If you have been thinking about training your dog, whether at home or through a professional, you want to use the right process so in the end, you have a well-mannered canine that follows commands. Although training is provided for a number of reasons, this article focuses on some of the more common dog training problems.
Now, if having your dog professionally trained then solutions for these problems would be handled on your behalf but if doing your training, it would be helpful to understand these issues, as well as the right way of handling them. Remember, the goal is to make the training process enjoyable but with the desired results.
Key Ingredients to Great Training
The first thing to understand is that training of any type, one any level and conducted by any person must have specific ingredients to work. As an example, the trainer has to be dedicated to the process, maintain discipline, be willing to remain consistent, patient to handle the various challenges that would arise, and understand the technique.
Without all of these dynamics in place training would be difficult and probably unsuccessful. All of these factors combined encourage a trusting bond between dog and trainer, which is critical.
He’s Not Listening
The greatest dog training problem that you may face when working with your dog at home is him not listening. You might give a command while your dog casually looks around as if you never said a word.
Obviously, this would be frustrating but with this, your dog would sense you becoming tense, which only aggravates the situation. The reason this happens is that pet owners have not established themselves as the leader of the pack. Therefore, it would be imperative that your dog understand he is a member of the pack with you being the leader.
Issues with Potty Training
Another area that tends to be a huge issue is potty training. Unfortunately, some breeds are much harder to train so the number one requirement is patience. In addition, we recommend kennel training, which provides the dog with a safe environment while teaching him to wait until time to go outside.
However, you would need to be prepared to make multiple trips outside, preventing the dog from playing so the task at hand could be focused on, and then offering praise when the job is done.
Problems on the Leash
Another one of the common dog training problems has to do with the walking the dog on the leash, Typically, puppies want nothing to do with the leash simply because they have no clue what it is but some adult dogs also struggle on the leash too. The biggest issue is pulling, which makes walking time miserable.
Today, several innovative leash designs are being sold that quickly stop dogs from resisting. However, even with these, we recommend walking the dog for no more than 10 minutes at a time until he feels comfortable.
Inconsistent Training
Unfortunately, one of the greatest dog training problems has to do with the trainer and not the dog. To be an effective trainer, consistency is mandatory. This means being consistent with command words used, level of intensity during training, frequency and duration of training, methods of praise and correction, and so on.
The goal is to get the dog accustomed to routine from the beginning, which would make training easier as commands become more intense.
Wrong Training Methods
This too falls back on the trainer instead of the dog. There are multiple training methods used but some work better than others. We strongly urge you to choose one that uses positive reinforcement but also training methods specific to the type of training. When the appropriate method is used, your dog would respond quicker but also retain information better.
Wrong Location
When first getting started with training your dog, make sure you choose a location without distractions. This could be your own backyard, a local park, or indoors but you want a place that is quiet and voice of a lot of action. That way, your dog will be able to focus on the training and grasp the commands with ease.
No comments yet.