Training our dogs can seem simple. The techniques are not complicated, and we can see some great results with a bit of practice and patience. Yet sometimes it can be a struggle and we don’t understand why. Having worked with many dogs and their owners, these are the most common mistakes I see, and some advice on how to avoid them.
- Not using the right rewards
Many people expect their dog to work for praise alone, thinking their dog should do what they’re asked simply because they love and respect us. Whilst your dog likely appreciates praise, that alone is usually not a strong enough motivator.
Think about it; if your boss turned around to you and said “sorry, I’m no longer going to pay you, but you’re doing a great job and we really respect you here”, would you continue to go into work? Probably not!
If we want our dogs to really engage with us, if we want them to really love their training, we need to use rewards that are valuable to them. If your dog isn’t responding well in training, it may be that the reward you are offering just isn’t valuable enough for them.
Tip: Try out different types of food as training treats, or you can use favourite toys too. You may be surprised at the results!
2. Giving all of the dog’s food in a food bowl
Remember: food is really valuable to dogs! Therefore, each piece of food represents a learning opportunity.
Now, I’m not saying that your dog should have to do something for every piece of food they get, but by feeding your dog exclusively out of a dog bowl, you may be reducing their motivation to train with you. They can get a full belly without having to do anything!
Tip: Reduce the amount of food in each of your dog’s meals and use the rest for training and enrichment. This will increase their food drive and their desire to work and train with you, whilst ensuring you are not over-feeding them.
3. Making your training sessions too long
Like small children (and many adults!), dogs have short attention spans. They can quickly get mentally tired or bored.
Many dog training classes are actually 45-60 minutes to make it seem worthwhile for the humans, but the ideal training time for a dog is actually just 5-10 minutes at a time.
Tip: Use short, regular sessions throughout the day when you have a spare 5 minutes. This is much better than one long training session in the morning or evening. This way, your dog doesn’t get tired, bored, frustrated or impatient and ends the sessions feeling positive about training and about you!
4. Repeating commands over and over
Do you remember your parents nagging at you when you were younger: “have you tidied your room yet”? After a while, you stop tuning into their voice and it just becomes background noise.
Something similar often happens with our dogs. Fido doesn’t sit, so you repeat “sit, sit, sit” and on the third time, he sits, so you reward.
What we’ve taught Fido here is that he doesn’t have to listen to you until the third, fourth, tenth time you ask him. You’ve inadvertently made your voice background noise to him and now, he starts to ignore more of your commands.
Tip: Only say your command once! If your dog doesn’t respond then don’t keep repeating it! Instead go back a step in your training and lure them with a treat to encourage what do you want in that moment, and then link that behaviour with the command word so your dog learns what it means.
5. Not ‘listening’ to your dog
Our dogs are constantly communicating with us, not just when they are barking or whining. We often forget that their language is actually visual not verbal like ours!
By learning to ‘speak dog’ and interpret their different body language signals, we can train our dogs much more effectively.
Does your dog wander off when you get the harness out? Does he lick his lips and give you the side eye when you bring your hands towards him? Does he scratch himself when you ask him to sit or lie down? All of these are your dog speaking to you!
Recognising the subtle signs of discomfort, unease, frustration and confusion can really help us improve our training sessions, and make our dogs feel better about the training process in general. Great training is based on mutual understanding and a great relationship and understanding, which will help to improve your dogs overall confidence, focus and engagement.
Tip: Learn to spot some of the most common signals your dog uses to tell you how they are feeling, and change what you do with them in that situation to help them feel better! If you want to learn more about how to ‘speak dog’, check out my blog post here
Dog training can be difficult, and it can be hard to know which advice to take! But sometimes a few simple adjustments to the way we train can make a world of difference to our dog’s behaviour, and to our relationship with them. Happy training!
If you want to find out how I can help you improve your relationship with your dog, check out my services here. I offer a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your individual situation so just get in touch!
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