8 Common Dog Training Mistakes You Might Be Making

1. You’re Focusing On The Negatives

If you’re focusing on the negatives during training, it’s not nearly as effective than using positive reinforcement. Rather than reprimanding poor behavior, concentrate on recognizing the good. While it will take a bit of practice, but it will pay off.

2. Training Sessions Last Too Long

Once you’ve seen some positive results, you should call time on your session. Just like us, your dog will get bored if you drag out training sessions too long. Instead, train in manageable stages, so it’s more fun and useful for everyone.

3. You Stay In The Same Place To Train Your Dog

While you’ll probably do the majority of your training at home, you should avoid limiting practice to just one place. If you teach your dog to behave inside four walls, it’s likely that as soon as they get out into the big wide world, they’ll have a much harder time paying attention

4. You’re Using Your Clicker Too Much

Clicker training is pretty popular, and it can be a handy training tool when used correctly. However, you must understand how to use your clicker before you start clicking away. If you’re not using it correctly, things can get pretty confusing pretty quickly.

5. You Rely On Treats Too Much

Granted, treats are a great way to keep your pup motivated and engaged. However, you should vary your rewards. Rather than just limiting rewards to treats, use toys, praise and play to mix things up.

6. You Repeat Commands Too Often

So, you’re teaching your dog to sit, but it’s not working. Instead of repeating the command over and over until your canine sits out of boredom, you should try something else. Your dog needs to be clear that the behavior should come directly after the command and stalling can undo this hard work.

7. You’re Not Considering Your Dogs Personality

Even if you’ve trained a dog or dogs before successfully, it doesn’t mean the same approach will work for your new pup. Every dog has a distinct character and behavioral profile, so to find out what will work, you need to be mindful of this. One size fits all is certainly not the case when it comes to dog training.

8. You Lack Confidence

Lack of confidence is a straight-up weakness. As natural predators, dogs can sense any weakness instinctively. So, with every command, you need to be confident.