Training a Puppy is fun, and it will help you build a strong bond with your puppy. But there are manyย Puppy Training Myths.
We hope to help you distinguish the truth from the lies by addressing some common myths about dog training.
1. Puppies Canโt Be Trained Before 6 Months.
One of the most popular puppy training myths. The sooner you begin to teach them, the faster they will learn.
Suppose you let them adoptย unacceptable behaviorsย such asย excessive barking,ย pooping around the house, orย acting aggressively. They will most likely not grow out of those behaviors or have difficulty learning to rise above them.
Like human children, they begin learningย through their primaryย means ofย socialization: their owners, parents, and canine siblings, if they have any. It takesย patience, but that works well in the long run.
2. Aggressive Dogs Require Aggressiveness.
This is not true at all. Gentleness is recommended whenย dealing with aggressiveย or feral puppies.
This is especially true in the case of puppies that have dealt withย trauma and abuse. If you mistreat them or yell at them, they willย act aggressivelyย as well instead of the opposite.
Time, patience, rewards, and love will set them straight.
3. Dogs Only Learn by Force.
This can lead to animal cruelty or make theย poor puppy spiral into depression.
If you are trying to get your puppy toย understand the โsitโ command, the worst thing you can do is force it to sit by putting pressure on its neck or torso.
Try to think of it this way: if your tennis teacher is trying to teach you how to serve by holding your hands andย forcibly jerking you around, you are not learning anything other than being annoyed at them.
5. Some Dogs Are Unintelligent.
People seem to think that some dogs holdย intellectual superiorityย over others.
For example, Collies appear to be theย most intelligent dogs, but theyย canย learn Dog commandsย at a relatively faster pace with less repetition than other dogs.
As different breeds are adept at various tasks, it is unfair of you to ask the same of them. You need to figure out exactly theย right motivation for your puppyย and exercise patience andย proper conditioningย to get it on the right track.
It may also be having a bad day or be suffering from aย medical condition, in which case a visit to the vet is necessary.
6. Dogs Wonโt Listen Without Treats.
According to faux experts on the internet, once you startย using treats to influence your pupโs behavior, they wonโt perform the same behaviors without them.
However, the truth is that they need practice and repetition for anyone toย learn a skill. The same goes for puppies.
It is advised to keep giving those treats until they seemย adept at behaviorย but not completely cut off the treats and deprive your puppy of them.
Keep them excited andย engaged by sometimesย randomly offering the treat, but not every time. You also need to know that dogs need time toย adapt to different environments.
Hence, you might have to re-teach a skill in a different environment, especially when more than oneย type of stimulus is available. In those moments, treats will come in handy.
7. Dogs Can Focus on One Thing Only.
It wouldnโt be right of you to expect a human being toย master several skillsย in 24 hours, so extend the same courtesy to your pups. That is not to say thatย they are dumb.
They are complex creatures withย different thought processes, so they can learn more than one thing at a time.
It is up to you to choose a pace that suits them. They donโt need to master a skill before proceeding further.
You canย speed up a puppyโs developmentย by teaching it more than one concept in different fields.
You can beย litter training your puppyย while teaching it to play fetch or practicing with it to lie down and rollover.
8. Verbal Cues Should Be Immediately Understood.
Unless you speak a dog orย your dog speaks English, this isnโt happening. Dogs can be taught words specific to them and that they can pick out ofย the everyday conversation.
It shouldnโt be a surprise to sayย dinner or food in a conversation, and your dog is excitedly pacing around the food bowl.
It will take time for it toย understand what you mean, but once it does, it wonโt be likely to forget through repetition.
9. Donโt Comfort Puppies When Theyโre Scared.
If you are practicing this, who allowed you to have a puppy? Puppies are kids, too, and you need to treat them often that way.
Contrary to popular belief,ย they wonโt manipulateย you into a situation where they require more comfort or attention than usual.
Some puppies get scared ofย loud noises,ย fireworks, or even thunderstorms. You must hold them in those times. This creates aย bond of trust and friendshipย between you and your puppy.
What you are doing is essentially creating aย safe space for your puppy,ย which will allow it to become braver.
10. Dogs Only Obey Through Dominance.
We have already mentioned thatย force does not work, so trying to subjugate your pup wonโt work either. Communication tends to be farย more effectiveย than dominance.
You have to make the little one want to do somethingย instead of feelingย cornered into doing something.
Yelling, forcibly moving it into a position, orย using electric collarsย will not work and make your puppy uncomfortable.
According to a study on animal behavior,ย dogs can be easily provoked if you hit them, glare at them, or roll them against their will.
All of these methods are confrontational, which causes them to behave similarly toward you becauseย you are teaching themย that it is okay to be aggressive. Positive reinforcementย is the way to go.
12. Dogs Are Meant for Our Pleasure.
They areย animals with feelingsย and needs. Think of it as a social contractย between you and the puppy.
It lets you train it, does tricks, andย follows your commands. You provide it withย sustenance, shelter, and care. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.
You pet the dog and treat it for listening to you, and in return, you become happier with it. Aย dog reciprocates your love, although we believe a dogโs love is the most unconditional thing in the world.
13.Training Is Easy.
If you think you can put your puppy through a few classes and be done with it, we have got news for you: the wayย humans never stop learning, dogs donโt either.
Somebody did say thatย training a dogย is never really over, so pay attention to that. If you hire a professional, you will have to pay for more than just a few classes for a week or two.
Some experts claim thatย it takes about a year of puppy trainingย before you can relax. This also depends on what you want the puppy to learn and how itย masters new tricks and skills.
Old Dogs and New Tricks
We have all heard the saying about not being able toย teach an old dog a new trick, but sometimes, people take it literally. This shouldnโt be the case.
Like puppies, older dogs can beย taught new tricksย with patience and an excellent reward system. You just need to work your wayย through the kinksย and see what suits the dog best.
Final Thoughts
Puppies are some of the most beautiful and lovable creatures you will encounter, but if you areย planning on getting one, make sure you are ready for the commitment because you have to put in physical and mental labor.
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