide to new learning opportunities. You can’t look at it as failure. 

 

You can only fail if you let your fear keep you paralyzed from helping your dog. 

 

Fear can help if you use it to move in a new direction so progress can be made with your dog. Focus on small successes when it happens. Small steps lead to big changes. Perfection isn’t the goal, change happens in small steps. Envision times when you can walk your dog along the beach, river or mall without any barking. Pick places you will take your dog when you’ve reached your goal.

 

I’ve seen some serious cases that led to happy endings when I didn’t think it was possible. But I’ve learned that everything IS possible when you do the right action and take the right approach to training your dog.