As a dog trainer, I see quite a few trends in the way owners interact with their dogs that causes unknown harm to the relationship. Owners are normally completely unaware of these habits and the effects they have on their dog. They don't do it on purpose, and if they only knew they would try to change these behaviors. I say try because some of these habits are actually quite hard to break.
A few simple changes can mean a world of difference in the way your dog behaves. A lot of the complaints we hear from adult dog owners can actually be fixed by avoiding these bad habits. These are especially important if you are a new dog owner, or have recently adopted a new puppy. Setting yourself and your puppy up for success will save you years of headaches down the road.
1. Repeating yourself. Repeating yourself. Repeating yourself.
Dog training is all about associations. We train dogs "When I hear this sound, I do this behavior, and I get this reward" Now, if when we "make the sound" or say the command, we repeat it 3 times, the sound then becomes " Sit, Sit , Sit" (for example). That is a completely different sound, especially if you are changing the inflection in your voice when you say it. If you still give your dog a reward when they finally sit, you just taught your dog to wait until you have said the command three times before they should do the behavior. At the very least it teaches them that you don't really mean it the first time. Try to get in the habit of a ONE COMMAND SYSTEM. Give the command, if the dog does the behavior, reward, if the dog does not do the behavior reinforce i.e. use the treat to lure the behavior or use your leash to give gentle but stern guidance. Only give commands your dog knows. You should always teach the behaviors first. Once the dog is very comfortable offering the behavior, then you can name it.
2. Food is the most valuable tool at your disposal, do not just give it away. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I am working a clients dog and the dog shows no interest in the food or treats I am offering ( and is not showing anxious behavior, that's different) They have zero motivation to work with me and just want to do their own thing. I can almost always guarantee that dog is free fed, which means food is always left out for the dog to graze. If you have access to something all the time, it is no longer as valuable. It's like just handing your kids money without expecting them to do any chores, or any good behaviors. They don't learn the value of money, and come to expect it to always be available. Having your dog work for their food, teaches them that YOU are valuable. You provide the most important resource. You can feed them in their crate during crate training. You can feed them on their place board. You can feed them while you walk. You don't have to hand feed every single piece, but I always suggest hand feeding at least 50%. Separate their daily food into small bags and place them around the house, every time they do something you like, give them some food. Plus it will save you a ton of money on high value treats.
3. Mean what you say. Do not give your dog a command that you can't/don't intend to follow through with. Do not try to teach your puppy recall when they are off leash excitedly playing in the back yard... it is not going to go well. Start on leash where you can help guide them into doing the right thing.
4. Praise and reward them when they make the right choice! A lot of times owners get caught up on what their dog is doing wrong, and don't reward them when they do the right thing. Or they just expect them to do the right thing and see no reason to reward. Rewarding good behavior is the quickest way to build good habits. Giving only negative feedback leads to naughty attention seeking.
5. The 3 Ds ; Duration, Distance, Distractions Whenever you teach your dog a new behavior, you have to think about the circumstances surrounding that behavior. Do you expect your dog to hold that behavior? Do you expect your dog to be able to comply from across the yard? What kind of environments do you expect your dog to be able to do this behavior in?
6.The 10/10 ratio, take your time! If your dog is struggling with a command, you need to break it down into smaller steps. I always say you want your dog to be successful 10 times in a row before moving on to a more difficult task. We want to build reliability and consistency.
7. Your dog is a dog. While there may be a lot of similarities between dogs and kids, there are also a lot of very real differences. You want an independent, confident, happy dog. Sometimes babying them too much leads to anxiety and insecurity. Assigning human feeling and emotion to dogs is counterproductive, dogs have very different wants and needs than children. Your dog should be more of a partner or team mate, than your baby.
Now I know that was a LOT, but I promise if you break these bad habits you will have much better communication with your dog! It doesn't have to be so hard, remember your dog wants to please you! The first step is to clearly communicate what you want :)