Training a Puppy is fun, and it will help you build a strong bond with your puppy. But there are many Puppy Training Myths.
We hope to help you distinguish the truth from the lies by addressing some common myths about dog training.
1. Puppies Can’t 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 adopt unacceptable behaviors such as excessive barking, pooping around the house, or 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 learning through their primary means of socialization: their owners, parents, and canine siblings, if they have any. It takes patience, but that works well in the long run.
2. Aggressive Dogs Require Aggressiveness.
This is not true at all. Gentleness is recommended when dealing with aggressive or feral puppies.
This is especially true in the case of puppies that have dealt with trauma and abuse. If you mistreat them or yell at them, they will act aggressively 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 the poor puppy spiral into depression.
If you are trying to get your puppy to understand the “sit” 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 and 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 hold intellectual superiority over others.
For example, Collies appear to be the most intelligent dogs, but they can learn Dog commands 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 the right motivation for your puppy and exercise patience and proper conditioning to get it on the right track.
It may also be having a bad day or be suffering from a medical condition, in which case a visit to the vet is necessary.
6. Dogs Won’t Listen Without Treats.
According to faux experts on the internet, once you start using treats to influence your pup’s behavior, they won’t perform the same behaviors without them.
However, the truth is that they need practice and repetition for anyone to learn a skill. The same goes for puppies.
It is advised to keep giving those treats until they seem adept at behavior but not completely cut off the treats and deprive your puppy of them.
Keep them excited and engaged by sometimes randomly offering the treat, but not every time. You also need to know that dogs need time to adapt to different environments.
Hence, you might have to re-teach a skill in a different environment, especially when more than one type of stimulus is available. In those moments, treats will come in handy.
7. Dogs Can Focus on One Thing Only.
It wouldn’t be right of you to expect a human being to master several skills in 24 hours, so extend the same courtesy to your pups. That is not to say that they are dumb.
They are complex creatures with 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 don’t need to master a skill before proceeding further.
You can speed up a puppy’s development by teaching it more than one concept in different fields.
You can be litter training your puppy 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 or your dog speaks English, this isn’t happening. Dogs can be taught words specific to them and that they can pick out of the everyday conversation.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to say dinner or food in a conversation, and your dog is excitedly pacing around the food bowl.
It will take time for it to understand what you mean, but once it does, it won’t be likely to forget through repetition.
9. Don’t Comfort Puppies When They’re 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, they won’t manipulate you into a situation where they require more comfort or attention than usual.
Some puppies get scared of loud noises, fireworks, or even thunderstorms. You must hold them in those times. This creates a bond of trust and friendship between you and your puppy.
What you are doing is essentially creating a safe space for your puppy, which will allow it to become braver.
10. Dogs Only Obey Through Dominance.
We have already mentioned that force does not work, so trying to subjugate your pup won’t work either. Communication tends to be far more effective than dominance.
You have to make the little one want to do something instead of feeling cornered into doing something.
Yelling, forcibly moving it into a position, or using electric collars will not work and make your puppy uncomfortable.
According to a study on animal behavior, 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 because you are teaching them that it is okay to be aggressive. Positive reinforcement is the way to go.
12. Dogs Are Meant for Our Pleasure.
They are animals with feelings and needs. Think of it as a social contract between you and the puppy.
It lets you train it, does tricks, and follows your commands. You provide it with 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. A dog reciprocates your love, although we believe a dog’s 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 way humans never stop learning, dogs don’t either.
Somebody did say that training a dog 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 that it takes about a year of puppy training before you can relax. This also depends on what you want the puppy to learn and how it masters new tricks and skills.
Old Dogs and New Tricks
We have all heard the saying about not being able to teach an old dog a new trick, but sometimes, people take it literally. This shouldn’t be the case.
Like puppies, older dogs can be taught new tricks with patience and an excellent reward system. You just need to work your way through the kinks 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 are planning on getting one, make sure you are ready for the commitment because you have to put in physical and mental labor.
