Dog training is all about the relationship you have with your dog. In the same way that humans have problems with relationships, the relationship between you and your dog is of vital importance in successful obedience training.
Here are five common mistakes many people make.
(1) Lack of consistency in your behavior. Your dog must learn to trust you. In order for the dog to trust you it is important for you to be consistent in your training. There must be consistency in your rewards and reprimands. If the dog is reprimanded for something it has done wrong, you must not allow it to get away with the action one day and then reprimand harshly the next for the same action.
(2) Lack of communication. The dog must be quite sure why it has been reprimanded - and of course why it is being rewarded. Do not take it for granted that the dog understands what it has been told. If you have any doubt that the dog does not fully understand the way you want it to act, repeat the lesson over and over again. A dog, in many ways, is like a two year old child. Be patient in your training. Don't assume the dog understands what you want it to do.
(3) Unnecessary punishment. If your dog has run away when called and eventually returns to you, don't make the mistake of reprimanding the dog harshly. Also, in training, modulate the tone of your reprimand depending on the severity of the disobedient behavior. If you are going to shout loudly and angrily for a minor offense what are you going to do when the dog does something more serious?
(4) Starting training too late. Don't make the mistake of starting training too late. Start basic obedience when it is still a pup. Use mild reprimands with a very young, but even at a very early age the pup must know what it can do and what it is not allowed to do. Gently but firmly should be the guideline.
(5) Too much reassurance for shyness and nervous behavior. At a certain stage of it's development the pup may show signs of nervousness and uncertainty. Don't make the mistake of patting and coddling your dog - or even giving it a food reward - to re-assure it that there is nothing to worry about. It will take this as a sign that this behavior is acceptable. Speak to it in a matter-of-fact, unconcerned tone of voice.
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