Sit! Stay! The Most Common Mistakes Owners Make When Training A Puppy
Training a puppy is one of those tasks that seems fairly easy on the surface, but is actually a lot more complex than most people realize. There are some common puppy training beliefs that are actually counter productive towards having a well-trained pooch. Here's a look at some of the most common mistakes that people make when attempting to train a puppy on their own.
Making training too consistent
Dogs are creatures of habit, and it's easy for them to learn "specific" commands instead of "general." What this means is that many times, when an owner is training a dog, the conditions are the same. It's always in the same room, always quiet, and often the same time of day. In this scenario, a dog may learn that "sit" only applies to the living room when it's quiet! It is best to train in distraction free environments in the beginning. But once your puppy has started to show they can handle a command, add distractions. Bring another person into the room, turn on the TV, or train in another location. This teaches your puppy that the commands apply everywhere.
Using too many treats
Treats certainly are a good motivator for a dog, but they can work against you if you use them too often. It's okay to use treats in the beginning of training, but you should eventually replace treats with praise. Sill introduce treats at random intervals to keep things interesting, but don't rely completely on them. If you use treats all the time, that can become the dog's primary focus. Instead of doing a command to obey their owner, or to make their owner happy, they do it for their quick snack. Expecting a reward can slow down your dog's reaction time to obeying your command, and could even cause them to lose interest in what you're saying if you don't produce a treat. Dogs have an inherent desire to please their owners. Let this be motivation!
If you've got a puppy you're trying to train, you might find yourself quickly frustrated when "tips and tricks" you find online just don't work. The thing is, every dog is different. You might just find that trusting the services of a professional is the best bet. A dog training service is likely staffed with people that have years of experience training dogs, and know exactly how to deal with any type of temperament. Contact a business, such as The Pet Spot Pet Resort, for more information.
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