Most dog owners want to train their dog properly but it is all too easy to underestimate the time and effort this needs. This can result in mistakes that could have been avoided with a bit more effort.
While a mature dog may have the same mental capacities as the average two year old a dog is not a child. They can process language and have a limited understanding of cause and effect but not in the same way as humans. It is frustrating to keep repeating the same command and have the dog appear to ignore it. It is more likely that they have failed to understand you than that they are being stubborn.
What is often labeled as stubborn behavior is more likely the result of a dog being easily distracted or failing to connect today’s command with the behavior and reward of yesterday. Patience is vital when training a dog and you should be prepared to repeat commands day after day without getting the same result. Some dogs can take two years to learn things to the point where they stick.
Lashing out at a dog will not correct its behavior. The dog won’t understand why it is being hit and you will instill fear rather than the trust needed for obedience training.
Like human beings dogs are more ready to follow someone they trust rather than someone they fear. This is only done when they have no choice. Dogs may endure punishment and fail to learn because physical punishment is not an effective training method.
If you want to know how not to train your dog then you should
• Forget that a dog has a different nature to yours and talk to them as though they were human.
• Believe that the dog has the same understanding of cause and effect as you.
• Get impatient and frustrated when they don't behave as you want them to.
• Punish them for not behaving the way you want.
Use these methods then the result will be an unhappy owner and a maladjusted dog. If you don’t want these results then you have to be prepared to change your own behavior before you can change the dog’s behavior.
