The #1 Mistake People Make When Training Their Own Dog
Priming of the Overall Issue
Imagine this: you’re browsing Facebook on a Tuesday night and you stumble across a “Virtual Dog Trainer” who sells “How to Train Your Dog at Home With My Proven Method” (or similar title) courses online, complete with video breakdowns and step-by-step tutorials that claim to work for every dog (spoiler: they’re with demo dogs who already know what’s up, so it seems easier than it is).
Seems perfect, right?
You need to get your dog trained, and you don’t want to have to pay a trainer to come and assess your lifestyle match (because deep down, you know you shouldn’t have gotten a Shepherd Mix when you work 10-hour days).
You go on Reddit to ask if anybody’s ever enrolled in an “online dog training course” for their own dog, and you see everybody warning you to just save your money and hire a trainer in your area. “But trainers are expensive!”
So, you go to the Dog Training and Behavior Advice Facebook group to ask the same question, and you get the same answer. Why? What’s up with everyone not trusting this totally cool guy?
You commit anyway and you buy the course and all the necessary equipment: e-collars, prongs, slip leads, treats, elevated cot, and long line.
But wait … half of these modules aren’t about addressing the behavior; it’s about correcting the symptoms, but surely this guy knows what he’s doing. So, you try it anyway, and your dog doesn’t change their behavior in the timeline that was advertised.
Why?
The Underlying Cause Remains Unaddressed
If you know me, I’m skeptical of anyone who make their entire focus virtual courses, online programs, or virtual training.
Health gurus, therapists, personal trainers, life coaches, etc. alongside dog trainers all have one thing in common: ethical service providers treat their online courses or virtual services as supplementary to real life guidance, not a replacement. As professionals in the industry, we have a responsibility to educate and model correct and humane techniques, and that is hard when you apply cookie-cutter courses to dogs who may not benefit.
Many owners don’t know enough about behavior to successfully and correctly train their dogs without someone physically watching what they’re doing, so it blurs the lines between convenience, safety, and efficacy.
Trainers are the ones who can point out where you may not be setting your dog up for success. As an owner, you might not recognize where the root of your current troubles is, which stops you from correctly assessing and training through those issues.
These are the two most common causes of disengagement in training that I see in people who have tried owner-training or online courses and got stuck somewhere.
Your Dog Has Been Accidentally Reinforced To The “Wrong” Behavior Since Day One
The first thing people often do when they adopt a dog is immediately take them to a pet store to get necessary care items, food, toys, and everything else. Puppies are usually held, and this is typically encouraged as a part of socialization as long as they are not directly being touched by others, but dogs who can’t be carried? They should be left at home to decompress and relax. This is crucial for setting them up for success on day one.
Why? If you’re too occupied reading food labels, price tags, and finding coupons the first day they’re exposed to the public with you, you’re less likely to stop your dog from pulling to other dogs and people and getting the attention they’ve been asking of you the entire time. Or the dog advertised as dog-friendly may not be really dog-friendly, and instead dog-reactive and all it takes is one look for them to dislocate your shoulder. Regardless of where they come from, pulling on leash is a learned behavior that is reinforced by the environment.
Why Your Crazy Dog Pulls on Leash
As time goes on, they get more excited and aroused as they find more people when they go outside of the house because they get attention out of rushing up to others since before you even saw the pattern of behavior and your attempts to correct it.
Eventually, they learn to consistently pull to seek out that attention, and some dogs go as far as to dash out of the door, slip out of their collar, or redirect and bite from the added pressure of the leash stopping them from doing what they want to.
If it’s been years of this behavior and then you’re pulling back, yelling, using aversive equipment, or avoiding walks without any work on the actual cause of the behavior, it is very confusing for your dog because that is what you’ve accidentally taught them to do.
You’re going to need to work twice as hard to lower their excitement around others if you’re owner-training your overaroused dog.
Your Dog Was Raised in Your Home with No Clear Boundaries
One of the most common things I’ve seen is that someone had a puppy since eight weeks old, never had any boundaries through puppy proofing, routine, and training, and now they’re an adult dog who is poorly mannered and does not have any clear understanding of expected behavior. Their owners have concerns for behavior outside of their current control, because it’s been reinforced for so long by being ignored. From day one there should have been routine, boundaries, and training — not just when the problem behaviors become too much to deal with.
Why? Our dogs will find ways to create routine and their own boundaries if we do not do it for them, and a permissive dog owner who does not prevent undesirable behavior and instead lives with it until it becomes dangerous creates a dog reliant on their own self-destructive routine. Even some of the best trainers have a difficult time helping owners reframe their lifestyle to help their dog learn a new routine if there is not commitment and effort.
As more time passes, those behaviors may escalate because of the lack of clarity in puppyhood. Digging in the yard turns into escaping, barking when you’re gone turns into pacing, accidents in the house turn into purposeful elimination, and so on. Yes, these are natural dog behaviors — but they can be used in a constuctive manner to prevent them being a danger to themselves or any people around them, especially young kids.
You’re going to need to work twice as hard eliminating those behaviors if you’re owner-training a dog who’s never been taught what is “right” and “wrong.”
What Should You Do?
I cannot stress enough the importance of reaching out to a qualified and experienced individual who can thoroughly assess your dog's unique situation, offer the right resources, and create tailored instruction to address the root cause of the behaviors. Every dog is different, and there is no single proven method that works for everyone. Finding the right approach is key.
Green Flags in Dog Trainers
They can prove the effectiveness of their instruction through their case studies or relevant experience in the field.
They don’t use other trainer’s work to justify their own and they’re able to clearly present cases in a way that is easy to understand when you ask them if they’ve ever dealt with something similar to what you’re trying to get help for.
They don’t just work with their own dogs and create online content.
Online trainers tend to use their own demo dogs for paid content because it’s legally safer. Regardless, they should still be able to at least offer a consultation and assessment of your situation, not just a course; because your needs may not align with what their courses focus on, and it’s better to save your money for what will really help.
They refer out cases they think they cannot accurately provide instruction for.
The hallmark of a good professional is staying within the scope of their services. If a trainer cannot accurately assess a situation or feels as though training may escalate problems, they can refer you to specific professionals in the area who specialize in behavior consulting.
They have references and testimonials from past clients or other professionals.
Word of mouth is huge in an industry that is as highly unregulated as dog training. Positive reviews and referrals from past clients and other professionals speak volumes to the individual trainer’s success.
They’re members of AND certified by continuing education organizations that regulate conduct.
Regardless of whether they are balanced trainers or positive reinforcement only, there are continuing education organizations for both that ensure proper conduct and handling of cases of the professionals they endorse and certify. **AKC CGC Evaluators are not allowed to promote the use of aversive equipment for dogs aiming for the title.
They tailor their approach to each dog they service.
Predetermined programs may be helpful for some dogs who fit what it aims to accomplish, but many dogs require a more tailored approach. The ability to adapt to each dog, even within a structured program, is a sign of maturity and knowledge of what they are instructing.
They’re able to admit when something they’ve tried has not worked.
Trainers who are able to reframe their approach when something has not worked show an understanding of learning theory and ethology, which is something that many trainers who lack education will blame the dog for.
~ Ashley