The more you know about your dog, the deeper a relationship you can build together and the greater your chance of finding success in behavioral training. This is the second entry in a blog series looking at canine myths and training misconceptions that may affect your dog’s ability to thrive in their training environment. If you would like to learn more about why your dog acts why it does and what you can do to help them learn, read on. (Read Part One here.)
Myths Associated with Behavioral Training
You Should Dominate Your Dog to Gain Respect: In some circles, an outdated idea persists that dog owners must be seen as an ‘alpha’ for their dogs to respect or listen to their commands. This belief promotes harsh training methods, like alpha rolling or yelling, which can damage trust and lead to behavioral problems. In reality, most dogs already see their owners as the top dogs in the house, and you will find more success with honey than with vinegar.
Dogs trained through positive reinforcement—rewarding good behavior and redirecting unwanted actions—respond better and build a stronger bond with their owners. They also take to training faster, as they have a driving purpose of learning new tricks, as opposed to simply a fear of making mistakes. Modern training techniques focus on cooperation and mutual respect, and we employ these methods through our dog training programs, available to pups of all shapes and sizes.
Dogs That Wag Their Tails Are Always Friendly: Just like yawning behaviors (read more in our last blog) it’s easy to look at a known behavior of a dog and assume that it always means the same thing. However, a wagging tail does not always signify that a dog is happy and approachable. Tail wagging is part of canine communication and can represent an extremely wide range of emotions, from excitement and happiness to nervousness or aggression. Not all dogs follow these patterns, but it is common for stiff tail wags to alertness or fear, while relatively slower, low-to-the-ground wags might signal insecurity. Observing your dog as a whole, taking their surroundings and other body language into account, will give you an overall better picture of their mood than just the tail alone. Understanding your dog’s unique personality can help when deciding on appropriate behavioral training strategies.
Treats Are the Only Way to Train a Dog: We discussed how dogs should ideally be motivated by positive forces rather than negative ones, but some owners believe that this means treats are the only effective method to train their pups. And while treats are an excellent tool for positive reinforcement, relying on them exclusively can limit progress.
Dogs can also be motivated by toys, praise, and affection. Proceeding with a food-only approach might mean they aren’t as responsive to learning and training when they aren’t hungry or in the mood for a particular treat. Diversifying positive reinforcement also helps when you are out of the house and carrying treats around isn’t feasible.
This two-article series presented a brief explanation of some of the most common misconceptions about dogs and behavioral training – but you likely have more questions. Each dog is unique, and you might be curious why your dog is acting a certain way and what you can do to address the behavior. To learn more about how we can help and how our dog training programs can benefit your dog, contact Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training today. Our team is committed to the health, happiness and security of every dog we train. Call to learn more about our methods and successes.
