Here is a hypothetical situation: Your dog is barking outside. You open the door and yell at the dog to shut up. Guess what? You have just done inadvertent dog training; you have encouraged your dog to bark! You reinforced your dog's barking by giving your dog attention. Okay, so being yelled at isn't the best kind of attention but, none the less, it's still attention.
This is one of many ways inadvertent dog training is administered.
What happens when someone knocks at your door? Does your dog start barking or jumping on your guest? What do you do? Do you grab your dog and pet him trying to calm him down? You have just, again done inadvertent dog training reinforcing barking and jumping when someone comes to the door. Inadvertent dog training is often the cause of poor behavior in a dog. It is done with the best of intentions but is destined to lead to problem behavior.
Any time you reinforce unwanted behavior by praising, either through voice, touch or treat, you are inadvertently training your dog to repeat the behavior.
Here's another scenario. You and your best friend are out for a walk. You have done everything right: the dog has on his collar with tags displayed, you are using a leash that you can easily manage to keep your dog in close proximity to you, you have your 'pick up' bag in case your dog makes a 'deposit,' and everything is lovely. Another pair, dog and human, are walking toward you. Your dog begins to bark. What do you do? Grab his collar and start petting him, telling him its okay? You are telling your dog, verbally and spatially, that it is okay to bark at other strollers! I know this isn't what you want to convey but your dog understands actions, not intentions, and gets the wrong message.
It is vitally important to become aware of how you are inadvertently training your dog. When he does anything that is not desired behavior you need to make sure you don't encourage a repeat of the action by how you respond. Petting, baby talk, smiles (dog's are magnificent readers of body language), treats given to stop unwanted behavior is actually doing just the opposite. If you have a small dog and he is misbehaving do you pick him up and pet him with the intention of calming him? He has just gotten the message that if he misbehaves you will pick him up and stroke him.
How do you combat inadvertent training? By becoming aware of how you react to your dog's behavior and changing your methods. It is very simple. It can also be very difficult. Ask for someone's help by having them point out when you are falling short of the best training. Contact a dog training instructor who can point out your errors. Join a group obedience class where the owners do the handling of their dogs. This is an excellent opportunity for socializing your dog as well.
Happy training!
This is one of many ways inadvertent dog training is administered.
What happens when someone knocks at your door? Does your dog start barking or jumping on your guest? What do you do? Do you grab your dog and pet him trying to calm him down? You have just, again done inadvertent dog training reinforcing barking and jumping when someone comes to the door. Inadvertent dog training is often the cause of poor behavior in a dog. It is done with the best of intentions but is destined to lead to problem behavior.
Any time you reinforce unwanted behavior by praising, either through voice, touch or treat, you are inadvertently training your dog to repeat the behavior.
Here's another scenario. You and your best friend are out for a walk. You have done everything right: the dog has on his collar with tags displayed, you are using a leash that you can easily manage to keep your dog in close proximity to you, you have your 'pick up' bag in case your dog makes a 'deposit,' and everything is lovely. Another pair, dog and human, are walking toward you. Your dog begins to bark. What do you do? Grab his collar and start petting him, telling him its okay? You are telling your dog, verbally and spatially, that it is okay to bark at other strollers! I know this isn't what you want to convey but your dog understands actions, not intentions, and gets the wrong message.
It is vitally important to become aware of how you are inadvertently training your dog. When he does anything that is not desired behavior you need to make sure you don't encourage a repeat of the action by how you respond. Petting, baby talk, smiles (dog's are magnificent readers of body language), treats given to stop unwanted behavior is actually doing just the opposite. If you have a small dog and he is misbehaving do you pick him up and pet him with the intention of calming him? He has just gotten the message that if he misbehaves you will pick him up and stroke him.
How do you combat inadvertent training? By becoming aware of how you react to your dog's behavior and changing your methods. It is very simple. It can also be very difficult. Ask for someone's help by having them point out when you are falling short of the best training. Contact a dog training instructor who can point out your errors. Join a group obedience class where the owners do the handling of their dogs. This is an excellent opportunity for socializing your dog as well.
Happy training!
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