Are you Training Backwards?
A super common thing I see as a trainer is well meaning owners trying their hardest to train their dogs, but instead getting the exact opposite result of what they actually want! Whether this is loose leash walking, coming when called, being calm around strangers or other dogs, you name it and I’ve seen someone training it backwards!
I bet you’ve seen someone do this. They want their dog to come, so they call them, and call them, and call them. No response from the dog. So they march over to the dog, leash them up or grab their collar, and take the dog home. You may have even found yourself doing this before too! And I don’t blame you, having a dog that doesn’t come when it’s time to go is certainly something that gets on anyone’s nerves. I don’t have all day Fido!!
The fact is though that that sort of response is teaching your dog NOT to come to you. After all, if you’re always ending their fun, the last thing they would want is to stop!
Loose leash walking is another commonly mis-trained skill that I see All. The. Time. By the time people contact me a lot of them have been pulled down, have achy shoulders, or are just flat out DONE with their walks. Some of them have stopped walking the dog altogether because of how much their dog pulls. Some have resorted to buying and trying a plethora of training tools like choke collars, no pull harnesses, e collars, and are now at a loss when NOTHING seems to be working.
The habit of pulling starts small. First it’s just a little pulling and we “let the dog get away with it”. It’s just a little right? Soon though the pulling dominates the walks, and now you’ve got a monster of a problem.
Loose leash walking is commonly mis-trained and I see these mistakes All. The. Time. By the time people contact me a lot of them have been pulled down, have achy shoulders, or are just flat out DONE with their walks. Some of them have stopped walking the dog altogether because of how much their dog pulls. Some have resorted to buying and trying a plethora of training tools like choke collars, no pull harnesses, e collars, and are now at a loss when NOTHING seems to be working.
The habit of pulling starts small. First it’s just a little pulling and we “let the dog get away with it”. It’s just a little right? Soon though the pulling dominates the walks, and now you’ve got a monster of a problem.
The third most common issue I see is jumping. Once again it’s a skill that is taught to be OK for a dog to do, and by the time they are grown you have a mess of paws, nails, and slobber trying to claw their way up to your face. Not polite At All.
Training backwards doesn't have to be your reality
Every day many owners are totally unintentionally training their dogs backwards. Often owners are often completely baffled on how their dog got to be that way. Not to mention frustrated that the dog doesn’t do what it’s told or listen. The good news with the latter is that there are only 3 reasons your dog might fail to do what they’re asked, and we can help with that!
This huge problem all comes down to the dog being trained backwards. They’ve been trained to not listen, not walk nicely, not greet people nicely. The saddest part is that your dog will never learn to listen if they’re being taught backwards.
The reality painted here doesn’t have to be your life and it doesn’t have to be your every day struggle. I know this hits close to home for many of you. That you’re tired of this daily song and dance and ready for change. Regardless of age, regardless of breed, the methods that I use work. Let’s get you the help you need!
A few simple changes can transform your dog from unruly to your best companion. The dog you want is within your grasp. All you have to to is get in touch!