Dog training isn’t easy. I tell my clients all the time that I paid thousands of dollars to Starmark Academy to learn what I know. And that they can start charging their friends to train their dogs after I am through with them! 😉 It’s always helpful to look at the most frequent mistakes people make when they do things. Mistakes are GOOD. We need them. I am also always telling my clients not to judge their success on what they are seeing in the moment, and to have FUN, not get hung up on mistakes. That said, it’s great to bring these elements below into your awareness when you’re trying to train your dog.
1. Not Being Consistent
Dogs learn through consistency: the same thing happening at the same time, in the same place, in the same way…. every time. This is how they figure out what to do and what to expect. This is why consistency is so important. When things are different, it confuses a dog, because they are so wired on cause and effect. Your dog doesn’t know someone is old and they can’t jump on them, or you’re dressed up for a wedding, etc. So you can’t really get upset with her if you are not consistently correcting her jumping behavior and NOT letting her jump on anyone ever. Imagine how confused you would be if sometimes you came into work late and your boss didn’t care, but then sometimes she/he got all uppity and gave you the stink eye! Another example is if your dog loves to paw at you for treats (I see you!) and you consistently reply to her attempts with… treats, then she will learn that if she paws at you, she will get treats! If you want to reverse this, then use consistency again. Consistently DON’T give her treats when she paws at you and consistently give her treats when she leaves you alone and lies down. The more consistent you are, the faster your dog will learn. Write out your consistency rules and post them on the fridge so everyone in the house will abide by them and your dog will be set up for success.
2. Saying a Command More Than Once
This is a huge, big, always-going-to-happen training mistake I run across. And it’s very okay. All of us dog trainers did the exact same thing when we were starting out. It’s very much a brain training game to learn how to not say “sit” 12 times. It’s also a primate thing. Primates are the only ones that use repetition, at increasingly loud volumes, to communicate. If a chimp isn’t getting what she wants, she’ll start getting louder about it, and repeating her demand. So, don’t be hard on yourself about this one. But DO try to remind yourself not to repeat your commands. This also relates to consistency. If you consistently follow through after saying your command once, your dog will learn that he will only be asked once, so better go ahead and do it. In dog training school, my teacher said it is like a parent calling their kid home for dinner. They call and call, but the kid knows their parent doesn’t really mean it until the 8th time. They won’t come searching for them with an angry face until the 8th call. Your dog will learn this too! Only say the command once, then follow through….
3. Not Following Through
Following through is when you take action to ensure you get the reaction you are looking for. An example of this is “sit.” You should ask for sit once, then give your dog about 3 seconds to react (actually sit). If he doesn’t sit after 3 seconds, either lure him back into a sit, or curve his bottom down. This is actually teaching your dog what you want him to do when you say the word “sit.” Sit is not usually a natural position for dogs. It’s a bit rigid. Imagine if someone came to you and said “anja!” and dangled a cupcake over your head. You would be totally confused. The curving of the butt, or luring back so that the dogs legs will squat, is what is needed, to make a connection between the word and the desired behavior/position.
4. Poor Timing
Timing is about rewarding the desired behavior (or close to it) within a small enough amount of time for the dog to make a connection between that behavior and the reward. Trainers will differ on the length of that time, but I have noticed anything over 3 seconds is too long. A clicker is a great way to ensure that you are rewarding your dog within 3 seconds of the desired behavior, so be sure to get a clicker (maybe several) and condition your dog to the sound. A verbal marker, like the word “yes” is a good way too. You can combine the clicker and verbal marker, no problem.
5. Not Avoiding The Situation
This is one you may not see on a lot of other lists of common training mistakes. However, it’s huge. Many clients will say “What do I do when we see a dog/cat/person and my dog freaks out like a wild animal?” And I say: turn and go. “Turn and Go” is a great training term. It’s a nice mental fallback for those “wild animal” moments when you’re shocked and the other creatures are shocked or just as wild! After the first few seconds of shock, remember “Turn and Go” and… turn and go!! After a while, it will become your instinctual reaction to any loud or uncomfortable situation. For example, when I’m walking a dog I don’t know very well, and I see an off-leash dog, I turn and go, because I don’t know if that off leash dog is going to come dashing over, and the dog I’m walking is going to react. Or if I’m walking along enjoying the beautiful day, lost in my head, and all of a sudden there’s an outburst of Chihuahua yaps, I just pull my dog over and go. If you don’t like the situation, just turn and go. There’s no need to stay there and let things get worse and worse and louder and louder. Many negative outcomes could be avoided if more people kept this in mind.
I tell my clients that this knowledge will seep into their minds and bodies over time. And to let a few months pass by before they decide that training isn’t working. As long as there is daily practice. Training your own dog absolutely will change your life for the better!