Training a puppy can be difficult – there’s no two ways about it.
It’s likely to be one of the most stressful things you do, but of course one of the most rewarding, too. It can be difficult to know if you’re getting things right when it comes to training – for some things, it can be down to your own personal preference and also your dog’s personality, but for others, there are rights and wrongs, and there are some common mistakes that puppy parents often make.
Fortunately, these mistakes aren’t too difficult to rectify (and we’re sure your pup will forgive you after a session of play with one of the best puppy toys!), as Amelia Steele, a professional dog trainer and behavioral consultant known as Amelia the Dog Trainer, has explained on Instagram. We’ll take a look at the mistakes below.
1) Trying to do too much too fast: “Puppies learn best when you do short bursts, training throughout the day. One to two minutes at a time is plenty,” Steele explains.
You might be tempted to opt for longer training sessions – it’s only natural that we’d assume that more is better – but this can actually hold puppies back, and build frustration between the two of you. It’s worth prioritizing quality over quantity – it’ll pay off!
2) Using only food: While Steele will use food when training puppies, she uses play, too. “By switching back and forth between play and food,” she says, “you help teach your puppy to regulate their nervous system.”
3) Only focusing on behaviors: “Teaching sit, stay, etc. is great, but it’s not the only part of training,” Steele explains. “Socialization HAS to be a priority for puppies.”
Socialization is vital if you want your puppy to become a confident and friendly adult dog – putting in some hard work now will pay off for you in the long term. You might find this article useful, too: I'm a dog behaviorist and these are my 6 tips for socializing a puppy.
If you recognize any of these mistakes in things you’ve done before, it’s important to remember that no pet parent is perfect, and even the most experienced trainer can get things wrong on occasion!
There’s no time like the present to make changes to the way you train your puppy – it’s never too late. After all, we know that the saying ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ isn’t actually true – and puppies are even more flexible than their senior counterparts.
If it’s just you training your puppy, you might like to take a look at these 27 practical tips for training your dog on your own, too!
