Avoid These Unnecessary Rules in Dog Training

When it comes to dog training, some outdated rules still circulate. For instance, consistency and authority are often confused with force; rewards and calm tone may even be considered effeminate by some trainers. We have collected several common myths associated with training your pup and provided solutions on how you could do better in future sessions.

Both dog training and child rearing share an essential trait: others know best. Sometimes their tips may come in handy; other times their “wisdom” can be downright ridiculous or even hazardous.

Havill says hitting with newspaper would make an appropriate punishment.

Do you believe that as long as no physical contact between trainer and dog occurs, violence in dog training is valid? Unfortunately this belief remains widespread. When your four-legged friend commits a transgression – such as peeing on your carpet – they don’t receive physical punishment but instead get hit with something such as rolled newspaper or even sticks instead.

It is crucial that the dog does not associate his caregiver’s slaps with pain they cause them; rather they should perceive it as punishment for his “offense.” Unfortunately, subsequent penalties will do no good because animals cannot make the connection between their behavior and pain caused by them after the fact.

Consequence: the dog doesn’t comprehend why he is being punished; for him, the blow came unexpectedly and left him unsettled and confused. If this occurs too frequently, anxiety disorders may form and eventually manifest into fear aggression at any sign of paper or stick.

Better: When your dog does something he shouldn’t, clearly state your disapproval and demonstrate what you would prefer him to do instead. Once he follows your command, praise lavishly; more information can be found in our guide “Punishing your Dog: Tips for Dog Training.”

Love withdrawal as an effective tool for dog training

Parents often send misbehaving children to their room in an attempt to encourage reflection on their misdeeds; whether this works is debatable; however, when applied to dogs this method becomes redundant as they lack the cognitive capability required for human-like reflection on misconduct.

Punishing your dog by ignoring, sending away or locking up is tantamount to withdrawing love from it and creating an incomprehensible sense of isolation for it – this damages trust between owners and four-legged companions and creates great unrest among both.

Better: Teach your dog the behavior you expect of him with consistency and patience, rather than trying to break him of “bad” ones. Do this through joint obedience training or orientation training to establish trust among both of you.

As pack leader, human must always display dominance.

Humans don’t need to act like alpha wolves towards dogs or bully them into submission. Acts of violence such as grabbing your pup by the scruff of the neck, shaking him violently, knocking over their bodies or holding muzzles shut are forms of abuse which only serve to upset and upset their emotions further – potentially physically hurting the animal too!

Unbearable; humans must always do everything in front of the dog or it will take over. Worries about dogs becoming megalomaniacal power hungry monsters seeking world dominance as soon as an opportunity presents itself are unfounded; rather, animals prefer living peaceful, comfortable lives.

Better: give your dog the security he or she deserves by being reliable. Establish clear rules from the start that always apply; practice essential commands with patience and consistency with your four-legged friend; occupy yourself with appropriate activities so there won’t be any dominating behavior issues;

Dogs tend to resolve disputes among themselves.

“Teach your children that dogs can resolve conflicts on their own” is one of many parenting tips offered by experts. Under normal conditions, however, intervention may not be required in dog encounters; however, there may be exceptions; for instance if your pup suffers from physical infirmities or fears overly boisterous greetings or offers of play from conspecifics can result in violent encounters between conspecifics; also your dog might depend on you if he’s physically inferior compared with another four-legged friend he needs help as he needs assistance in order to remain safe when meeting conspecifics he could cause trouble between four-leggeds!

Be vigilant during encounters between dogs, paying particular attention if your pup appears discomfited and threatened during their interactions with each other. In cases where fights escalate and threaten to turn bloody, intervening immediately should be undertaken but with care to safeguard yourself by not intervening with just your hand; our guide titled “Intervening in Dog Fight: Yes or No?” will offer tips.

Reward your pup with treats as a way of rewarding his or her good behavior! This will keep the canine content and ensure they enjoy being petted by you!

Some dog owners hesitate to reward their pets with treats because they fear bribery or spoiling, yet these same owners still hope that training their pup won’t become difficult entirely without rewards. It is possible, though, to become indulgent without cause and reward it regardless of its behavior. You could try training without giving treats altogether. But be warned – doing this is certainly no guarantee against spoiling! Training without treats won’t necessarily make training any simpler! It may even end up spoiling them and vice versa! You could end up spoiling him/her regardless of behavior!

Use high-quality treats specifically as rewards for desired behaviors to ensure your pup quickly learns what he should be doing. Over time, as his knowledge grows, gradually phase out treats or use clicker training; praise also makes a great reward!

Positive reinforcement only works for well-behaved dogs.

Parental misconceptions include the belief that naughty or aggressive dogs require extra supervision and positive reinforcement may be misconstrued as simply cuddling more. While positive reinforcement could potentially work on these “bad boys”, its real advantage lies with those four-legged friends that obey independently but without becoming overly rebellious.

Problematic is that animals don’t intentionally break the rules to spite their owners – instead, animals don’t understand vindictiveness or defiance, either. When dogs don’t follow directions there’s usually a good reason: maybe they didn’t understand or didn’t know it; or something more appealing distracted them instead of following directions. If your typically well-behaved pup suddenly changes his behavior significantly it could indicate something serious is amiss and you should visit a vet immediately for examination.

Better: use positive reinforcement consistently and reward desired behavior. Ignore undesirable actions taken by your pet. If he tries to do something he shouldn’t, immediately say, “No!” or an abort command and stop them in their tracks – this combination can work wonders with even difficult dogs! For any stubborn ones or those resistant to learning more clearly; use more precise instructions, shorter sessions and extra patience with training them.

Puppies cannot yet be trained.

Are puppies not ready to learn until six months old and cannot be trained prior to then? This is complete nonsense – human children don’t learn proper behavior until elementary school either! Of course, it is important not to overwhelm your puppy with too much information at once as that would only serve to overwhelm him further and create confusion for both himself and you!

Better: Start teaching your puppy basic commands like “sit,” “stop,” or “no.” Additionally, leash control should begin at an early age. Furthermore, visiting a puppy playgroup together can provide him with contact with other dogs and give him an opportunity to playfully explore social behavior.

“You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.”

What people believe about dogs is often misinformed: this assumption that once trained as puppies, they cannot learn later is simply untrue – adult dogs and senior companions still learn something. So don’t shy away from adopting older pups from shelters for fear they won’t teach anything new to you.

Better: Be patient when teaching an older four-legged friend new rules, commands or tricks. Once certain habits have established themselves, it can be challenging to dislodge them; but not impossible! Help your pup by shortening training sessions while building them up gradually in a playful manner; rewarding him when something right occurs and remaining calm yourself.