You have a bad dog, don't you? Well, your dog isn't really bad, he is just so doggone dog like! What's a dog owner to do?
Obedience training or dog training is one of the most important things dog owners can do for their dogs, and for the sake of their own sanity. Unfortunately, a lot of dog owners think that training a dog isn't an exact science, and they believe that mistakes made in training can be easily overcome (just like with children). Although it might be hard to believe, dogs are not as smart as humans, and if you use the wrong techniques when dog training you are not going to get the desired results.
Let's go over three common mistakes dog owners make when attempting to give obedience training to their dog.
The first dog training mistake we see is owners giving the heel command and snapping or tugging the dog's leash at the same time. This is a natural action for a dog owner, you are trying to get the dog to go where you want it to go. Unfortunately, it doesn't teach the dog to heel, it teaches the dog that when she hears the heel command she is going to get her collar (and neck) jerked. This only confuses the dog, as she doesn't know what she did to deserve it.
The second common dog obedience training mistake is a biggie: using the command "down" when you want a dog to get "off". This one really confuses your dog. You have to use the "off" command, because to a dog "down" means to lay down. Imagine this scenario: your dog is laying on the couch and you tell him to get down. Wait a minute, in dog world he already is down. This is why you have to use the "off" command when you want the dog to get off of something, and why your dog tries to get in your lap and lay down when you use the "down" command when he is giving you an affection attack.
The third common dog training mistake might take you by surprise, but you have probably done it, as has most anyone trying to train their dog, and that is bending over your dog's head or getting in his face when giving a command or scolding him for a bad deed, While you are looking for obedience or the correct performance of a given task, what you are going to get is a dog that will shy away, and in some cases, becomes aggressive. While you are trying to correct your dog, you are in fact intimidating her. This will make for an unhappy dog, and unhappy dogs do not want to perform for you.
Dog training is all about positive reinforcement and getting your dog to want to do the right thing. It takes time and patience, and it IS an exact science. If you need more information on dog training and performing dog obedience training correctly, visit This Dog Training Website.
