Positively reinforcing your dog is a powerful tool to achieve dog obedience. However, you don’t have to praise your four-legged friend for everything they do.
Here are essential dos and don’ts you need to follow:
Dos
Keep Training Sessions Engaging, Short, and Fun
Like children, you can’t involve your dog in boring activities for a long time because it will be counterproductive. Keep the sessions short and entertaining to increase the dog’s interest and motivate them for other sessions.
Wean the Treats
It’s okay to use treats when your dog obeys your cues and shows desirable behaviour. However, wean your dog off the treats gradually while still giving them praise and affection. Over time, the dog will forget about the treats and adapt to your praises as the reward for good habits.
Respond to Your Dog’s Desirable Behavior
Dogs live in the moment. Therefore, respond to their desirable habits consistently and immediately with positive reinforcement. Reward the dog immediately they do something you want. Also, intervene when they do something unacceptable using your voice.
Don’ts
Scolding and Punishment
When you have a fearful dog, they don’t respond well to scolding and punishment. Avoid punishments because it will aggravate the fear and invalidate the dog training sessions.
Don’t Delay Rewards
For effective reinforcement, make sure you reward your dog as soon as it displays positive habits. Delaying the reward makes it harder to figure out the behaviour your rewarding them for. The dog will associate the reward with the present action.
Dog training is demanding and time-consuming since you have to be consistent in your reinforcement. With this dog information, you raise a well-behaved and happy pup.