Starting a new obedience program is a very exciting time! Enthusiasm is high, the potential progress is exciting, and it can be fun to spend this time with your dog. With all of that excitement, it can sometimes be easy to make some mistakes so here are some things that we commonly see during the beginning of a dog training program that we would like to help you avoid.
Focusing on too much at once – When we work dogs that are in for our in-home board and train program, we go into the lesson with just a few things in mind that we want to accomplish during the training session. Focusing on a little bit of everything, especially in the beginning, can lead to unneeded stress in your dog and you dabble in everything and accomplish nothing. Stick with let’s say two skills per lesson to start.
Long training sessions – Epic training sessions are not always a good thing, especially when we are just starting an obedience program. Your dog may tire out quickly when starting obedience training because their brains need to be conditioned to handle the learning; expect them to tire out quickly in the beginning. In order to avoid pushing them past their natural limits, you may want to avoid long training sessions.
Taking the leash off too soon – All of the fun happens off-leash, but it has to start on-leash and may stay on-leash for a while. During a training program, a leash and/or a long line are great tools that need to be incorporated into your training program. Proper use of a leash and long line are important in building in a great recall in your dog.
Setting your expectations too high – Do not expect an off-leash recall at a hiking trail during the first week, don’t plan on your leash reactive dog to never lunge at a dog again after your first lesson, and don’t immediately seek out overwhelming distractions. Don’t get me wrong, you should expect all of these things from a good training program, but it will take time. You should absolutely keep your goals high but make sure your expectations are realistic, especially at the start of training.
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