We wanted to let the secret out and let you know the biggest mistakes that most people make during dog training. Salt Lake City is full of awesome clients of ours that have applied the concepts below with great success. We want you to also know these concepts.

Here are the most common mistakes that people make when training their dogs.

1.) They are not consistent. They reward their dogs for pulling on the leash sometimes and not other times. The dog gets confused and doesn’t know when he is allowed to pull on the leash and when he is not. Your dog will do better with obedience if you are consistent with your rules.

2.) They expect fast results without putting in the effort or time.  Training takes practice and commitment.  We recommend that you train your dog daily 2-5 times a day.

Each session only needs to last for 2-5 minutes. We find that most of our Salt Lake City dog training clients can easily invest this amount of time.

3.) They don’t set their dog up for success. Think about what your dog structures or systems need to be in place to help your dog be successful.

A crate is a great idea for a dog that isn’t house trained.  Keeping items out of your dog’s reach if your puppy is chewing on items in your house can help your dog understand what is expected of him.

4.) They use punishment to get their dog to obey.  Shock collars, prong collars and choke collars are very common. These can actually create your dog to be aggressive and fearful.

It is much easier for your dog to learn through rewards. Instead give your dog rewards for performing behaviors that you like rather than punishing your dog for behaviors that you dislike. Choose from reward-based dog trainers. Salt Lake City has many options.

5.) They attempt to train their dog new behaviors in a distracting environment. When training your dog something new start in a low distracting environment such as inside your home. Once your dog can listen well in this easy environment you can gradually progress to more distracting environments.

6.) They aren’t being motivating enough to their dog. Your dog will do what you want him to do if you give him what he wants in return. Make sure the rewards are motivating enough to your dog.

There are many healthy treats that you can buy for dog training. Salt Lake City has the Dog’s Meow, Paw’s Paw’s Pet Boutique, and Healthy Pets Mountain West.

We hope this helps you in training your dog!

Namaste!

Johanna Teresi, Professional Owner and Dog Trainer for Four Legged Scholars LLC, Dog Training, Salt Lake City, Utah