While most dogs will gladly accept treats and other food rewards as “payment” during training, there are some exceptions that are simply disinterested in food. But, that doesn’t mean they can’t be trained! If a dog isn’t eager to work for treats, simply find another source of motivation. A reward for a job well done can be a favorite squeaky toy, a game of frisbee, a quick fetch of a tennis ball, a belly scratch, or simply praise from you. Just find what motivates your dog, what he reacts best to, and use that as your reward during training.
Training Myth #12: My Dog Is a Dumb Breed so He Can’t Learn
There has been a lot of research lately on dog intelligence and not one of them has proven that a dog’s particular breed determines a level of intelligence. Therefore, all dogs are intelligent and they can all learn. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to develop a relationship and the right environment for your dog to be successful.
Training Myth #11: Crate training a dog is cruel
Many pet parents, either through imagining the sad faces of shelter dogs spending their days and nights behind bars, or because of thinking of a crate in terms of punishment or restriction, are under the impression that crate training a dog is cruel and unnecessary. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! When used properly, a crate becomes a safe haven for your dog. It becomes a place they enjoy spending time in, where they’re able to relax and feel comfortable and at ease. Many dogs look forward to spending time in their crates and will retreat to them, on their own, when they’re looking for peace and quiet.
Training Myth #10: Playing Tug Will Make My Dog Aggressive
People used to say that you shouldn’t play tug with your dog because it would encourage biting and pulling on things – such as a human hand. However, if played correctly with the right set of rules (including not ever coming in contact with human skin and a reliable drop), there is nothing wrong with a good game of tug! It can be quite rewarding for many dogs and be a useful training tool.
Training Myth #9: He’ll Grow out of It
No, no he won’t. In fact, if you let your dog do something you don’t like, thinking she will grow out of it, it’s more likely the behavior will get stronger. The shelters are full of dogs that were relinquished due to behavior issues. So don’t wait for something that is never going to happen – training is the only answer to bad behavior.
Training Myth #8: If I Use Food to Train, I Will Always Have to Use Food
Using food as a reward is just the start because most dogs will work for a treat. However, many of us also use toys, freedom, praise, petting, play, etc., as rewards are our dog’s progress in their training. You will not have carry treats with you 24/7 to get your dog to mind – if that were true no positive reinforcement trainer would be able to compete in dog events, where food is not allowed. And many compete, successfully at that.
Training Myth #7: Dogs need to be punished when they misbehave
Despite our feelings about them, dogs simply aren’t human. They don’t understand the difference between a suitable chew toy and the corner of your leather sofa – until they’ve been taught. Many pet owners make the mistake of punishing a dog, either by yelling, using an aversive training tool like a choke chain, or even by hitting when their dog has done something undesirable, but fail to teach the dog a more appropriate behavior instead. Over time, this type of training might save the corner of your sofa, but the result is often a dog that’s confused, insecure, and fearful rather than one that’s confident and understands what’s expected of him. Instead of punishing bad behavior, teach your dog that behaving appropriately is more rewarding for her. Reward the good behavior and ignore the bad.
Training Myth #6: My Dog Is Dominant and That’s Why He Does “X”
Another one of myths surrounding dog training involves believing your dog is doing something like pulling on the leash, jumping up, not listening, etc., because your dog is dominant. However, “dominance” is not a personality trait. Your dog is not planning to take over the world by first getting control of you. According to the research, there is actually no such thing as a “dominant dog,” because dominance is a social relationship between animals of the same species and it’s constantly changing.
Training Myth #5: Using Food to Train Is Bribery
This myth came from a group of people that do not want to feed their dog to train them. However, expecting your dog to work for free insults their intelligence. Do you work for free? No. Even kids doing homework get rewarded for doing it – a good grade = a present from their parents, extra TV time, getting to play with friends, etc.. We all get dessert for eating our dinner, right? Using food in training is a reward for your dog choosing to do the right thing, and rewarded behavior is repeated behavior. Using food to train can be a great way to create new behaviors and better habits.
Training Myth #4: Positive Reinforcement Training Is Only for Small, Nice, “Easy” Dogs, Not Large, Fearful, Aggressive Or “Difficult Dogs”
Actually, it’s those difficult dogs that need positive training the most! Treating aggression with aggression will just create more aggression or fear. Positive training is the best method for all dogs.
Training Myth #3: My Dog Is Just Stubborn and Refuses to Learn
Just like guilt, stubbornness is a human trait we like to give dogs, especially if it seems like they are purposely not listening to us. However, it has been shown that almost always, there is a reason your dog is not listening to you – fear, anxiety, pain (maybe their hips hurt so lying down in uncomfortable), doesn’t understand what you are asking, etc.
Training Myth #2: Dogs Respond to Strong “Pack leaders” so you must display dominance
Once one of the most popular methods of dog training, the dominance or alpha method has, in the last decade, been proven by behaviorists to be unnecessary and, in some cases, detrimental to effectively training a dog. While some trainers still advocate for dominance and aversive training, including, for example, the use of choke or prong collars, punishment, and “alpha rolls” where a dog is aggressively rolled onto their back and held in place until they show submissive behavior, these methods are no longer recommended by the scientific and behavioral communities. Instead of thinking of training in terms of dominating control over your dog by becoming the “alpha dog” in the relationship, pet parents will have better, longer term success training with kindness and and respect. By developing a trusting relationship and teaching desired behaviors, your dog will naturally do as they’ve been taught, not out of fear of being punished, but because they are confident and have learned that appropriate behavior is rewarding for them.
Training Myth #1: YOU MUST BE THE "ALPHA"
This myth came about because dogs are distantly related to wolves and so someone decided they must act like wolves, too. However, there are two things wrong with this! One, dogs are not wolves and two, the original study that started this myth has been debunked by scientists as not the way wolves act in nature. (The original study was based on captive, un-related wolves, which would not occur in nature.) If you’d like to read more about this, check out the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s position statement on Dominance Theory.