10 Dog Training Mistakes To Avoid

A dog is a loving pet and companion, but they are still animals at the end of the day. With proper training and discipline, their interactions in daily life will be much more manageable as they live with you. As you likely already know, being a trainer also comes with mistakes in the day-to-day. This list will help to identify those dog training mistakes and be able to avoid them in the future.

1. Not Being Consistent

Consistency when training a dog is key to them being properly trained. Identify the good and bad behaviors accordingly and respond to them. When you are not consistent in responding to certain actions, it leads to your dog being confused about how they should act. For example, responding with a stricter tone when your dog barks in some cases while not responding in others will confuse your dog. They will not understand when it is okay to bark and when to not bark.

2. Using Punishment-based Methods

There are times when training your dog becomes stressful and may increase the need to be more dominant towards your pet. While this seems like an easy solution, this is a very common dog training mistake. Doing so may only increase the bad behavior of your dog such as your dog not interacting well with people or being more aggressive.

Instead of this, positive reinforcement leads to being more effective. This training allows for a less fearful situation for your dog as they are rewarded with positive behaviors while less positive behaviors are instead pushed away. Fear will only hinder your dog more while positive rewards will help it learn.

3. Failing to Socialize Your Dog

One of the best things for your dog is socialization. Sometimes people resist wanting their dogs around others. If you stick to consistent dog house training, this may make your dog much more timid around anyone new which can lead to more negative emotional responses to things around him. Having your dog interact with people and other dogs help them to be comfortable with their surroundings and build a form of confidence. 

4. Skipping Basic Obedience Training

People sometimes rush to train their dogs to be advanced in their behaviors. While being able to hold a paw out for a treat is impressive it won’t help your dog not bark at every person they see. It's important to start training with the basics such as teaching your dog not to jump when they want something. Even if it's for 10 to 15 minutes a day, the consistency will help with day-to-day behaviors. When they have those down, you can move on to more advanced training.

5. Not Setting Clear Boundaries

The importance of dog training comes down to this fact, you are training them to be part of the “human” world. You have to lay down clear rules and boundaries for them to appropriately function. An example of this is a common dog training mistake of not teaching your dog not to jump on people. One person in their own home may love the affection from your dog, but a person not accustomed to it may scare others. It's important to set the rule for your dog not to jump on people.

6. Overlooking the Importance of Exercise

Having your dog trained and disciplined to function in your house is wonderful, but there is a whole world out there, and exploring it is very important. Exercise not only helps to keep your dog’s body healthy but also helps to prevent behavior problems. Dog behavior issues can arise from a lack of interaction with the world around them but regular exercise helps them become more accustomed to their environment. This creates less of a chance of aggressive behavior towards people and other pets.

7. Not Addressing Behavior Issues Promptly

A big aspect of the importance of dog training is seeing a behavior issue but not immediately addressing it. Inconsistent discipline with these actions will lead to your dog being confused about whether or not what they are doing is wrong. Promptly addressing issues helps to keep your dog aware of negative actions so they will try to avoid doing them.

Here are some issues that you will want to address promptly:

• Jumping on people, other dogs, furniture 
• Barking when around others
• Going to the bathroom in the wrong areas

8. Using Inconsistent Commands or Cues

One of the biggest aspects of the importance of dog training is the use of consistent commands or cues for your dog—but keep in mind how often you’re using them. Repeating a command again and again may seem like a good idea, but it can actually be confusing. As an example, asking your dog to “sit” once is more effective than repeating the command. This single command method can be enhanced by offering a treat as a reward for performing the task.

9. Neglecting To Make Training Sessions Fun and Engaging

Training sessions for your dog may seem effective but only for short bursts. A common dog training mistake is keeping those sessions going without understanding that their attention is waning. Sometimes your dog is not used to training so their attention will be elsewhere. A game of fetch can help get their attention and energy back to training. Bringing in some fun will help them enjoy their training.

10. Not Seeking Professional Help When Needed

Training requires a lot of time and attention. Your training will go a long way but sometimes behaviors need another perspective. You are not alone as seeking professional help can help to identify other issues that you may have assumed were nothing. Professionals have years of experience understanding dog’s behaviors and emotional states and can bring to light information about your dog you didn’t even think of.

Give Your Dog the Best

Dog training mistakes can be plentiful, but thankfully they are very much avoidable. Mistakes can include small things like being inconsistent in discipline or not giving your dog enough exercise. Bigger mistakes are problems like a lack of socialization and addressing problem behaviors. Avoiding mistakes like these helps to continue training your dog while also enhancing your relationship as they grow accustomed to you and your home.