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How And When Dog Training FailsThe Resource for Everything About Dogs |
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How And When Dog Training Failsby Kirsten Frisch
There is a lot of hype on the internet about dog training that claim to be the secret way to train a dog. Training a dog takes time. But in our fast paced world, we don't have time. We want to believe that it could work fast. Sure, you can teach your dog to sit in one day. But then what? According to the secret training methods that is training, your dog sat for you 1 time, or maybe 10 times in one day. What happens down the road? This is where that kind of dog training starts to fail. How does it fail? It does not consider what happens three months from that day, or five years from that day. You go home from the training lessons walking on air because you and your dog just learned how to sit and then two years later you are struggling with your dog pulling on a leash. And you think to yourself this was the perfect dog at 3 months of age what happened? It is what did not happen that is the problem. You were not told that dog training would be an everyday thing. I still leash train my dog Kyra...and she's 11 years old! Every so often I think she will walk on a leash just fine without the gentle leader, and we end up in a pulling game the entire walk. She pulls, I correct, she walks great for awhile and then pulls, I correct. I wonder why I even tried to leave the gentle leader home. And my dog Larry, he's great on a leash, in fact he never pulls. But just when we think he has gotten over his fear of...well, everything...we make some sudden move and he hits the pavement with fear in his eyes. Ah, two steps forward and one back. If you are frustrated with your dog, you are just a normal dog owner. No one told you that you would have to train your dog every day of his life. Dog training is like anything you want to be good at...perfect practice makes perfect. If you and your dog continually have the same argument such as GET OVER HERE! You are stuck in a rut. I hate to say it, but repeatedly making the same mistake just reinforces the mistake. Maybe it is time to accept that your dog is not the kind of dog that can be off leash. I know, I know. We all pictured one of those great Hollywood dogs when we fell in love with our first dog. But really, those dogs are few and far between. On the other hand, one of the great things about having dog trouble is being able to share stories with other dog people. That is what owning a dog is really about. Before you write your dog off to some doggie rescue, consider for a moment what you are expecting of your dog. To quote my husband (and of course it's not his) You are only as good as your weakest link. Before you make your dog wrong take one of those painful looks in the mirror, and find your weak spot. Contrary to popular belief, bad behavior problems did not happen overnight. They were not created overnight and they will not be broken overnight. It is like any relationship, you have to work at it, and you have to constantly adjust the rules as your relationship grows. Ever argue with your spouse? Lover? Best Friend? It does not mean...well it does not mean anything. It is just an argument. Same holds true for the dog. If you always yell at your dog to GET OVER HERE! You and your dog are having an argument, and you need to find a way to solve it. Trying to be more of something is a not a solution. More alpha dog, more demanding, or more confining because whatever you are doing in the first place to get the behavior, you do not need more of. Instead, ride the horse the way its going so to speak. If your dog won't get over here then do not put your dog in a position where they will have to get over here. No, its not simple. Dog training is not simple. Its doable and possible, but not simple. So do not believe you will be able to train your dog in one day, unless you believe a day is a lifetime.
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