As a professional duck dog trainer, I have trained close to 2000 dogs in my life. Most of these dogs were trained to duck hunt, and all were trained on obedience. Many of the dogs that I have trained have been through some type of training before I got them. Sometimes their training was with another trainer, and at other times it was with their owner. Through the years I have noticed some training mistakes that trainers make unintentionally that have a real negative effect on the ability of their dog to reach its maximum potential. I would like to discuss the most common training mistakes that I have seen with the hopes that you will avoid these in your training.
Dog training mistake number one is very common and is totally detrimental to success. Too much pressure. In training a dog, it is important that the dog be happy and understand the training assignments. When dogs are confused they feel pressure, and too much pressure leads to a dog having a poor attitude, tucked tail, and sometimes outright rejection of future training. To help avoid putting excessive pressure on your dog, you should have small goals that are attainable in a relatively short training session. When the dog does as directed, use lots of praise. Try your best not to force a dog through everything, but lead him confidently through the process.
Dog training mistake number two is closely related to the first, and often ends with the same results. It is simply overtraining. Many times in dog training, less is more. When I taught golf lessons, I could get my students to hit 50 or even 100 golf balls to practice, but if I asked them to hit 1500 a day, very few would still be interested. It is the same with dogs. Some can handle the long drawn out sessions, but most won’t. Keep the sessions short and fun, and your dog will be eager to learn. With a 15 minute session 4 times a week, you could make progress with your dog for the rest of his life!
The next dog training mistake is misuse of the electric collar. If you don’t know exactly how to use the collar and condition your dog to completely understand it, then here is what you should do….DO NOT USE one! The misuse of a collar has ruined many dogs, and it is simply uncalled for.
Another common mistake is very common, and it is the “rush.” I see this often when a man wants his dog to be advanced faster than his buddy’s dog or any dog ever before for that matter ( usually this problem occurs with men because we have bigger egos). Keep in mind that dogs learn at different paces and mature at different rates. Let the dog set the pace. Keep your dog happy and eager, and be patient! Remember he is a puppy the first two years! Dogs seem to peak at 5 yrs of age, so remember slow and steady wins the race.
The final dog training mistake I see is simply giving up or throwing in the towel too early. Sometimes, first time dog trainers who haven’t trained before give up at the first sign of adversity. Dog training isn’t rocket science. It just requires patience and persistence. A great quote I read on how to train a dog read, ” Get a dog to do something, and give it a name; then praise him. Repeat!” The point is, don’t give up. Be patient!
In conclusion, remember that your dog is supposed to be man’s best friend! Who would yell and scream at their friend while shocking him with an electric collar and expect him to help pick up their ducks? I don’t know about your friends, but this wouldn’t work with mine!
As always, if you need a qualified retriever trainer to help with your retriever, feel free to give me a call!