Dog training mistakes are always human mistakes. Surprised? Don't be. Many pet owners get frustrated when puppies "have accidents" or grown dogs bark like crazy at the doorbell, while, in fact, these and other problems cannot be faulted on the animal. "Most people only know what they want their dog to stop doing –e.g. jumping, bolting out the door, digging, chewing," says Paul Owens, a APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) certified trainer with over 30 years experience, and the author of the best-selling book, The Dog Whisperer. "But if people don’t know what they want their dog to do instead, like sitting instead of jumping, going to their bed (when the door opens) instead of bolting out the door, dig in a sandbox instead of the garden, chewing appropriate objects, etc., the dog can’t figure it out either."

Mistake #1: Not Socializing a Dog Properly

A dog that has been taught to socialize properly can adapt to changes in the environment and should be able to deal with a variety of situations.

According to Jeff Millman, a certified dog trainer and the owner of Chicago Paws, proper socialization is one of the kindest acts people can provide for their dogs. "Natural by-products of proper socialization are activity, time with your dog, mental and physical stimulation," says Millman. "If someone wants to take their puppy to Thanksgiving dinner at their relatives home in another state, for instance, the socialization checklist might look like this: quiet in the crate during dinner, good with kids, good with groups of people, has a strong Leave It cue in case food falls on the ground, good with car trips, has to be able to eliminate on different surfaces in case there is no grass at one of the stops, etc."

Lack of socialization early on in the life of an animal can lead to fear, anxiety, and aggression. The better adapted a dog is to his environment, the less likely he is to engage in unpleasant behavior.

Mistake #2: Giving Up Too Soon

"If someone wants to learn tennis, will they learn more if they practice every day or once a week?" says Millman. "You have to maintain behaviors and practice whether you are a person or a dog. If someone asks me how long should their six-month-old dog be able to hold a Stay cue, I ask the following, 'How long did your dog Stay yesterday?' If they Stayed for 30 seconds, try for 35 seconds today, if they can’t Stay at all, start with 1 second.”

Being impatient is one of the major problems owners face. Although it's unrealistic to expect a puppy to be completely housetrained in a few weeks, many owners anticipate just that. It takes time and patience for a dog to understand the basic concept of sitting or staying; it takes even more time to change previous behaviors (such as jumping on the counter) or control urges (barking, digging in the garden, etc). "Dogs get the short end of the stick in many situations," says Millman. "People think they should learn things very quickly, but do not always spend the time teaching them. There are also physical and developmental variables at work. Dogs of any age might not have a very long attention span until you teach them how to focus for longer periods of time."

The first step is learning to take it slow. If you're calm and enjoy the process, your dog will too. Don't make the training a chore. If you feel yourself getting frustrated or angry, walk away and come back to it later.

Mistake #3: Making Training a Chore

Owners are not the only ones that get frustrated during training. Long or repetitive sessions can also be tedious for the dog. A bored dog usually stops paying attention and will have a harder time learning. "Keeping the training sessions short, from 15 seconds up to five minutes a session, and practicing many of these sessions throughout the day is much better than doing one or two long sessions everyday," says Owen. "Introducing new learning experiences that keep a dog’s interest and build a dog’s excitement in learning itself is very important. This happens when you link a dog’s natural tendencies or breed instincts with new behaviors: retrieving for retrievers, pulling wagons or you on skates for northern breeds, 'hunting' for toys and food treats for all dogs, etc."

If you focus on making the session a fun activity instead of a chore, dogs will pick up on tricks faster. Some breeds are more prone to boredom than others, but to be safe, concentrate on making the training session as dynamic as possible.

Rewards are also a big part of training. These include physical rewards (treats) as well as plain praise. "Use EVERY single reward that a dog wants as a reward including walks, food, attention, games, etc.," says Millman. "Use your voice as a reward. Dogs react to verbal praise, body movement, running, changes in direction as fun 'games'.”

Mistake #4: Being Ambivalent

"Consistency is very important in training," says Millman. "If, at the beginning, of teaching a new cue, sometimes you say 'Come' and other times you say 'Come over here' you can cause confusion. On the other hand, dogs can understand the meaning of numerous physical and verbal cues to mean the same thing. It is important to teach one cue and then add more later."

Confusing your dog will lead to failure. When you stick to a specific command or word, your dog is likely to grasp the concept better. "It all has to do with the memory process," says Owen. "Repetition forms a 'grove' of sorts in our brain which allows information to flow and connect. The deeper the groove, so to speak, the easier it is for the information we’ve stored through repetition to be accessed."

Mistake #5: Using Physical Punishment

"We do not hit, kick, shock, shake, jerk, pin a dog to the ground, hang, drown, or ear pinch," says Owens. "We do not use choke, prong or shock collars. We tell people to treat dogs with the same consideration and respect that they treat children, grandparents and themselves." Positive reinforcement is the key to success. Training your dog out of fear is wrong.

Nonviolent animal training is also more effective than earlier techniques. You can change behaviors such as destructiveness and excessive barking by finding what your dog is doing right and praising him for it. When he engages in negative behavior, you can choose to ignore him and hold back praise. Dogs usually pick up on it really fast. Owen estimates that about 20 percent of trainers use non-aversive methods, while the rest adhere to a mix of reward-based and aversive methods. "Nonviolent dog training allows you to create a partnership with your dog using gentle persuasion based in kindness, respect, and compassion." says Owen.

Other Mistakes

Not devoting enough time to the animal. People who are too busy or too lazy should reconsider getting a dog in the first place.

Getting a dog that's too difficult to handle, either because of breed or size. Some breeds are easier to train than others; some breeds are naturally more submissive.

Using the word "No" at the wrong time --If you combine the word 'No' and your pet's name or the word 'No' and the 'Come' command, you're sending mixed messages. You should always associate your dog's name with positive things.

Getting upset and screaming are not appropriate. The last thing you want is an animal that's scared of being around you.

Joining a class and then giving up after the first lesson because you didn't like the trainer. Not every trainer is a good fit for everybody. Some trainers are better with medium dogs while others are experts at managing large animals. Before signing up, ask to observe a class, see how the animals interact, the trainer's attitude, etc.

“I believe nonviolence fosters nonviolence," says Owen. "Because of the link between dog and human behavior, positive dog training contributes to helping build a world of peace for humans and dogs. When people, especially children, are successful using nonviolent methods with animals, they feel good about themselves and they are encouraged to have a kinder, more positive attitude with their friends, family, and the environment.”

External Links:

• The Dog Whisperer - Site of Paul Owens, the leading advocate of nonviolent animal training in the US
• Chicago Paws - Site of Jeff Millman, certified dog trainer