Training Mistakes
Common Training Mistakes
Giving the puppy too much freedom too soon. We keep Jack in the room with us at all times. If he's "potted" in the last few minutes, he's allowed to rip and race around that room for about 20 minutes, increasing the amount of time each week. Then he goes in his playpen until the next potty break. The goal is to teach him to "hold it," and if he's allowed to run freely with me watching for the signs of imminent piddle, he's not learning anything, and I spend my time hovering.
Allowing misbehavior to become a habit. I try to stress that one day, you should "show" the puppy that all four feet belong on the ground, not on your legs. Chewing on your fingers is another example of bad behavior that we're all guilty of allowing at eight weeks and then being confused about why the 12-week-old puppy is chomping down on you, causing you to let it.
Letting a puppy think he's in charge. The puppy that nudges you for a head rub or ignores you when it's called is showing you he's boss. Howling until you open the crate door, tell him he's got your number, too.
Not using a crate because you think it's not kind. It's simply a training tool, just like a baby's crib or playpen. A crated puppy is going to stay out of mischief and be safe while you're away or busy. It isn't kind if the puppy remains in the crate for too many hours. One hour per month of age, plus one, is the maximum for a puppy. So, for a three-month-old puppy, no longer than 4 hours.
Show the puppy what you want, praise like crazy when performing the command correctly, and use gentle correction with reinstruction when they fail to perform as requested.
You don't train your dog often enough.
I was so very guilty of this with Winston. Once he'd "learned" his manners, I stopped the training. Now that we're working with a professional trainer, she has pointed out that constant training keeps Winston interested, and earning a reward is fun for him. As a result, we have training sessions every day.
You repeat commands
The owner repeatedly asks until, after the sixth or seventh attempt, the dog halfheartedly sits. This stalling becomes a learned behavior, one that's hard to break.
Doodle owners have brilliant dogs, and the resistance to following commands at our first request is probably a misunderstanding. Ensure the reward for the behavior is immediate. Ask once, wait for it to happen, and reward immediately.
Your training sessions run too long or too short.
Time spent on a training session should reflect some positive result; as soon as you attain some obvious level of success, reward, and then quit. Remember that ten one-minute sessions in a day trump one ten-minute session every time.
Your dog's obedience behaviors are not generalized to varying conditions
Begin by teaching a new command at home with no distractions. Then, gradually increase distractions, such as noise, other dogs, cars, and people. Are you like me, assuring the trainer that "he does it at home!"?
You rely too much on treats and not enough on praise, esteem, and celebrity.
Treats are a great way to initiate a behavior or to reinforce that behavior intermittently later on.
But once your doodle learns the behavior, replace treats with praise, play, or whatever else he likes. The trainer has me hold the reward in the hand signal command hand initially, then move the treat to the other hand. Eventually, we aren't there yet; the treat is occasional.
You use too much emotion.
Excessive emotion can put the brakes on training. When your doodle doesn't focus in class and does something wrong or isn't paying attention to your commands, don't get frustrated and get upset; try again. Likewise, if the dog gets something right, praise it with a calm tone and a smile, and then move on. The dog will gradually imprint on this relaxed attitude and reflect it.
You are inconsistent
Dogs need to feel that their owners are consistent in behavior and rules. Set rules and stick to them.
You lack confidence
To avoid this, work the dog more and attain some training successes. Remember always to begin and end each training session with a victory – "sit" followed by a treat will get the dog's interest at the start and leave you both feeling happy at the end. Attending a class with the dog can work wonders to increase your confidence. Practice!