Dog training and pet ownership come hand in hand.
Once you bring home a dog, you have to start training him to control him in various situations. Doing so allows you to teach him essential basic commands, such as sit, stop, wait, and lie down, that will help you have an obedient, manageable pet you can bring anywhere.
You will also have a furry companion that won’t be afraid of or bite your friends and other people who would want to pet him. Your pet will also be on his best behavior when interacting with other dogs, particularly ones he has never met before.
Teaching your dog how to behave properly also contributes a lot to its overall safety. Your pet will learn not to run out of an open door or gate or to stay away from the kitchen stove so that he won’t get hurt.
Training sessions with your pet are excellent opportunities for both of you to bond and strengthen your relationship. Additionally, your dog will start seeing you as his leader, enabling you to have an easier time connecting with him and teaching him throughout the training process.
Because of these benefits, before you bring home your pup, buy dog treats and the other supplies you need to start training him.
Pet’s Delight is the trusted online and on-site source to buy dog treats in Dubai.
Experiencing the Joys of Dog Training
Training your dog, though, is no mean feat. You and your pet will undergo various obstacles that can give you headaches and hinder the progress of your pup’s growth and learning.
Knowing the common dog training mistakes that can affect the entire process beforehand can help you avoid various troubles, find success, and enjoy the entire experience.
Below are the top mistakes you have to avoid if you want to have an enjoyable and rewarding time training your dog:
Delaying the training process
Regardless of your pup’s age, you should start training him as soon as you bring him home. Don’t make the mistake of waiting until your dog gets older; the longer you wait, the more he’ll likely develop bad habits that you will find difficult to unteach.
Young puppies are usually not ready to learn complex behaviors and actions. However, you won’t go wrong with teaching them house training and basic commands, such as sit, stay, down, and come.
Once you have a deeper bond with your pup and he becomes more obedient, you can start teaching him more advanced commands and behaviors. Examples of these are speaking, quiet, and counting.
You can also consider training him in dog agility and sports.
Not devoting enough to the training process
Whether you’re always busy at work or swamped with chores at home, limiting the time you spend training your dog is a huge mistake you have to avoid at all costs. Training is not something you do only once a day or week or whenever you feel like doing it.
You will get the best results only if you train your dog on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that some breeds can be harder to train than others. Because of this, they’ll need more time to learn commands. Prepare to devote plenty of time to training your dog once you start.
And aside from having a daily or weekly training schedule, choose one command or trick to work on at a time. Once your pet gets the basics down pat, hold brief training sessions two to three times every week for recall and reinforcement.
Also, don’t forget to go over the commands and tricks your pup already learned, even if you’re teaching him new ones.
Having training sessions that are too long or too short
Once you decide to train your dog, you have to know the right amount of time to dedicate to each session and how long you should continue training him for each command or trick.
Several short training sessions in a day are better than one that is extremely long. Short training sessions mean 30 to 90 seconds and not 15 minutes or more. However, you have to do this several times a day to get the best results.
If your dog is having a hard time learning something, end a session only until you see some evidence of progress or success, even if it is only an attempt by him to perform or focus on the task.
But make sure you don’t overextend it so that you end up boring your pet since he might get uninterested in your training program.
Being inconsistent
Inconsistency is a habit that you have to avoid when you start training your pet. This is because when you become inconsistent, you’ll confuse your dog. You might also accidentally teach and reinforce undesirable behaviors in your pet.
A perfect example of being inconsistent is giving different cues for one command. If your command is “come,” use this exact word every time. Don’t say other terms such as “come here” or “c’mon.”
Using different terms for one cue will only confuse your dog. Additionally, avoid making exceptions for a behavior you’re teaching. If you are training your dog not to sit or lie on your bed, don’t let him stay on it even for a second.
You can even tell him to stop or stay as soon as he looks like he’s ready to jump on the bed.
Using treats incorrectly during dog training
Lastly, giving pets treats is an important part of training them.
However, you have to know how to do this properly so that it will help you and your pup during the process.
One mistake you have to avoid when using treats is rewarding your pet when he didn’t perform the exact behavior or follow the command. This means only handing him a kibble when he actually sits down when you say “sit” or lies down when you say “lie down.”
Avoid feeding your dog when he is only starting to sit or before his whole body is on the floor. If you do, you’ll only confuse your pet and he might get used to doing only the incomplete version every time.
Also, avoid giving your pup treats too slowly. Feed him as soon as he completely sits or lies down and not after he stands up and licks your hand.
This will help your pet recall the exact verbal cue and behavior or action he needs to do to be rewarded. Moreover, he will avoid being confused regarding the command or trick he needs to learn and master.
Pet’s Delight is the trusted online and on-site pet shop in Dubai.
By getting the right treats and other training essentials from your go-to pet shop, avoiding these mistakes, and following the right tips and tricks, you can train your pup to be an amazing furry companion — one that you’ll love having as a member of your family.