Dog training can seem like magic. Trainers can accomplish amazing things with their dogs and yet when you train with your own dog, it may not go as you imagined. YouTube videos make it look so easy, so why can't you achieve the same results?
Well I'm sorry to say dog training isn't magic but it is a science that anyone can learn if they are willing to put the work in. So how can you create an effective training session? This blog is going to consider 4 Secrets to an Effective Training session, and how you can use them with your dog.
Build Confidence
First of all, it's important to warm your dog up by starting training with a cue they already know. If you start teaching a brand-new cue straight away, your dog will likely become frustrated because they are struggling to earn treats. When they become frustrated, they may begin to vocalise or offer random behaviours. Some dogs will also show displacement behaviours, which are shown when the dog is feeling under pressure and is unsure what to do. You may observe this as yawning, scratching, sneezing and/or sniffing the ground.
When your dog doesn’t seem to be focusing, you will likely become frustrated and your dog will be able to sense this in your emotional state and tone of voice. This hinders your training further because it is no longer a fun experience for either of you.
For this reason, it’s really important to start your training session with something your dog is good at, to build their confidence before moving on to something new. Once you start practicing the new cue, it is normal for your dog to get it wrong, so be patient. Since your dog will need to practice this cue to perfect it, its beneficial to finish the session by asking your dog to do some cues they already know. Therefore, you start and end the training session on a positive, ensuring that their confidence is growing with each ses