You have started your dog training and everything has been going pretty well so far. There were probably some minor issues that he had to take care of, but for the most part, there hasn’t been anything major to worry about. That’s great. I wish I could say that for most other homeowners, we’re not all lucky. Still, even though things have been going well so far, there is always room for something to go wrong. Here are a couple of things to think about when training your dog.

1. Severe punishments help no one

Let me clarify between soft and hard punishment. Harsh punishment is performing a physical action, such as hitting your dog or yelling at your dog very loudly. These forms of punishment are not helpful and will only cause you problems during training. No one wants to be yelled at or hit, and neither does your dog, so keep this in mind. Mild punishment means things like ignoring the dog or staring at it. These are messages that your dog can calmly interpret and react to.

2. You have to be constant in training

Constantly stopping and starting training over a period of time is not a good way to train your dog. He can’t decide to give up and then pick it up several times later. This is confusing to your dog and prevents those important habits from forming in his mind. This is the whole point of training, and it gets lost when you’re not consistent. This also applies to all facets of training, not just the times you do it.

3. Dog training should be fun and exciting

This is something most owners seem to forget when they get frustrated with training. It’s understandable, but you have to remember the fact that this whole training thing is not about being angry or upset with each other. You and your dog need to enjoy what you are doing, otherwise there is no point. The good thing about fun is that training seems to work best when both dog and trainer are in a positive state of mind, ready to learn and experience new things.