How to overcome common training issues

Why is my dog doing that?

Understanding your dog

In order to help your puppy or dog, the first thing you need to do is understand them. Why are they doing what they're doing? Is it nature or nurture? Once you can understand why they are acting the way they are, it makes it easier to move forward to find solutions to any unwanted behaviour that has developed. This summary goes though genetics, innate needs and behaviour, and the things they learn when we welcome them into our homes.

Understanding yourself

Dogs are only 50% of what's going on. We are likely to be part of the reason they are behaving the way they are, and we can certainly be the source of any positive changes we want to create. We can't expect our dogs to 'get better' if we don't realise how we're influencing how they behave. This summary goes through the basics of human psychology in relation to our lives with dogs.

Quick Guides for dog training and behaviour

Sarah has written these brief summaries as a companion to her classes, consultations and books to help you train your dog, and also to help you make a plan for improving their behaviour. They are necessarily general, and may not be suitable for your particular dog or situation - please use them as guidelines, and contact an ethical trainer for more help if needed.

Sarah works from the principle of 'reward first', so she's always planning any training and management to build a dog or puppy up for success, while preventing them from making mistakes. This means she does not have to correct bad behaviour - and if the unwanted behaviour does happen, it's likely to have been a human error (eg in planning or level of skill) - it's not fair to tell a dog off for this. If mistakes do happen, just move on quietly, and resume the rewards for wanted behaviour. It's all just information - a dog getting something wrong is not a sign of 'dominance', it just shows what they don't know yet, and what needs improving.

The more you reward and encourage wanted behaviour, the less unwanted behaviour you will see without having to do anything about it directly.

If you're struggling with your dog's behaviour, please seek advice from your vet, and a reward-based or force-free/ fear-free trainer.

If you have any questions about anything you read in these help sheets, please let me know...

I'm gradually adding more all the time, but if you'd like to suggest one, please get in touch...

reflectionsanimaltraining@gmail.com

Recall

One of the foundation behaviours that can cause a lot of stress and upset when it doesn't happen. This guide goes through the basics of how to achieve a great recall, and ensure it's a rewarding experience for you and your dog.

Leave

There are so many things we don't want our dogs eating or chasing. 'Leave' should mean 'don't touch it' - this guide explains how to teach it.

Fetch

We can have great fun with our dogs when they bring back a toy for us to throw again, or play tug with. It also helps keep their mind off other things around them that they might find more exciting (other dogs, joggers, wildlife etc).

Loose lead walking

One of the 'biggies' - why is it so hard for a dog to walk by our sides with a slack lead? Because they'd much rather be going faster and further than us, and would much rather be investigating smells/ other people/ other dogs/ things to chase/ things to explore. For a dog, walking by our side at our pace is usually a boring experience, but there are ways to make it more rewarding.

Separation anxiety

Dogs love our company, and many struggle when they are left on their own. Separation anxiety is really a phobia - they are desperate to be reunited with their family again, and fear the worst. This guide explains the route to helping a dog cope alone.

Toileting issues

Maybe you have a young puppy who is just learning where and when to toilet, or you have an older dog who's still having accidents. This guide will help you understand why it's happening, and how to improve the situation.

Barking

Barking can be very annoying, but it's a dog's way of communicating with us (and other dogs and people) that something isn't right. The first step to stopping unwanted barking, is to understand why it started - and then change something in our dog's life to ensure they don't need to shout about it next time.

Reactivity on walks

Dogs can display aggressive behaviours towards other dogs or people, and this can be caused by fear, frustration or the need to defend. This short guide goes through the ways to help your dog to cope with the things they find challenging - including how to find opportunities to reward them for staying calm, and watching their trigger without reacting.

Travel sickness

Travel sickness, like in humans, can be a very distressing experience for your puppy and dog. True examples of motion sickness may require help from the vet, or through the use of supplements. But many cases of travel sickness are routed in fear - and if you reduce the fear, you can reduce their distress considerably.

Guide to collars/ leads/ harnesses etc

It's very confusing to know what's the best equipment to use when walking your dog. As a reward-based trainer I'm always aiming for comfort, and to make sure we're not inadvertently teaching a dog the wrong thing.

Gundog games

Many working dogs have a lot of mental and physical energy, and can develop bad behaviours if their needs aren't met. Although lots of dogs love to fetch, this guide will explain how to take it to the next level - games you can play with your dog to improve their fetching skills, and meet their mental and physical needs. This is much more fun than just endlessly flinging a ball in a park!

Fun things to try

There are many sports and activities you can experience with your dog. As I'm a reward-based trainer, it's important to find clubs and trainers who use rewards to train, and to avoid those who use fear, force and intimidation to get results - this is not needed, even in high-level competitions with highly energetic dogs. Also, remember that even if your dog can do something, that doesn't mean that they should do it, or do it repetitively. Always keep in mind your dog's physical and mental wellbeing, especially if you decide to compete.

How to overcome common training and behaviour issues