The five most common dog training mistakes are, Inconsistency In commands and rewards. Repeating cues, Impatience, using punishment instead of positive reinforcement. Training sessions being too long. Neglecting proper socialisation. Giving up two easily or expecting too much too soon. Inconsistency confuses a dog. Punishment creates fear. Long sessions lead to frustration. Poor Socialisation creates fear and reactivity. Lack of patience hinders progress.
1. Inconsistency
Mistake - Using different words or signals for the same command or giving inconsistent responses to the same behaviour.
Solution - Choose one word for each command and stick with it. Using the same hand signal an expectation every time. Dogs thrive on structure and predictability. Inconsistency makes it harder for them to learn.
2. Impatience - Expecting too much too soon.
Mistake - Expecting your dog to master and use skill instantly or become perfectly behaved after a few sessions.
Solution - Every dog learns at their own pace. Patience and be consistent. Pushing too hard, too fast can lead to frustration for both you and your dog. If you become inpatient your dog will sense this stop training, have a game and come back to it later.
3. Using punishment
Mistake - Yelling or using physical correction. Or punishing a dog for mistakes. Punishment can frighten dogs, damaging the human dog bond, teaching them to fear you rather then understand the behaviour you want.
Solution - Focus on positive reinforcement, which involves rewarding desired behaviours with praise, treats or toys and fun.
4. Training sessions too long
Mistake - Keeping training sessions too long which leads to boredom and frustration for the dog.
Solution - Keep training sessions short fun and engaging around 5-10 minutes, especially for puppies.
5. Neglecting socialisation
Mistake - Not exposing a puppy or new dogs to various people places, sounds of suburbia traffic, trains during the critical early socialisation.
Solution - Socialisation. Involves positively exposing puppies to various people, animals, environments, and sounds to promote confidence. Keep all exposure at a comfortable distance for a positive experience. Prevent fear or aggression. The critical period is roughly 6 to 16 weeks to start with safe at home activities And gradually increase exposure to new things., but always prioritise vaccination status. To prevent life threatening diseases. Positive early experiences help your puppy learn to interact. Appropriately. With their environment and become a well-adjusted companion for life.
Reminder
Use C.P.R. when owning and training your dog.
Consistency
Patience
Respect
It is important you both enjoy the journey