Welcome back to Pawfit and Pals, a series where we get together with pet experts to find out more about their areas of expertise and get the answers to some FAQs.
This time, we’re chatting with Rachel, a Force Free trainer based in Liverpool and owner of Dog at Heart.
Here at Pawfit, we are big advocates about the importance of dog training but with the overwhelming amount of information online, it can be very confusing for beginners.
We discussed everything from general dog training advice to dispelling myths about Force Free Training and how Cooperative Care can help your pup overcome their fear of the groomers. Our conversation was so in-depth that we decided to break it down into two parts.
The last 12 months has seen a huge rise in the number of people getting puppies and adopting dogs so for the first part of our conversation, we asked Rachel all about puppy training and dealing with bad habits.
When should you begin puppy training and what should you focus on first?
You can start a bit of training when you first bring your puppy home at around 8 weeks old.
Start slowly by rewarding them when they happen to do the things you want them to do. Puppies might casually sit or lie down and you can reward them for those behaviours and overtime you’ll get a puppy that starts doing the things you like rather than the things you don’t like.
Remember that our dogs are always learning so there are lots of things you can teach them throughout their life so don’t worry if you start too late.
The most important thing when you first get your dog is building your bond with them. Make sure your pup knows you’re safe to be around and that their new home is a safe place to be in. Your general manners like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ can all be done later and slowly through their life but having your pup make positive associations with the world around them is the most important thing. That’s why my focus when puppies first come home is on bonding and socialisation.
What is puppy socialisation?
We don’t mean puppy socialisation in the sense of meeting loads of new people and playing with new dogs but socialisation in the sense of forming positive associations with the world around them.
This can include:
- Teaching your pup to walk on different surfaces that you set up around the home
- Getting them used to noises like traffic or fireworks, starting by playing the sounds at a low volume that doesn’t scare them and slowly increasing it
- Teaching your puppy that getting handled in sensitive areas like their paws and ears is followed by good things like treats
- Having your puppy watch other dogs safely from a distance
Your puppy will experience the world in a safe and comfortable way and it’ll help build their confidence and strengthen their relationship with you.
How can you build a strong relationship with your new puppy?
Provide your puppy with enrichments, working through puzzles together, giving them treats and playing with them are all excellent ways to build a bond. This will help them feel safe with you and enjoy you being around.
It’s also important to make sure your puppy has you there when they need you. Sometimes people might think its ok to have your dog get used to being alone when they’re puppies and first come home but actually it’s a really stressful experience for them as they’ve just left their mum and their litter mates, so we need to be there for them. It’s not ok to let puppies cry them out. This might mean you need to change your set up at home for a short time, spending the first few nights sleeping with them and then gradually moving out.
What are the first things to work on when starting training?
I like having eye contact from dogs. It’s a really simple thing to train as once in a while your dog is going to look at you and you can reward them. When you have that eye contact first you can move onto other things as you already have their attention and focus.
Being able to get your dog to settle in a certain place as well is important too and can make training a lot easier.
If a puppy or adult dog has picked up bad habits, can training help fix them?
Dogs continue to learn throughout their life.
If your puppy or adult dog has practiced these behaviours you don’t like over and over again, then that re-enforced behaviour can take a little while to change but it doesn’t mean it’ll never change.
When we think about ‘bad habits’ we’re referring to behaviours that we don’t like. The behaviours are no issue to the dog, as they have no sense of what’s wrong or right.
Instead, we need to think of these behaviours we don’t like, we need to think of what behaviours we’d like to see.
For example, if your dog doesn’t walk nicely on a leash. Dogs have 4 legs so they naturally walk faster than us humans so asking them to walk next to us is a bit like when we’re holding the hand of a toddler and getting frustrated that it feels walking really slow. Once we can emphasis with this, we can work on rewarding our dogs for walking closely with us. You can start this training at home, taking it step by step if necessary and then building it up over time.
A lot of dogs also love sniffing so its important to give them this opportunity so they can relax and feel like their needs are being met. Once they feel like their needs are being met, they won’t feel the need to rush everywhere to sniff before they get pulled back. Walking your dog on a long line can really help with this.
Does everyone need to see a dog trainer?
I’d recommend new owners going to a trainer, especially if you’ve got a puppy as you’ll want to give them a good start. With rescues, they might come with certain issues or concerns and it’s good to get the right support from the beginning. After a few sessions you’ll have the right resources and support to continue working with your do on your own.
What are the common mistakes owners make when it comes to training?
Not seeing a professional trainer sooner, especially when you have a dog that’s displaying slightly more concerning behaviour such as not being comfortable when being touched or snapping and growling when they’re being approached or when they’re eating.
A lot of people think their dogs will just get over this behaviour and yes, sometimes they do but this isn’t always the case. It’s risky though as you risk your dog feeling this constant stress and fear around a certain trigger but they feel trapped and can’t do anything about it so their fear gets worse.
With any issue you’re facing as an owner, its best to get professional help as soon as possible.
Another common mistake is not realising that our dogs, especially young puppies have short attention spans. As humans it’s really tempting to keep going when our dogs are doing well but actually your dog could end up getting bored and we want to keep training as fun as possible. For puppies keep training short, 1-2 minutes at a time and spaced throughout the day.
What are the hurdles owners face when they star training?
A big hurdle is people’s mindsets, especially thinking that certain behaviours need to be “fixed” because then we’re too focused on what we need to stop when it’s far more effective to teach the dog to do something else instead.
When you see your dogs doing something you don’t like, you should think about what behaviours you’d like them to do instead and go from there.
Another hurdle is the fact that there’s so much information available on the internet and it can be overwhelming. A lot of the things you come across could be outdated and in fact harmful to your dog and their wellbeing. The dog training industry is also unregulated, and anyone can call themselves a trainer or a behaviourist when they actually have no education/certification and use dangerous methods.
Do adopted/rehomed dogs require more training?
It really depends on the individual dog. Some dogs leave shelters perfectly fine and with the right environment they are relaxed and happy. But some are a lot more reactive towards other dogs and people which can be a bit more challenging to work with. Having an ongoing support system with a trainer, behaviourist or veterinary behaviourist can be really helpful and remember that a lot of these issues can be ironed out over time.
How important are ongoing training sessions?
It’s really important for owners to continue training with their dogs. For example, if a trainer came to your house once to work on the issue of jumping, they’ll give you the skills but that single session isn’t going to resolve the issue so you’ll need to keep working with your dog at home. Both humans and dogs need that repetition to change our behaviours.
Next time, we’re speaking to Rachel about the force free training method, as well as finding out more about cooperative care.
You can find Rachel and Dog at Heart on Instagram, or by visiting her website, www.dogatheart.co.uk.
Got any training advice you can share with our Pawfit community? Let us know by sending us a DM on social or by emailing PawfitPals@Pawfit.com
