There is nothing more that makes dog people beam with pride than their well-trained dog.  That dog is a marvel to behold and a pleasure to live with.  But as many companions of dogs know, it’s a lot easier said than done.  Here are some common mistakes humans make when it comes to training:

Starting to train too late.  When using humane training methods and positive rewards, puppies can begin classes as early as 10 weeks of age.  It is amazing what puppies can learn and the chance to socialize with other puppies is so important. 

Not offering enough praise or rewards.  When teaching a new behavior, it is important to reinforce with a reward (preferably a food treat) whenever your dog responds.  Once the dog consistently responds to the command, the reward can be randomly reinforced - sometimes with a treat along with praise and sometimes with just praise.  You may think that once your dog knows the command, a treat is no longer necessary but randomly treating will keep him more alert to your commands.  Don’t be afraid you are feeding him too much – just make the treat sizes smaller – buy small treats and break them in half. 

Allowing your dog to train you!  Dogs are extremely astute and quickly learn how to get responses from us.  An extended paw might encourage you to pat his head; a bark might get a treat or that pathetic look at dinnertime is rewarded with food – all these are examples of how our dogs train us.  What starts out as a minor request, can easily develop into an annoying habit.  Take care not to reinforce behaviors that you do not wish to encourage.  If you do enjoy that nudge to scratch his ear, make sure that you reward only those gentle nudges.  If your dog becomes too demanding, teach him a “That’s All” cue.

Helping them “get it”.  In our attempt to train our dogs, we may want to show them how to perform a command.  For example, to get them to sit, we push down on their rumps.  Your dog learns that he doesn’t have to think too much; you’re doing the work for him.  Today’s methods of training make your dog think for himself.   Using a clicker to reinforce good behavior means you don’t have to physically manipulate dogs into the correct positions.  The key to good clicker training is patience.  Clicker training gives dogs time to figure out what behavior you want, then click and treat.

Only training in the privacy of our own homes.  We neglect to continue training exercises when we have our dogs out in public.  If you only train your dog at home, he thinks that’s the only place he needs to behave.  Bring treats on your next walk and have him obey commands as you are walking.  Challenge yourself to expose your dog to new situations on a regular basis where he will get a chance to show off good behavior.

Giving Up. If we don’t get instant gratification when it comes to training, we simply abandon the effort.  Often untrained dogs are banished to live out of doors until they learn to behave, which is never.  If your dog is engaging in behavior that makes him undesirable to live with, you need to get with the program – a training program that is.

Attributing human behaviors to our dogs.  Dogs don’t act out of spite, aren’t sneaky, and don’t try to “get even” with us.  Your dog isn’t a little person in a fur suit.  Typical canine behavior may include digging, chewing, accidents in the house and stealing food whenever the opportunity arises. By learning more about normal canine behavior, you will learn to recognize when your dog is just being a dog.

Taking training too seriously!  Training should be fun for you and your dog.  With humane methods, dogs get very enthusiastic about learning new commands.  If you become repeatedly frustrated and your dog looks miserable, go back to square one.  Are your expectations too unrealistic?  Is your ego in the way?  Do you expect perfection?   Try shorter training sessions more frequently.  Incorporate games and rewards into your training routine. 

The Potter League for Animals in now offering a large selection of training classes and doggy playgroups for the general public in our large, new indoor Obedience Training Center.  Many classes are offered on weekends and evenings.  The selection includes Puppy Classes, Adult Dog Classes, Agility, Behavior Specific Classes, etc.  Visit our website www.PotterLeague.org or call the Potter League at 401 846-8276 for more information.