No doubt you鈥檝e seen dogs on TV or at a dog sports event and been amazed by the tricks they can do. And what about those dogs who have obedience down pat? Have you ever wondered if you can train your dog like that? Absolutely! You can train your dog to do almost anything with the right methods and attitude. But some common dog training mistakes could get in your way.
Although many people make these missteps, with a little knowledge and effort, you can steer clear to boost your training game.
Don鈥檛 Be Afraid to Be Silly
Training should be fun for your dog, so don鈥檛 be afraid to get goofy when you鈥檙e working with them. Praise them with a high-pitched and silly tone of voice when they behave appropriately or correctly obey a cue. A singsong 鈥淲ho鈥檚 a good puppy?鈥� will communicate more enthusiasm to your dog than a monotone 鈥淕ood dog.鈥� Don鈥檛 let embarrassment stop you from showing your dog how pleased you are.
You can also use your best goofy behavior and voice when training a recall cue. If you sound angry or panicked, your dog will turn and run the other way. But if you sound like you鈥檙e having a party, how can your dog resist coming over to play, too? Remember, dogs respond to your body language and tone of voice just as much, if not more than, your words. So, keep things upbeat and fun.
Stay Positive When Training
It can be maddening when your dog gets it wrong. But never let your dog see your frustration. It鈥檚 important to maintain an upbeat attitude because dogs can read human emotions. If your dog thinks you鈥檙e angry or stressed, they鈥檒l shut down and stop learning. Although this often looks like your dog is being stubborn or ignoring you, they鈥檙e simply reacting to your negative mood. If you see your dog yawning, looking away, sniffing the ground, or other signs of 鈥渄isinterest,鈥� take stock of your emotions and see what you鈥檙e projecting. If you can鈥檛 recover, take a break and try training later when your patience and positivity are refreshed.
It鈥檚 also important your dog feels safe to learn through trial and error. If you correct your dog鈥檚 mistakes with words like 鈥淣o!鈥� or 鈥淓hh!鈥� or any other aversive, they鈥檒l fear getting it wrong. Rather than actively participating in the training process, they鈥檒l disengage and stop trying. It鈥檚 far better to use positive reinforcement training techniques, set up your dog for success, and reward their accomplishments.
Be Generous With Treats
Reward your dog generously and frequently. Too many people are stingy with rewards or won鈥檛 use anything but praise. But would you go to work if you stopped getting a paycheck? Behaviors that are reinforced are repeated, so don鈥檛 be tightfisted with the , praise, games of fetch, or whatever you use to reward your dog. That will foster a love of training in your dog and make listening to you worthwhile.
It鈥檚 also helpful to be fast with reward delivery. Otherwise, your dog can become confused about what exactly you鈥檙e reinforcing or can lose interest and wander away to find their own rewards. Using a marker like a clicker or a word like 鈥測es鈥� can help bridge the gap between the dog鈥檚 behavior and the goodies, but the quicker you are, the better.
Match the Reward to the Challenge
A reward is only reinforcing if it鈥檚 good from your dog鈥檚 point of view. Your dog might be crazy about cheese, but if you choose to reward with kibble their performance will drop. Know what your dog loves most and build a reward hierarchy. Use the rewards at the top of the list for the most challenging tasks and save the items at the bottom for behaviors your dog has mastered. And don鈥檛 forget about life rewards like going for a walk or getting attention or cuddles.
Don鈥檛 worry, you won鈥檛 be giving rewards every single time forever. When your dog is first learning a new cue or behavior, it鈥檚 essential to reward them every time. But once they know what to do, you want to slowly fade your rewards until your dog only gets them randomly. Just think about a slot machine. You want your dog to become addicted to working for you.
Reward Placement Matters
Whatever your dog is doing when they get a reward will be reinforced. For example, if you ask your dog to lie down, but they鈥檙e sitting again when you give them their cookie, you鈥檝e really reinforced sitting. Think carefully about what your dog is doing or how their body is positioned when you give treats. Then you can time the delivery at the correct moment. This is especially important if you鈥檙e using shaping to build a behavior one tiny step at a time.
Try Not to Confuse Your Dog
Although dogs may understand many words, your dog will be attending to your body language, gestures, and the tone of your voice, along with what you say. Make sure every signal is in agreement to avoid confusing your dog. For example, if you ask your dog to stay but then you step back, don鈥檛 be surprised if your dog gets up to follow. It鈥檚 also important not to hover over your dog or invade their personal space. That can cause stress and disengagement, particularly in shy or anxious dogs.
Also, keep your cues noticeably different. If you use 鈥渃rate鈥� to ask your dog to enter their crate but 鈥渨ait鈥� to ask them to wait at doorways, your dog might struggle as they sound so similar. You can use any word or gesture you want for behaviors. Even 鈥渂anana鈥� can mean sit if you teach it that way, so be conscious of making all your verbal cues and body language signals distinct.
Teaching Your Dog to Generalize Cues
Dogs don鈥檛 generalize well. That means if you teach your dog to sit in the kitchen, they鈥檒l think the cue for sit means 鈥渟it in the kitchen.鈥� You need to train your dog in many different environments before they understand that their cues apply no matter where they are. Every time you move to a new location, go back to basics so your dog doesn鈥檛 become confused or frustrated. The same is true with the three Ds 鈥� distance, duration, and distraction. To help your dog generalize, each D should be trained separately before you combine them. This is known as .
Avoid Repeating or Poisoning Your Cues
It鈥檚 tempting to repeat a cue if your dog doesn鈥檛 respond immediately. Pretty soon, 鈥�come鈥� turns into 鈥渃ome, come, come.鈥� But this cue nagging only teaches your dog they don鈥檛 have to listen the first time. Even worse, they鈥檒l think the cue is actually 鈥渃ome, come, come鈥� and won鈥檛 do anything if they hear the word said only once. To help your dog respond the first time, get their attention first with their name (the name game helps with this) or a cue like 鈥�watch me.鈥� If your dog is too distracted to obey, don鈥檛 say the cue. Find another way to get them to do as you wish, then work on building your dog鈥檚 performance around distractions.
It鈥檚 equally important not to poison your cues. That鈥檚 where you associate the cue with something negative. This often happens with the recall cue. You might call your dog to come in the park before taking them home or call them to come before trimming their nails. If a cue signals the end of fun or the beginning of something unpleasant, your dog will stop responding to it. If you need to do something they dislike, like bathing your dog, use a different method, such as luring them with a treat or clipping on the leash and walking them there.
Practice Dog Training Every Day
Just like you might practice piano every day, dogs need repetition to improve their skills. Too many people attend dog training classes but fail to practice what they learned during the week. You don鈥檛 need to spend an hour a day. In fact, that鈥檚 way too long for most dogs, but five to 10 minutes is more than enough. If you incorporate your training into your daily routine, that鈥檚 even better. If your dog wants a walk, ask for a sit or down before clipping on the leash. Before you lower the food dish, ask your dog to do a trick like shake a paw, and so on.
Once your dog has learned a new behavior, the training doesn鈥檛 stop. Keep their skills polished with regular practice sessions. It鈥檚 good for your dog as it provides mental stimulation and physical exercise. And if you follow tip one and keep training fun, it鈥檚 also a great way to bond and spend time together.