Don"ts in Dog Obedience Training
Don't be inconsistent when training dog obedience techniques.
You need to be totally consistent throughout the training program.
Some examples of consistency in training would be: If you start using a word for a particular exercise, you need everyone in your household to know and use that word exclusively for that particular exercise.
If you insist your dog sits before you open a door, ensure this is the action you get every time you open any door or even the garden gate, car door or garage door.
If you have trained the retrieve, then ensure the ball or toy is brought back to your hand each and every time you play the game.
Don't set your pup up for failure by trying to teach complex exercises too soon.
Stick with the basic sit, drop, stay, fetch until he has a total grasp of these.
Some dogs are quick learners and others take a bit of patience so set your pace at the dogs level of understanding.
Don't move too quickly.
Rather work longer than you think necessary at one exercise and get it perfect than ruin it all by moving ahead too fast.
Don't repeat commands.
If the pup does not sit on the first command do not repeat the word sit.
Try and regain his focus before trying again.
If you continually repeat a command you are teaching the dog to ignore the first few times and to respond only when he wants to.
Don't try and continue a training session if it is obvious your pup is losing interest or getting stressed.
Have a good fun game with the pup before recommencing the training.
Try and keep sessions to between 5 and 10 minutes each.
Don't expect your dog to be good at everything you teach him if you have not added distractions through the program.
When teaching a strong sit, play with a tug toy, a squeaky toy or a ball.
Throw food on the ground.
Run away from him.
Run back to him but keep running straight past.
Then move to a different training field and start again from the beginning.
Don't try and call your pup when he is so distracted he is going to ignore you.
He may be romping with a friend, chasing a bird or a butterfly, or the post man on his motorbike.
In these cases it is better to go to him than expect him to respond to your call.
Don't chase your dog if he runs away.
Rather run in the opposite direction calling his name excitedly.
Don't yell the dogs name when he gets into a scuffle with another dog.
Both dogs will believe you are barking louder in excitement.
Don't get over exuberant when playing tug games with a young pup.
If he has started teething and you pull a tooth out that is not really ready to come out, you could put the dog off tugging for good.
Don't ever swing a young pup off his feet (Aeroplaneing) as you could end up doing severe damage to neck and spine muscles, ligaments and bones.
Keep the pups head below his shoulders when tugging.
Don't deliberately frighten your dog with loud noises or by sneaking up behind him and jumping on him.
Don't become stereotyped with your time and distance when training your dog to stay or recall.
Ping pong both the time and distance but do not increase the distance and the time at the same time.
Here you need to step out 2 meters for 5 seconds, then 10 meters for 5 seconds, then 2 meters for 5 seconds.
Next go out 5 meters for 2 seconds, then 5 meters for 10 seconds, then 5 meters for 5 seconds.
Etc etc etc.
Don't train the pup only on grass.
He must experience as many different surfaces as you have available.
Don't use only one object when teaching the tug and retrieve.
Get the dog used to having lots of different types of things in his mouth.
Don't use metal cans as a retrieve toy.
The dog's teeth puncture the can and create dangerously sharp edges.
Don't teach your dog to chase sticks.
Just this week 2 owners I know have paid over $1000 in vet bills to sew up lacerated throats in their dogs.
Don't get the dog patterned.
Mix your exercises up so that the dog does not learn that every time you work him, the drop follows sit follows come.
Don't train the recall immediately after you have just done a sit stay.
You will confuse the dog.
Rather take a break, have a game, or do a heel pattern in between the sit and the recall.
And then the most important thing to remember with dog obedience training: Don't forget to have FUN.
You need to be totally consistent throughout the training program.
Some examples of consistency in training would be: If you start using a word for a particular exercise, you need everyone in your household to know and use that word exclusively for that particular exercise.
If you insist your dog sits before you open a door, ensure this is the action you get every time you open any door or even the garden gate, car door or garage door.
If you have trained the retrieve, then ensure the ball or toy is brought back to your hand each and every time you play the game.
Don't set your pup up for failure by trying to teach complex exercises too soon.
Stick with the basic sit, drop, stay, fetch until he has a total grasp of these.
Some dogs are quick learners and others take a bit of patience so set your pace at the dogs level of understanding.
Don't move too quickly.
Rather work longer than you think necessary at one exercise and get it perfect than ruin it all by moving ahead too fast.
Don't repeat commands.
If the pup does not sit on the first command do not repeat the word sit.
Try and regain his focus before trying again.
If you continually repeat a command you are teaching the dog to ignore the first few times and to respond only when he wants to.
Don't try and continue a training session if it is obvious your pup is losing interest or getting stressed.
Have a good fun game with the pup before recommencing the training.
Try and keep sessions to between 5 and 10 minutes each.
Don't expect your dog to be good at everything you teach him if you have not added distractions through the program.
When teaching a strong sit, play with a tug toy, a squeaky toy or a ball.
Throw food on the ground.
Run away from him.
Run back to him but keep running straight past.
Then move to a different training field and start again from the beginning.
Don't try and call your pup when he is so distracted he is going to ignore you.
He may be romping with a friend, chasing a bird or a butterfly, or the post man on his motorbike.
In these cases it is better to go to him than expect him to respond to your call.
Don't chase your dog if he runs away.
Rather run in the opposite direction calling his name excitedly.
Don't yell the dogs name when he gets into a scuffle with another dog.
Both dogs will believe you are barking louder in excitement.
Don't get over exuberant when playing tug games with a young pup.
If he has started teething and you pull a tooth out that is not really ready to come out, you could put the dog off tugging for good.
Don't ever swing a young pup off his feet (Aeroplaneing) as you could end up doing severe damage to neck and spine muscles, ligaments and bones.
Keep the pups head below his shoulders when tugging.
Don't deliberately frighten your dog with loud noises or by sneaking up behind him and jumping on him.
Don't become stereotyped with your time and distance when training your dog to stay or recall.
Ping pong both the time and distance but do not increase the distance and the time at the same time.
Here you need to step out 2 meters for 5 seconds, then 10 meters for 5 seconds, then 2 meters for 5 seconds.
Next go out 5 meters for 2 seconds, then 5 meters for 10 seconds, then 5 meters for 5 seconds.
Etc etc etc.
Don't train the pup only on grass.
He must experience as many different surfaces as you have available.
Don't use only one object when teaching the tug and retrieve.
Get the dog used to having lots of different types of things in his mouth.
Don't use metal cans as a retrieve toy.
The dog's teeth puncture the can and create dangerously sharp edges.
Don't teach your dog to chase sticks.
Just this week 2 owners I know have paid over $1000 in vet bills to sew up lacerated throats in their dogs.
Don't get the dog patterned.
Mix your exercises up so that the dog does not learn that every time you work him, the drop follows sit follows come.
Don't train the recall immediately after you have just done a sit stay.
You will confuse the dog.
Rather take a break, have a game, or do a heel pattern in between the sit and the recall.
And then the most important thing to remember with dog obedience training: Don't forget to have FUN.
