It is impossible to know everything, especially if you've just taken a puppy home. That's why any dog owner and trainer makes mistakes. But if they eliminate the mistakes in time, everything will be fine. The new family member needs a little bit different attitude than, for example, a child.
Have you not taken a puppy home yet, but are definitely preparing for it? Than this article is for you! Below we will tell you about the most frequent mistakes of dog owners according to their pets. If you correct the mistakes right now, you will have no problems with the adult dog in the future, whatever breed, age, size and weight it is.
1. The first and the most harmful mistake of a dog trainer - punishment when a dog comes up.
We repeat about avoid of this mistake any appropriate time. The more dog owners know about it, the more dogs stay alive and not lost. never at any case punish a dog when it comes up to you after calling or itself. As a maximum, don't praise it for coming up.
If you call a dog's name or by a command "Come", never punish a dog whatever wrong action it has done. It is enough even once to punish a dog at coming to provoke a lot of problems for the whole dog's life and suffer all the time from "a silly dog". But the problem is not the dog.
2. Dog feeding not in time, bad feeding, lack or excess of feeding.
A puppy should be fed in time, and also get enough of quality food. If you get a puppy, you take a responsibility. Keep to a feeding ration, but don't overfeed a dog and don't worry if it ate too little. Moreover, in summer dogs eat much less.
Read more about dog and puppy feeding here.
3. Wrong toilet training, that prolongs the process and does harm to a puppy.
You even can't imagine how many people have a strong belief that they should rub a puppy nose in it to make it stop doing it at different places and train it to a toilet. It is a huge mistake of a dog owner. If you don't want to train a puppy a proper way at least don't taunt it and give it to a more caring person. Such mistakes prevent proper puppy toilet training.
Our advice is to read the article about puppy toilet training.
4. Lack of knowledge or ability to break a puppy's habit to chew everything around.
If you don't know how, we will show you. It should be started since the first day a puppy appeared in the family. Don't postpone the training until it is much more difficult to handle it.
Read here how to break a dog's habit to chew everything.
5. Punishment for a natural dog behavior.
Sometimes we suppose puppy's behavior inappropriate, though for a puppy it seems quite natural. People and dogs are different creatures. Don't punish a dog for it's trying to lick your face, unless it is jumping trying to do this. Also if a dog urinates when sees the owner or when it is afraid, a punishment will do only a harm.
6. Aggressive dog treating caused by inappropriate dog behavior.
It is more your anger with yourself for the failure to get the result. For example, if you can't train a dog to a toilet for a long time period, break a dog's habit to chew everything or jump and bite, you become angry and that's why you punish a dog undeserved. Time is the best cure. Why? It is clear: you will train step by step, gradually, use the achieved knowledge, and everything will work.
If you are not sure that you should punish a dog, it is better to avoid punishment.
7. Wrong punishment and puppy training to a command "drop it".
Many dog owners make a mistake when breaking dog habits. For example, they punish a dog with any item they see around: a shoe, a hat, a T-shirt etc. If you do this, don't surprise when a grown up dog will prey the item it was beaten with and some day will tear it apart.
The best item for punishment is your hand. A dog will not be angry with your hands, because they can also pamper and feed it. Learn to punish a dog without doing harm. Read about it at our articles How to punish a dog and How to train a dog to a command "drop it".
8. Late punishment.
A dog should be punished only when you caught it doing a wrong action immediately. For example, you see a dog chewing something - come and punish it. But if you've found the spoiled by dog item later - it is senseless to punish a dog. A pet will not understand the reason why it is punished. It is useless to punish a dog also if you saw it doing a bad action but when it has noticed you - gladly runs up to the owner. We wrote about it before: a dog should not be punished at coming up to you.
9. Hurry in training.
Let a puppy be a puppy, before taking it for a training or before training it by yourself. Do not train a dog till 3 month old or only by yourself if you plan to show it at dog shows or take part in dog competitions.
You will surely make mistakes training your dog as an amateur. And then you'll get only the last places at the shows and competitions. But self-training will be useful if you want just to train a good, well-bred companion.
Read about basic dog commands here.
10. One punishes, another one allows.
If you break a dog's habit to lay on a coach and another family member allows it - you will not manage the problem. The same touches upon other dog habits and trainings. For example, you train a dog not to ask food at the table, but another family member feeds it while eating at the table.
Keep to the rules how to treat a dog and explain it to your family. Teach you family to follow your advices and explain the importance of it for its behavior and calm and friendly atmosphere at home. Only strict keeping to the rules will make dog training effective.
11. Irregular punishment.
If you punish a dog once for a misdid and it proceeds to do the wrong action - repeat the punishment each time until it stops doing it. Here strength is helpless. Only persistence, time and your patience will help you to break dog habit.
12. Lack of walking.
A dog chews everything around? Runs all over the house as a mad? Does different dirty tricks? If you do not find an entertainment - it finds it itself. It is obligatory to walk a dog, no matter what breed it is. A dog of any breed needs activity and regular walking. Excess of energy should be expresses at a good walk! It is not enough just to walk it on a leash. Let a dog be tired with running about.
13. Don't neglect simple dog commands.
A dog should be taught to simple commands till 3 months old, like call it's name, "come". After 3 months take up to dog training. You will learn more in the previously mentioned articles.
14. Don't leave a dog alone for a long time.
And do not keep a dog in a cage or on a chain. Of course, a puppy should get used to be alone, but do not make it's being alone too long. Communicate with a puppy to make a contact.
Dogs of guard breeds with strong contact with their owners are the most fearless, dangerous and devoted defendants. If you are going to leave a puppy alone, give it a toy and a bone. By the way, read more about the best dog breeds for family and home guard.
15. Lack of a definite dog place.
Any dog should have its own place. It is desirably to arrange it at a calm place where a dog is not bothered. A hall and a kitchen with a lot of people passing by is a bad variant.
16. A dog is not a toy.
The most difficult point for understanding. Do not carry a dog in your hands, do not allow a puppy doing the thing you don't like to do an adult dog. Of course you should play with a puppy, it will only positively affect its developing. But don't treat it as a child. After all, it is just a dog. After some time you'll understand when it is a good moment and when it is a bad one to pamper a puppy.