There is so much conflicting information on the internet and most of it is completely inaccurate. In this article, I want to give you the truth. Let us address the most commonly misunderstood topics about dog training, one at a time:
1) Dog training is a significant time investment.
This is not true. When you know how to properly train a dog, training is very simple. You do not have to spend hours at obedience classes, running around in any kind of weather. This is the old method of dog training. This is unnecessary for most dogs and a complete waste of your time and money. If you are using this old approach and are struggling with your dog at home, there is something wrong with the basic concepts. Dogs are relatively simple creatures. They enjoy exercising and going for walks at least once per day. However, a content dog will also sleep for a long time. If you want to know the solution, just keep reading…
2) In the home, there is only one pack leader.
If trained appropriately, a dog can respect multiple humans in the home and view each of them as a pack leader. Your dog should respect everyone so they will obey commands, no matter who is at home. The concept that a dog will only have one master is also untrue. Dogs will show respect to people who are gentle and patient, and know what they are doing, more so than those who do not. You can check out Doggy Dan’s website on dog training to watch an excellent video on how to become a pack leader.
3) Enrolling your puppy in puppy school is important.
Many owners overestimate the importance of puppy school. Most puppy schools are not a good investment of time or money. Too many owners promptly send their puppy off to classes where they basically sit around with other puppies for an hour every week, learning nothing. After a four-week school, most owners feel proud to have graduated their puppy, but promptly realize their puppy has only learned to sit on command and mingle with other puppies. This leaves out the important aspects of training. Gaining essential training knowledge is a better investment than puppy school.
4) High quality dog training is expensive.
One of the best training packages available online for dogs and puppies is priced so it is affordable to anyone. Unfortunately, most people overspend and receive poor advice because they do not know where to find great training resources. Many people have spent an insane amount of money on dog obedience classes, pre-puppy and puppy school, agility classes, animal behaviorists, etc., and they continue to have significant issues with their dog. The underlying reason is they have not invested in good quality dog training. One of the best puppy and dog training programs available is Doggy Dan’s website. Additionally, his program is available for a reasonable price. Check it out.
5) You can only train a dog by using positive reinforcement.
Of course, positive training is an excellent strategy. However, it is not the entire solution! You also need to actively stop an unwanted behavior. Another component that is critical for training your dog is to know how to gain their respect in a gentle and caring way. This does not mean you need to hurt your dog or shout, but you need to go beyond rewarding their good behaviors.
Training a dog can be similar to training a child; you give them praise when they exhibit good behavior. However, you also need to promptly address and stop the unwanted behaviors by using timeout or another method to make the child think again before doing the bad behavior. Positive reinforcement, such as food rewards, is useful in dog training, but these rewards are often used incorrectly. This can create more problems than it fixes.
6) You should never use food rewards.
Food used as a reward at the right time, using the right approach and in the appropriate situation can be a powerful teaching tool. Doggy Dan gives excellent information on how and when to use treats. He also demonstrates his approach throughout his training program.
There are more than 250 videos and only limited times when he uses treats and you see how effective they are. You will also learn how to phase out treats over time. Check out Doggy Dan’s training program.
7) You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.
At any age, dogs are always ready for change. Of course, preventing bad behaviors in the first place is better than trying to cure it later. It is much easier to train a dog appropriately from the beginning than to unlearn problematic behaviors. Many older dogs are eager for you to show them a different way to behave. They want you to give them an early retirement, so they can relax. In order to do this, you need to know what they need and how to communicate this to them. Guess what? Doggy Dan’s training program will show you how to do this the right way.
8) All you need is practice and hard work.
There is a wrong and right way of approaching dog training. Doing things the wrong way simply will not work. Dog training is not necessarily about hard work and dedicating long hours to dog training. Dogs are smart and will listen if you are the pack leader and know how to communicate with your dog. Effective dog trainers know how to work smarter, not harder.
9) Big dogs are harder to train than small dogs.
Size does not matter when it comes to dog training. Some big dogs are easy going and are not difficult to train. There are also some small dogs that are very difficult to train. You cannot assume how people will act based on their size. The same goes for dogs!
10) Usually when dogs cause trouble, they are stupid.
This is completely wrong! Most dogs that cause trouble are actually very intelligent, even by a dog’s standards. The determined dogs who are quite stubborn and are very clever are usually the ones that cause the most frustration. This is the reason we need to improve our own tactics and learn more about what is going on inside these amazing creatures.
Do you feel like you are missing a piece of the dog-training puzzle? Is your dog refusing to listen to you? Do you feel like training is a struggle the entire time?
Check out Doggy Dan’s amazing online dog training website for instructional videos
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