Mistakes to Avoid When Calling Your Dog – Dog Training Tips
There are a few commands every dog absolutely needs to obey. One quite obvious one is coming when called. If a dog does not react to this command, it will be quite stressful for the owner. This command is used in many different situations, for example when the dog is running around off the leash, and we need to head home.
But this may not be the only time we need him to come to us: What if, for example, we are suddenly faced with a dangerous situation? We might then call our dog, for his own good, but if he doesn’t respond, he might get seriously injured.
To make sure this never happens, we need to teach our dog to respond properly to our command. How do we do this? First of all, ALWAYS be cheerful when your dog comes to you – and reward him for it! He has to feel that coming to you is the most wonderful thing in the world.
Having said that, there are a few mistakes that dog lovers often make – here’s two major ones:
Mistake number one: We are out and about, our dog is running around freely off the leash, we call him, but he doesn’t respond right away. Yet, after what seems like forever he decides to come to us.
But as to be expected, by now we are less than pleased about his behavior. We know that he knew he was supposed to come right away -a few minutes ago- but he simply ignored us. Understandably, we might want to scold him. Intuitively, that would seem like a proper response.
Yet, we always have to keep in mind that we need to be cheerful when he comes to us. If we are angry, he will remember that and feel even less inclined to come right away the next time we call him.
The second mistake: This mistake is quite similar to mistake number one. But in a way, it is more vicious, because we often make it without even being aware of it. Let’s say our dog is running around, we call him, and he responds. We greet him happily (excellent!), but we are in a hurry, and so home we go.
Beware: This might not be a big deal to us, but it might be interpreted as a punishment by our dog. Because, keep in mind, he was just having a wonderful time. Then you called him, and he came, and going home puts a stop to having fun! Instead: Play with him for a few more minutes, then put him on the leash (without calling him), and walk home.
Learn more about Hundeerziehung. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung ohne Stress and what it can do for you.
