15 Dog Training Mistakes to Avoid for a Better-Behaved Pet

A combination of genetics, environment, and training methods influences the behavior of your pet. As a dog owner, you may not fully realize that certain mistakes you’re making are causing their bad behavior. You may be inadvertently reinforcing unwanted behavior or overlooking fundamental training principles. Before the problem gets worse, recognizing these 15 common mistakes can help you prevent your dog from developing unwanted issues.
Feeding Your Dog From the Table

There will be times when you want to give your dog tasty treats like meat and bones from your plate. The problem is that your dog will start begging for food every time you sit down to eat because they are expecting a snack every time you eat.
Not Giving Your Dog Enough Exercise

Dogs are active pets and need plenty of exercise. If you don’t take your dog out for regular walks or engage them in a meaningful manner, they can become lazy or destructive. Your dog may start to chew your valuables or become highly hyperactive.
Not Knowing Your Dog’s Breed

Certain breeds, such as Dobermans, Border Collies, and Dalmatians, tend to be hyperactive and get excited at the slightest action. As a dog owner, you must research what behavioral issues your breed can develop so you can provide the proper training and stimulating activities to prevent them.
Allowing Your Dog to Jump Up On You

It can be endearing sometimes to allow your dog to jump onto you when they’re excited to see you. But if you allow this, they’ll think it’s OK to jump up on guests when they visit. Teach your dog a command when it’s OK to jump up and when they need to heel.
Teasing Your Dog With Food

You should never tease your dog with food because it can make them aggressive and cause an unhealthy reaction. To prevent your dog from grabbing, teach them clear commands like “sit” or “stay,” and make sure to applaud them for being patient.
Lack of Training When It’s a Puppy

It becomes difficult to train a dog that has never been trained, especially for leash training or cage training. When you adopt or buy a puppy, you must start training immediately because it prevents bad habits and helps set boundaries in the home.
Ignoring Your Dog

You may not realize it, but dogs are extremely sensitive and can feel emotions just as strongly as humans. So, when you ignore your dog, it can become depressed and begin to withdraw or become aggressive. It may also lose interest in playing or become lethargic.
Rewarding Negative Behavior

Dog owners can accidentally reinforce a bad behavior their dog is exhibiting. For example, when your dog barks, you might try to stop or talk to it. This gives your dog the idea that barking will get your attention. There are methods to train your dog to only bark in certain situations.
Not Socializing Your Dog

One of the biggest blunders dog owners make is not introducing their pets to other animals and people when they’re young. This can make them shy, withdrawn, and even aggressive toward other pets and people when they are exposed to them at parks or gatherings.
Negative Reinforcement

Training your dog can be a frustrating endeavor, and it’s not easy, especially when they’re puppies. However, shouting at your dog, spanking them, or using shock collars are forms of negative reinforcement that can develop behavioral issues like anxiety and fear.
Feeding Them Too Many Treat

The best way to train your dog is to use treats for positive reinforcement. But sometimes, giving your dog too many treats can make them fat and lazy, especially if they are processed. Restrict treating your dog to training time.
Coddling Your Dog Too Much

Spoiling your dog can cause it to become fearful of other animals and their environment. It may also become overly sensitive to situations and start to develop anxiety. Additionally, your dog will become needy and won’t want to leave your side.
Not Giving Them Enough Stimulation

Dogs need appropriate stimulation to be happy. Otherwise, they will seek outlets for their excessive energy and become destructive. Give your dog stimulating toys, like placing treats inside a blanket or toy, to keep them busy, especially when you don’t have time to play with them.
Overfeeding Your Dog

Similar to giving your dog too many treats, overfeeding can also lead to serious health issues. Your dog can eventually develop excessive hunger and cry or whimper until you cave in and give it food. You should only feed your dog two meals a day, 12 hours between meals, or as the vet advises.
Keeping Long Training Sessions

Training your dog is a great way to prevent any behavioral issues. However, running training sessions too long can also lead to behavioral problems, such as not listening or becoming too distracted. Break it into short sessions of 15 minutes at a time.