Timing Is a Crucial Dog Training Technique
As highlighted in our piece on the most effective dog training techniques, timing sits above all other techniques when it comes to the ultimate success or failure of a dog training program.
Poorly timed corrections, actions, rewards, no matter how mild, could be considered inhumane, or at least unfair. Yes, you did hear that right – even REWARDING a dog at the wrong time can seriously ruin the work you're focussing on. If you accidentally promote a positive association with a behaviour and a response in the dog and, it transpires, that this reaction is not what you were working on, when the dog repeats the behaviour in the future, your bad timing can lead to great confusion.
Correcting a dog hours after you find a chewed bed pillow is nothing more than random anger from the dog's point of view. He's getting yelled at for what? Sleeping there by the fireplace? Why is that bad? Should he stop sleeping?
Some owners have even corrected their dog for coming back to them! You know the one, the one where the dog runs off, refuses to come back and the owner gets so annoyed that when the dog does eventually return, they get a cross word or – worse – a smack on the nose.
Timing: it's the most important dog training technique in the book. By far!
Correcting a dog hours after you find a chewed bed pillow is nothing more than random anger from the dog's point of view. He's getting yelled at for what? Sleeping there by the fireplace? Why is that bad? Should he stop sleeping?
Some owners have even corrected their dog for coming back to them! You know the one, the one where the dog runs off, refuses to come back and the owner gets so annoyed that when the dog does eventually return, they get a cross word or – worse – a smack on the nose.
Timing: it's the most important dog training technique in the book. By far!Entry filed under: Dog Training Techniques. Tags: .
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