I thought I would make a post today about a few dog training techniques that I see people using over and over and over again, but that never work. In fact, these techniques will actually do more harm than good, and actually make the process of training your dog much harder.
First, let’s establish something…
There are only 3 things that a dog has to learn and you can teach her/him anything.
1. Words are signals.
2. Rewards are wonderful
3. Good behavior earns rewards.
So, if you can learn how to use food rewards (or a clicker, or a ball on a rope, etc.) to shape, reward, and reinforce the behaviors you want, your more than halfway home.
The problem is that most people don’t use positive reinforcement, and instead fall back on negative methods.
For example, it amazes me but people are still using force to get what they want (or trying to). One example is the technique of getting a dog to lie down by placing your foot on the dog’s choke chain and holding the leash tight to force the dog to go down… Now can it work? Yes, sometimes, but often it doesn’t, and even when it does, you frequently get a slow unwilling sit, down, or recall.
Big Mistake #2
Believing that escalating the intensity of a signal is effective (or you may want to call it escalating the level of corrections) is another crucial error I see many people make.
For example… someone wants their dog to sit.
First, they say “sit.” Dog doesn’t sit.
Then they say “sit” in a louder voice. Dog doesn’t sit.
Then they start screaming and repeating the word “Sit!!! Sit!!! Sit!!!” Dog doesn’t sit.
If they have a choke chain, they are already using it to choke or apply force to make the dog sit.
Wow.
Totally counterproductive. Why would choking and yelling at a dog make him sit? Isn’t it better to use a food lure and lure the dog into a sit or use a clicker and shape the behavior???
Now, just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I believe in consequences. But if I give a consequence and it doesn’t work, I don’t escalate the violence.
Instead I use a different consequence, or employ a competing behavior…but remember, if you’re your dog’s leader, you really don’t have to worry about problems… which is why being pack leader is so important, and which is why I spend an entire week in my online dog training course (click the link to check it out for free AND get a free dog training audiobook as well) covering this and only this.
So, I hope that makes sense. And I hope it encourages you to stop using these dog training techniques that don’t work.
