Some new puppy parents experience a little trepidation about training. Here are a few things that you should know about what to expect with training.
What Makes a Dog Easy to Train?
The ease with which you are able to train your dog may depend on your dog’s intelligence and disposition. Some breeds are known for being more easily trainable than others. There are certain breeds with a reputation for being somewhat difficult to raise and train. In several cases, it is not because of a lack of intelligence but rather advanced intelligence and a greater inclination towards being headstrong. For example, many owners of Akitas and Australian Shepherds have reported that their dogs were slow to accept training as puppies.
Within certain breeds, some dogs may simply be more trainable than others. In fact, dogs from the same litter may have very different personalities. Nevertheless, dogs with pedigree breeding are likely to have more consistently positive personality traits because it is a dominant quality that is purposefully bred. German shepherd puppies imported from Germany, for example, are likely to have been bred from a line with high trainability.
How Is Reward Better Than Punishment?
Your dog’s aptitude to learn commands and desired behaviors is going to be heavily influenced by your attitude. If you’re getting angry and feeling frustrated with your puppy, you’ll project those negative emotions to him or her. Your puppy may likewise become frustrated. Unable to please you, he or she will take a sour attitude towards training.
In contrast, praise and treats will cause a dog to form positive associations with the process of learning to follow commands and refrain from bothersome puppy activities such as biting or barking. By letting your dog know that his or her actions have made you happy and proud, you’re creating strong motivation to keep trying to do that.
Do Puppies Like Training?
Your puppy may not understand some of why you want him or her to do certain things. Nevertheless, puppies love playing and exploring. To a puppy, training is simply a structured way to do two of its favorite things while getting some treats along the way.
Training a new puppy seems like it should be a relatively easy task that you can achieve intuitively. In fact, it may prove to be challenging. Do a little research about effective training methods and be patient while your puppy learns.