You may be barking up the wrong tree when it comes to training your pooch. Dog behaviorist Tamar Geller shares some dog training do's and don'ts.
People are surprised to learn that dog training mistakes are actually human mistakes. Many dog owners make mistakes, unbeknownst to them, which can add to their frustration when trying to teach their dog something or correct an unwanted behavior. Here are a few common pitfalls that, if avoided, will make the training process far more effective, enjoyable and fun for both you and your dog!
Getting another dog to keep your dog company. People usually feel that if they don’t have enough time for their dog, they should compensate by getting a companion second dog. The real problem with this scenario is that if you don’t have enough time for one dog, what makes you think you’ll have enough time for two?!
Without the time for two dogs, you’ll be making yourself irrelevant — they’ll have each other for fun, setting up their own rules and bonding with each other. You’ll just be the one who supplies their basic needs — for free and without any expectations — rather than their leader. So you’ll likely end up with a problem “child” (or two) with behavioral issues.
Don’t forget that your dog may not even want the company of another dog. He may not want his routine and place in the pack disturbed.
So only consider a second dog when you have the time to bond with him and teach him manners, or get an older dog that would have fewer problems (and therefore take less of your time) than a younger one. Spend individual time with each dog, building a relationship with each one separately. Make yourself the most important figure in each dog’s life.
Treating your dogs equally. One of the main causes of dogfights is people forgetting that dogs have the value system of and think like a wolf. Instead, people treat their dogs as children, so they don’t want to show any preference.
In nature, we see disputes taking place all the time amongst the middle-ranking dogs in a pack because their hierarchy has not been established. We don’t see this with the alpha or omega dogs, as they know their place in the pack. By treating your dogs equally, you unknowingly create, continue and support instability between them. If one of them is clearly the leader, you must give him all the privileges he is due, as would be done in nature.
Not feeding your dog people food, thinking it will teach him to beg. Most dog food is made with ingredientsthat people eat, such as rice, chicken, liver, vegetables, etc. There’s nothing wrong with giving your dog this food (if given plain, with no spices or sauces). The problem is actually how and where you give your dog people food.
For instance, if you don’t want your dog to beg while you’re eating at the table, always feed him people food from his bowl — or better yet, save it to be used as a reward when training. If you feed him table scraps from your hands while you’re eating, you’re teaching him that if he sits and stares at you long enough he’ll eventually get rewarded with some food from your plate! And don’t be fooled — if a dog barks at you when you are eating, he's not begging ... he's demanding!
Wolves are the ancestors of our pet dogs. In nature, the leader of a wolf pack will always eat first, therefore ending up with the biggest and most valuable share of the food. So you see, it's a mistake to let your dog know that he can have your food or to feed him before you eat. It will only lead to other problems since you’re giving the dog the impression that he's in charge.
Instead, if you want to give him some of your leftover food, feed your dog only after you’ve eaten, and feed him from his bowl or give it as a training reward.
Leaving all your dog’s toys on the floor, so she has access to them at all times. Your dog has two kinds of toys — play toys (those that are used when she plays games with you) and chew toys (that she chews by herself).One of the most effective ways to establish yourself as leader of the pack, as well as to eliminate chewing problems — such as on your furniture, shoes or favorite reading glasses — is to always provide your dog with acceptable, exciting and fun toys.
While leaving all your dog’s toys on the floor may give her access to them at all times, she’ll simply become bored with and disinterested in them — they’ll no longer be seen as special. It’s much more fun for her if your dog has access to her play toys only when you initiate a game that you play with her, and when you give her only one or two chew toys at a time, rotating them to keep her interested and excited in them, rather than in your possessions.
Using the phrases “good boy,” “good girl” or “good dog.” Science has proven that dogs can easily learn up to 150 words — some dogs know even more! The larger your dog’s vocabulary, the better your communication and your relationship will be. When teaching your dog a new behavior or reinforcing an existing one, don’t say “good dog,” “good girl” or “good boy.” Your dog has no idea what he did that was good, so how can he possibly repeat that behavior consistently? Instead, be specific by attaching the word “good” to the behavior. For example, when teaching or reinforcing sit, say “good sit” or you can just say “sit.”