Seven Training Myths - Blog Thirty-Three

Today we are tackling some of the more common training myths - and why they're not true!


Myth 1
"Feeding a dog at the dinner table causes the dog to be spoiled."

This isn't true, whether you're feeding a dog human food, or their own food beside the table. While it can cause expectations and excitement, if you're using it to your advantage for training purposes, it doesn't matter whatsoever if it's at the family dinner, or outside in the middle of the night. Using human food, provided it's safe for dogs (look up a list of foods to never feed dogs, such as onions, yeast, or sugar), can actually help bond you and your dog and reinforce you as a provider, and thus, the leader. However, you will need to be careful not to encourage excitement and dominance.


Myth 2
"You can correct a puppy or tell it no just fine."

Actually, puppies are too young to be corrected, or to be told no, until they're around 10 months. This is because they can't handle knowing they've done something wrong. Of course, if it's being used to safe a life, then of course, it's better to startle or correct your dog - but keep away from the harsh no until they're bigger!


Myth 3
"Corrections are hurtful to the dog."
Corrections are gentle. Sometimes they can startle a dog, which can cause them to jump or yelp, but the idea is to break their concentration so you can redirect them. This comes in handy when your dog is so focused on something (or willfully dominant) that it ignores you. This perception generally comes from all-positive trainers, and people who cannot master corrections properly and either over correct, or mistime the correction, leading to a strong reaction from the dog in question. The main issue with corrections is they have to be exactly timed, and with a certain amount of pressure, or they do nothing. When a pair of dogs, left to their own devices, correct one another, they pin, use teeth to nip or bite, and can sometimes even grab another dog by the throat and push them down - these are all ways for one dog to communicate to another that the behaviour in question is unacceptable. Most dogs walk away just fine after this kind of altercation, sometimes being a little wary of the dog or behaviour - so how can a leash or contact correction be worse? Its not.


Myth 4
"My dog is too old to learn now, we're stuck with this behaviour."

While some behaviours can be habituated and really difficult to change, that's not really an age-related thing. Excepting of course neurological/brain wiring issues, all behaviours can be repaired, at any age. Senior dogs that may only have a few years left however may not have the time left to relearn, but its not a brain issue. All dogs can learn.


Myth 5
"My dog eliminated inside once; now I will never get them to stop."

While its true that once a dog eliminates inside the home it's pretty hard to correct the behaviour, it's always possible to fix this issue (barring any medical problems). Most dogs eliminate inside for a couple of main reasons: they're desperate and couldn't wait any longer, they're scared/startled/excited, they're generalizing the behaviour (meaning they've gone from associating outside for eliminating to outside my bed/crate), or they don't associate your home as their den yet. All of these behaviours can be retrained.


Myth 6
"My dog is doing this behaviour to get back at me."


Dogs are not capable of spite, or revenge. They live in the moment, and react accordingly. Chances are, there is something important training-wise that you're missing - unless your dog is really a cat!


Myth 7
"My dog is just over protective, he knows I am boss."

If your dog is acting defensively towards you, unless you're pregnant, that's not just being over protective; your dog believes you are his or her property, and that they must defend that item. This is a classic case of role reversal, and you need a trainer.