Five Common Puppy Training Errors

Every competent puppy or dog trainer follows clear principles to make their training effective. However, a number of people do not succeed in training their puppy. I will now discuss the most common errors they make when training their puppy.

1. They don’t set themselves up as the alpha dog.

One successful approach to dog training is based on knowing the instinctual way dogs behave within a pack. Dominance is a principle the pack adheres to. There is a heirachy within the pack. At the head of this are the pack leaders, a male and a female.

They are the first to eat, they lead the hunt and when they sleep, they take the higher ground.

To be successful in dog training, we need to position ourselves as the leader of the dog pack. This can be done by not allowing your puppy onto higher ground such as beds and sofas. Also make sure you eat a small amount of food before you give your puppy his food. This is to allow him clearly to see you eat first.

A calm and assertive manner is important for successful training. It is important not to be anxious or indecisive.

2. They don’t understand the concept of positive reinforcement.

We must clearly comprehend that we must reward wanted behaviors in our dog by giving treats or attention the instant our dog engages in the behavior. We can associate a verbal command with the behavior as it occurs and give a reward immediately after it.

Negative reinforcement such as shouting at a dog or punishing him in some way is nevertheless giving the dog attention and since he wants attention, the attention can act as a positive reinforcement rather than a negative one. It has been found to be ineffective. What is effective is to ignore the dog when it engages in an undesired behavior. We may need to physically intervene if we need to stop some destruction going on, but we should keep the same assertive and cool manner and not interact any more than we have to.

3. They make dog obedience training sessions too long.

Sessions should be kept brief so that your puppy’s energy and attention are good. Learning works best in short bouts. We should make the sessions only ten minutes for young puppies and up to twenty minutes for older ones.

4. They do not appreciate the sheer time and energy required to train a puppy.

Puppy training requires a commitment of time and energy in order to be successful. The owner will need to have great patience and to be persistent. He will also need to be very consistent.

5. They think that training only occurs during an organized training session.

Training is an ongoing process, not only in training sessions but all the time. The owner needs to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with the puppy always behave in a consistent manner i.e. to reinforce positive behaviors and to ignore undesired behaviors.

It is important to keep training sessions fun and enjoyable for your puppy. They should never become a chore.

For more detailed information about puppy and dog training, see my reviews of the best dog training guides.