Biggest Don'ts in Dog Training

If you are struggling with training your dog then you need to read this. There are so many things that you should do when training a dog that everyone will give you as advice, but what about the things that you should avoid? You almost never hear about these talked about. It is important to know the 'Don'ts' of dog training so that you can avoid these mistakes and more quickly and easily train your dog.

First of all make sure that you DON'T punish your dog out of anger. Positive reinforcement always works best. Work on your self-control, getting angry or mad at your dog not only will accomplish nothing but is often detrimental to the entire training process. Most dogs become submissive when you're angry not but because they understood what they did wrong but because they're trying to appease you.

DON'T ever use any of your training devices, such as you leash, to punish your dog. They need to associate these devices with a positive training experience. If you use them as an instrument of punishment they will be scared of them and more focused on this than the training at hand.

DON'T send mixed messages. Avoid praising your dog or rewarding them with treats for something and then get mad or punish them for doing the same thing but in a situation where it is unacceptable. Dogs will not see the difference and this will confuse them. If you don't want your dog to bite you in one situation then do not let it bite you when playing. If you do not want your dog to jump up on you when you're all dressed up and don't let it jump up on you when you're in your pajamas.



DON'T train your dog right after eating. You should wait at least a couple hours if not longer.

DON'T allow a bunch of different people to participate in the dog training. Your dog will learn much quicker if there is one key person doing all the training. After he is master commands everyone in the family will be able to issue them, but make sure there's only one person teaching them. This is important as dogs respond better to consistency and the bond between the dog and the person. In addition even a slightly varied technique of teaching a command can greatly slow down learning time.

DON'T make it all about work. Be sure to provide lots of rest periods and also throw some playtime in between working on commands. Your dog will hold its attention much better if it is not overworked.



DON'T make the mistake of thinking that your dog training is over simply because it has learned a command. Dog training is a lifelong work. Although not as intense as when a command is first learned, it is important to regularly use commands and reward with praise or treats from time to time. The less a command is used the less likely a dog is to respond to it.

Hopefully you have learned the biggest 'Don'ts' in dog training so that you now know what to avoid. Stay aware of these common mistakes and you are sure to have a much easier time training your dog.