5 Common Dog Training Mistakes You're Making and How to Fix Them
Avoiding these 5 common dog training mistakes will get you a well mannered pup in no time!
Not Using High Enough Value Treats
Is your dog not listening to you when you ask them to do something? Feeling like they're being stubborn or obstinate when you give them a cue? Chances are you haven’t been using the right treats! Dogs want to get paid for their work just like you do. You wouldn't go to work if you weren't being paid, why should your dog? Dogs, much like humans, are motivated by the value of the reward for the task. If you're offering kibbles for a really hard job (say recall outside) then the chances of your dog coming back to you are fairly slim. But use something amazing like freeze dried chicken or deli cheese and suddenly they'll come running! This is because the reward was better than all the sights, sounds, and smells in the area. It is important that the reward is proportional to the task. For instance, if I give my dog a high value reward for sitting, when we go outside that reward will be less effective because it was used for an easier task. Make sure your reward fits the task!
Taking Treats Away Too Soon
Another common mistake dog owners make is taking away treats too soon. You may be thinking to yourself, “Do I really have to keep this dumb treat pouch on my belt?” The answer is yes! In order for your dog to want to offer you desirable behaviors they have to be sufficiently rewarded for it. Science shows that behaviors that are well rewarded are the behaviors that stick. Let’s look at the phenomenon of intermittent rewarding. Say you like to play the slot machine at the casino. You put that quarter in and pull the lever. You start to feel excited. Is it going to pay out? When it doesn’t, you excitedly put another quarter in hoping that it will pay out. This is called intermittent rewarding. It is actually the strongest form of rewarding. The problem with this idea in dogs is that dogs must have a strong history of being rewarded every time before intermittent rewarding works. If the dog doesn’t understand that the reward comes after the behavior, then intermittent rewarding holds no value to them. General guideline is to give your dog their treat each time they perform the cue correctly for about 6 months before weaning off the treats.
Telling Your Dog No!
It seems natural to us humans that telling our dogs no would be effective at discouraging certain behaviors. After all, we tell each other no all the time! However this doesn’t always work with our pups. Teaching a dog that they’ll be scolded for certain behaviors doesn’t teach them what they actually should be choosing to do instead. Telling your dog no actually teaches your dog that normal canine behaviors will sometimes get a scary reaction from you. Keep in mind that learning is all about perception. If you perceive something to be scary or upsetting your chance of learning something new is drastically reduced. For instance, If I ask you to learn your multiplication tables in a hounted house, there’s no way you’re going to remember them! But make learning a fun and engaging game with rewards, and suddenly you’re a math whiz! Setting your pup up for success is important in getting the results you want. Rig the game so that your dog can only choose and rehearse the correct behavior and you’ll have a well mannered pooch in no time!
Raising the Bar Too Fast
Similar to taking treats away too fast, another common mistake owners make is raising the bar or changing the criteria too fast. In our human brains we understand what the end goal of the training is. We know that we want the dog to sit and stay. However, our pups have no clue that the end result of the game we’re playing with them is for them to sit and stay. All they know is what’s happening in the present moment. It is our job to translate what we want our dogs to do into a form they understand and can repeat. Chop your training steps up into the tiniest baby steps you can imagine. Once your pup succeeds at the task 90% of the time, then you can move on to the next step. Keep training short and sweet and make sure your dog is winning the game you rigged for them to win!
Using Recall to Punish Your Dog
The final common mistake I see dog owners making is recalling your dog to punish them. Oh no! Fluffy is digging holes in the garden again! You call him over to you and then chastise him for digging in the yard. His ears go back and his head lowers and he slinks away from you. What do you think the chances are that Fluffy is going to come when you call next time? Probably not very good. Imagine if your boss called you over to them just to yell in your face. You’d never go near them again! The same applies to our dogs. Recall should always be a fun party. We should encourage our dogs to come to us in a happy tone. We absolutely should reward recall with high value treats! Another trick most people don’t realize is if your dog gets away from you and isn’t interested in being recalled, don’t chase them! Instead, get their attention and run in the opposite direction. This is a fun game for them that activates their prey drive and they are likely to come running after you. Keep recall a fun game and your dog is sure to come back to you each time.
There you have it, 5 common dog training mistakes and how to fix them! Hope this helps you to have the very best relationship with your dog. If you have any questions about how to help your dog be on their best behavior, you can schedule a free consultation with our certified dog trainer here. I’ll be more than happy to help you get your pup on the right track.
Fetch Ya Later! 🐾