21 Sep |
Posted by Mark Ehrman |
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So you’ve decided to get a dog. You’ve seen adorable pictures and funny videos all over the internet. You know dogs are great companions and loyal friends. What could possibly go wrong? But before you run out to the closest shelter or dog breeder to pick your furry friend, there are a few important factors […]
My *second* biggest piece of advice for puppy owners (and anyone training new behaviours or cues) is: take smaller steps.
Our natural tendency is to see a little bit of progress, and immediately think "he's got this!". We then start asking for more and more too quickly. But then we start to get frustrated when all of the sudden he "doesn't get it anymore..." 😠
Dogs generalise very gradually, and we need to take very small steps when increasing criteria.
So when teaching 'stay' or 'come', we increase duration, distance, and distractions very gradually. If at any time we start getting more misses than successes, we need to go back to getting easier successes, then take a smaller step.
Some dogs are very quick learners, but others need more time and guidance. When teaching, always work to the learner's pace, and never assume that they can handle a big jump in expectations. Like the picture below, what may be easy for you can be a challenge for your puppy.
So remember to be patient, and take small steps. This will keep both you and your puppy happy in the training and will allow you to see more progress than trying to force things too quickly. 😀👍
©2019 Canine Counselling by Mark
