Some dog training advice is bad. And some makes us feel sorry for the dog, and want to smack the owners in the face with a newspaper. Or something heavier. It doesn’t matter if it’s a purebred German Shepherd dog or a labradoodle. Bad dog advice is bad dog advice.
We’ve heard our share of it. Some of it is simply misguided and based on “old wives tales.” And some of it comes from overly aggressive owners who have passed their nonsense from generation to the next.
Here are some of the worst things you can do during dog training, and yet, somehow, people still do them every day.
Smacking Your Dog on the Nose
The mentality here is your asserting your dominance and using pain as a stimulus to correct the bad behavior. It’s been done for years and seems to make sense. Right? 100% wrong.
Studies have shown that if you treat your dog with aggressive behavior, you’re going to get aggressive behavior back in return from your dog. And that’s going to start a really ugly cycle.
The University of Pennsylvania has reported that “confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them or intimidating them with physical manipulation does little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses.”
So correct your dog’s behavior and reward good behaviour, with love and patience. Don’t “punish” bad behavior or try too hard to show your dog’s who is the boss.
The Use of Prong or Shock Collars
This is an extension of the point above, and more trying to use pain to correct bad behaviour. The use of these collars is the real bad behaviour!
You may think you’re training your dog, but you’re actually just causing it pain and stress, while reducing its overall quality of life. There’s a reason they’re outlawed in some countries like Austria, Denmark, Finland and Germany. They’re also restricted in three others like the Czech Republic, Hungary and Italy.
Again, reward-based training has been proven to be far more effective, at no risk of harm to your dog.
“Rub Their Nose in it”
Sigh. This one really needs to go away. Forever.
This idea used to be as commonplace and accepted as taking your dog for a walk. But over time, we (most of us) have come to know better.
People have done it when their dog has an accident for years, as a way of punishing the dog, or embarrassing the dog. It’s stupid, archaic and simply doesn’t work.
It’s also counterproductive. It’s not teaching your dog where it can and can’t go. It’s teaching it to fear you. It may even teach it to hide its urine from you. It will still go inside, but now you will have to find it.
Instead, focus on building good habits. It may take a bit of patience, but you will see far better results.
Any Other Questions About Training a German Shepherd?
We love dogs of all kind, which is why we offer professional dog training and obedience training. It’s better for humans and dogs if you get your advice from experts, instead of people who believe in any of the methods above.
We are committed to the rules and regulations set out by the Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) in Germany. The SV established guidelines for good breeding over 100 years ago, standards we believe are essential to healthy and happy German Shepherd puppies.
Let’s talk! You can reach us by clicking here.